Does Your Coffee Offering Support Your Business Strategy?
Seems like an obvious rule that each and every hospitality establishment should offer to its guests coffee and coffee-based drinks. This is because coffee is so popular throughout a wide range of diversified customer bases. Saying that, one can already sense that it is practically not possible to meet all coffee taste preference. Then, what should be our focus when selecting coffee and coffee-based products to offer to our guests?
From our point of view, the answer should reflect the specifics of your establishment and even more your business strategy for it. For example, you may choose to showcase your business as one that is providing an exclusive customer experience, having attention to detail, innovating, being a frontrunner in sustainable practices or structured to appeal to specific customer segments, like business travellers or millennials. Once you’ve made your choices, the selection of coffee products should be aimed at reinforcing that strategy.
Then, you would definitely need a business partner that will be able to meet your product quality expectations. Here are some examples of that:
Exclusive Customer Experience
The coffee industry is undergoing tectonic changes. One of the most visible is the popping up of artisan coffee roasters that have different coffee roasting practices from those of established and well-known coffee roasters. As an owner or a manager of a hospitality business, this means that when working with such a small-to-mid-sized artisan coffee roaster, you can work with the vendor to create your own blend that will be exclusive for your business. In such a way, you will differentiate from your direct competitors and create the perception to your guests that you provide exclusive products and services.
Attention to Detail
The third wave coffee trend has been here for some years now. It has been called for by the customer’s desire to know more about their food and drinks to feel closer to the people that have contributed to the final product. In this sense, the traceability of the coffee, additional information on its roasting profile and flavour notes take up a major part. In case you meet these expectations, you would attest your business as being within the modern coffee culture tendencies, but also careful while selecting and being knowledgeable about the coffee products that you offer.
Sustainability
We have all seen the signs towards how we can be more mindful about the way we use water in our daily routine. We believe they are a great practice that works in favour of preserving nature. At the same time, for a frequent traveller, those seem like repetition and may even confuse him or her in which hotel he/she is currently staying. If you don't want to cause such confusion, there are many ways to stand out from the crowd and communicate sustainable practices to the public. In terms of coffee offerings, there is a pleiad of different sustainability certifications. You can choose the one that would match the entire strategy of the business. For example, if you would like to be seen as treating every customer fairly, you can select products that are Fair Trade. If you would like to be seen as a business which is dedicated to fighting global warming, an option you can opt for is Rainforest Alliance certification of coffee products or you can have your coffee delivered in degradable/compostable bags.
Innovations
In case you would like to appeal to energetic, open-minded, young-at-heart travellers, you should find the most innovative coffee products that are visibly cool and fancy. Furthermore, you'd want to make your guests feel good so that they return to your hotel or become ambassadors of your brand. Then, you can select a coffee product that brings back the great coffee brewing experience and creates the most possible homey atmosphere in unseen formats.
Finally, needless to say, some of the above options may be great tools to promote your brand and not one of the coffee vendors, while possibly increasing revenue from or decreasing the cost per night stay.
If you would like to further discuss the above and other related ideas, follow your nose to Stand No 236.
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