It’s been a tough twelve months and, for many businesses, it’s been a time of closures, difficulty, and health minefields. Luckily, with vaccine programs now in full swing, the end is nigh and, even within the hospitality industry, that means openings are imminent.
If you were among one of the thousands of cafe owners who had to shut up shop at the end of last summer, then the chances are that this time couldn’t come soon enough. But, as much as we’re all embracing the fact that the world is moving again, many cafe owners are also a little worried. After all, as well as reopening into a very different cultural landscape, the competition is guaranteed to be fierce as everyone tries to garner much-needed sales.
Here, we’re going to consider a few ways that you can brew a cafe reopening with a bang.
Keep catering for passing trade
As much as we’d all love to assume that cafes will be as bustling as they were before all of this, it’s pretty unlikely. This year has been a lot, and it’s going to take consumers a while to feel 100% safe again. Not to mention that our habits have shifted, and more people than you expect will probably keep buying take out products in light of that.
As such, it’s vital that you continue to cater for passing trade, and even adapt your services with this in mind. Takeout windows are a fantastic option, for example, or you may want to offer further takeout products, such as bake-from-home kits developed with the help of a food contract manufacturer like Omniblend. At the very least, you should keep on top with click and collect services, and even consider pairing with a food delivery service like Uber Eats if you haven’t done so already.
Get the discounts rolling
As much as discounts might seem like the last things you need right now, remember that it’s often better to attract more custom for less than to miss out altogether. With that in mind, rolling out reopening discounts across the board could be the ideal way to ensure that customers choose you for their first cafe outing. A focus on loyalty discounts is especially going to serve here, so don’t hesitate to get some loyalty cards printed in advance to keep that footfall very much in your favour.
Diversify to give yourself a much-needed edge
As is always the case when you’re going to head-to-head with the competition, now is also the ideal time to diversify. It may be that you take this chance to implement that bakery you’ve been putting off for so long. Or, perhaps you’re interested in increasing your product ranges to include books or something like homeware.
While these may seem like expenses that you could do without right now, the increased customer bases that these efforts should bring are guaranteed to pay for themselves, and (hopefully) see you with a constant queue out the door from the very first moment that you’re finally able to open.
