HOW TO SERVE COFFEE PROPERLY
Etiquette is not only about arranging cutlery and sweets. If the waiter makes a mistake at least at one of the stages, the impression of the place where you decided to treat yourself to our product will be completely different, regardless of the quality of the drink brewed by the barista.
The first and indisputable rule is to cook from freshly ground grains. You can choose finely ground beans, like our Bongiorno Black, or medium, like Sirocco and Lima, but the main thing is that they are ground before serving, then the coffee bouquet will be fully revealed, you will feel all the charm and taste.
Submission is also not an easy task; every point is important here. It is customary to serve coffee in the container in which it was brewed. You can perfectly brew everyone a cup in a coffee maker (geyser, drip), pour over or coffee machine, then put them on a saucer and take them out on a tray or table, as is customary in companies during business negotiations. Remember that before placing the cup on the saucer, you need to wipe the bottom with a napkin, and only then offer it to a visitor or client.
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You can also brew the elixir of vigor in a Turk, then it will be easier for you to pour the liquid at the table directly from it; by the way, it will be a nice addition to the feast. What is the best way to cook, what are the differences, we wrote in this article.
When it comes to coffee utensils, there are some nuances here. Traditional tableware is porcelain. It holds heat perfectly, preserving its aromatic qualities.
Various cups are also required. Classic espresso is served in a cup with rounded edges, thick walls, such dishes should have a conical shape, and a volume of at least 60 ml, most often drunk from Dmitas - a special glassware, just for our invigorating product. There is an unspoken rule - the stronger the drink, the smaller the cup should be. Other cocktails like macchiato and romano are also served in such containers, because the amount of additives in them is minimized.
As for coffee with milk, latte or cappuccino, you can easily drink these desserts from a large bowl. As a rule, in coffee shops they already have milk or cream added to them, but at home for guests or in the office for management, you should definitely put a milk jug on the table.
For irish and glace, use a tall glass with a stem, and add an ice cream scoop to the glace. There is also a special frappe glass for cold coffee.
Perhaps there is only one type that can be prepared as easily as possible, without requiring any special equipment. This is Americano. Practicality is a distinctive feature of Americans, so they prefer a lot of coffee in a fairly large cup. As a rule, it is trapezoidal or square in shape. It can be plain or with patterns, also made of dense material that retains heat. The height is greater than dmitas also because the Americano produces a nice chiffchaff, so that it does not run away during cooking, they use convenient dishes.
The most important point for any drink is quality grains, try Bongiorno.
In addition to the creamer, sugar, preferably refined sugar, is always served at the coffee table. If you have granulated sugar, then you need to put a spoon there, and if you have lump sugar, then you can take tweezers or such sugar with your hands. But in no case with a spoon that has already been in coffee. In establishments this issue is solved more easily - they offer bagged sand. Also, in many establishments they may offer you a small compliment - a piece of candy or a small cookie to make the taste sweeter. And, of course, a glass of water. Why it is served, we wrote in our article. By the way, we advise you to also take a sip of water before drinking in order to clear the receptors of previous food and fully enjoy our product.
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Exterior and interior, establishment concept
Everything is simple here: the appearance of the establishment must correspond to its concept. What do you cook, for whom and what will your customers like? The answers to these questions will help you choose the concept of the establishment, and then create a visualization project. But there is a nuance here too. There are entrepreneurs who open a luxury coffee shop with excellent design and interior: the tiles were laid by Italian craftsmen, furniture sketches were drawn by a French designer, etc.
The problem is that such a place is so different from the client’s stereotype of what a coffee shop should look like that simply no one goes there. People are afraid of making a mistake and looking stupid: what if you don’t serve coffee at all? Of course, if your target audience is a limited circle of people who instantly adapt to any situation and will happily unravel the puzzles and puzzles posted on the sign, then why not.
Most often, customers come to such establishments to confirm their status as a gourmet or a wealthy person, to show themselves and others that they understand coffee and can afford to drink a cup of espresso with a thoughtful expression on their face, meaningfully ask what kind of coffee you work on, and affirmatively shake your head. Rarely do we find caffeine maniacs who are willing to drink anything, anywhere, just to increase the dose of caffeine in the blood.
The coffee shop should be beautiful, stand out, as you should be immediately noticed, perhaps interesting and original, but at the same time you need to correspond to the client’s idea of the appearance of the coffee shop. Just the word “Coffee Shop” on a sign or a picture of a cup of coffee will not be enough. The image is always perceived as a whole, and creating an individual, but understandable image is a serious task.
What should be done:
- Take a photo of your coffee shop (prepare a project).
- Choose a focus group among your friends that will consist of representatives of your target audience. They don't need to know that you are opening a coffee shop.
- Show them a photo and ask the following questions: “What are they selling here?”, “Is the price segment of the product clear?”, “Assuming that a person is ready to buy coffee, does the appearance of the establishment inspire confidence?”
The time to respond is a couple of seconds, no more. Otherwise, you will receive a vague and, most likely, positive review that does not correspond to reality. From the answers you will understand whether your concept is ready or if you still need to work on it. In the end, you must ensure that all answers are positive.
HOW TO DRINK COFFEE CORRECTLY
Coffee drinking is just as important as serving. If you order an Americano in an establishment, everything is brought to you, placed on the table in perfect order, and you start drinking without following some rules, you can be considered an ignoramus, and abroad even become persona non grata in some places. For example, Italians are very sensitive to this etiquette; they will never understand if you order a cappuccino in the morning and drink an Americano while sitting on the terrace in the afternoon. In this country, it is customary to drink the drink while standing, many times throughout the day, but in small portions, adding practically nothing to it. But since we are not in Italy, we can make a small digression if we want to treat ourselves to something delicious. However, it is worth knowing the rules that apply to all coffee desserts.
Convenient location of the coffee shop
In all business plans for coffee shops, it is advised to measure the traffic of the place and calculate the conversion - what percentage of people from the flow through will come to you for a cup of coffee, and only then make plans based on the obtained numbers. Most often in real life such flows differ from the calculated ones. For example, if you didn’t take into account the weather factor or seasonality, the conversion rate immediately starts to jump. These data are difficult to predict, so they can be calculated after the coffee shop has already launched.
What should you look for when choosing a location for a coffee shop?
Conventionally, two main points can be distinguished:
- The presence of barriers that may prevent a visitor from visiting you.
- Presence of competitors in the location. Are people used to the fact that there is a place in the vicinity where they can drink coffee?
How to determine that a location has established itself as a “coffee shop”?
The place where you stop for coffee can be determined in the following ways:
- long-term observation - at least 6 days, 10–12 hours a day;
- for leftover products when you are more limited in time.
It is a little easier to determine this by glasses, stirrers and cigarette butts left or thrown into the trash. It is logical to assume that the customer should stop to order and drink coffee. By observing the locations where they usually stand, you will understand where to place your establishment.
Don't be afraid of competitors. The most profitable coffee shops usually operate in locations that are already traditionally considered “coffee shops.” It's much easier to take a bite out of a huge pie by simply paying attention to detail in your establishment than to develop a location from scratch where people never expected to see a coffee shop.
If you have already opened a coffee shop, analyze what might be preventing your customers from making a purchase from you. For example, this could be a closed window or door. Is it clear to the client where to go and where to place an order? Take a closer look at these moments from the outside - some simple and obvious things may unpleasantly surprise you. As a result, the factor of choosing a location is one of the most significant for mobile coffee shops and micro-format coffee shops (up to 20 square meters), which cannot independently generate or adjust the flow of customers. For signature coffee shops or mini-format establishments (40 square meters or more), the influence of location is less significant.
HOW TO HOLD A CUP CORRECTLY
When you drink Bongiorno Espresso, the saucer must be lifted from the table along with the cup. In your left hand you hold a saucer, and with your right hand you drink in small sips. This applies to espresso, doppio, macchiato.
If you prefer cappuccino or latte, then you can safely leave the saucer on the table when you bring the drink to your mouth.
But don’t forget the main thing: never put the bowl on the table, only back on the saucer, otherwise this will completely kill the good opinion of you as a coffee lover. It is also very important to drink without haste; this is an unspoken rule that is followed throughout the world.
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Service level
The words “service level” hide a whole system of interrelated factors. In our context, we will highlight the following elements:
- Barista appearance
- Scripts and speech preparations
- Regulations for working with the buyer
- Hygiene and cleanliness in the coffee shop
These factors influence repeat sales more than attracting new customers. However, you can lose customers even at the acquisition stage if the barista behind the counter picks his nose or answers questions about the product in a vague or rude manner.
Barista appearance
Perhaps the most banal thing: a barista should look neat. Introduce rules for mandatory compliance with prescribed standards of appearance. Fix how the hair should be collected, what makeup and manicure is acceptable and what is not. On the other hand, the bright appearance of the barista can play into your hands. This is where you need to instill a sense of style. Of course, the person behind the counter should look different from the customers, so don’t forget about the uniform.
An obligatory element of the uniform is an apron, and a light shirt will also be considered a rule of good taste, although in our realities this is not the case everywhere.
Scripts and speech preparations
This will give you the opportunity to think through the conversation model with the client in advance and implement certain elements. But at the same time, don’t get too attached to the script, otherwise your barista will sound like a robot. Build a conversation pattern that will change depending on the situation.
Next comes the regulations, which imply a general model of barista behavior: how he should greet the client, what to do when there is a line, how to make eye contact, and even how to maintain a good mood. This must be done in such a way that his smile does not seem forced and fake.
By and large, it is the prepared speech modules, regulations, and most importantly, their implementation that will become one of your most valuable assets. This factor has a key influence on repeat sales (70% success) in coffee shops of any format.
We hope that there is no need to remind you about cleanliness and sanitary standards. This should be the default.
HOW TO POSITION A SPOON CORRECTLY
For those who prefer to drink without sugar, you can safely skip this point. However, the vast majority of us are sweeter lovers, so the position of the spoon is as important to us as the utensils or freshly ground Bongiorno Nord.
So, let's serve a spoon. As you remember, first we place a saucer in front of the guest, then we place a napkin on the right. It is on this that the sugar spoon is placed. Remember that the spoon should be on the same side as the handle of the coffee utensil. After stirring the sugar, do it slowly, without knocking on the walls; you should not leave the spoon in the drink - this is a sign of bad taste. Putting it on a saucer nearby, you can safely drink it.
Drinking at home
Drinking coffee at home, of course, allows you to not be so strict about etiquette. However, if you are having a big celebration, then some rules will still be useful.
So, the drink is served at the end of the feast. They remove all plates and food on trays, leaving the table clean. Serve from the coffee maker in a coffee set - preferably a porcelain one. The napkin is not placed under the saucer, as you remember, we make a nice triangle and place it next to it. If your drink comes from a coffee maker, then a separate cup is brewed for each guest (carob) or choose a volume for several guests at once (drip). Coffee is prepared immediately before serving and should be drunk immediately after preparation. Don’t forget to preheat the dishes to at least 40 degrees so that the drink retains its taste, aroma, and warmth longer. The sweets are placed first, followed by the cutlery. Then the coffee pot is brought out. If, in addition to sweets, there are also snacks in the form of small sandwiches, then a knife is also placed nearby.
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The owner walks around the guests from right to left, while he stops on the right hand next to each guest. The owner serves guests in the following way: he holds the saucer with his left hand, and pours coffee with his right hand. The cup is filled 2/3 full so that guests can add milk or cream if desired, which is served warm.
Of course, it’s much easier to brew a lot of coffee at once and put everything out on a tray, but the service on the table looks very nice. However, it depends on your preferences. Don't forget to check when serving cappuccino or espresso from a coffee machine whether you should add something to taste: milk, cream, cinnamon, cocoa. Either way, you should put them on the table so everyone can add what they want. The cups are removed from the left side of the person sitting. Remember also about water, which is best chilled; even at home, many will pay attention to this nuance, noting that you know everything about coffee etiquette.
What you should not do under any circumstances: you should not dip sweets into hot liquid, you should not wash down unchewed food with hot food, or knock loudly with a spoon while stirring the sugar. Everything should be smooth, measured, and should be enjoyable.
Atmosphere
For a special mood when serving, you should pay attention to some details. This is especially true for coffee shops; it will also come in handy at home. The table is usually covered with a soft tablecloth in pastel colors to match the drinks. You can also add a cute touch with a vase of flowers. There is no need to invent huge compositions or order expensive bouquets. You can easily collect a bouquet of wildflowers, placing them in a tall vase on the side of the table, placing several small candles nearby, believe me, this will be quite enough. Your guests will notice that you did not want to splurge on luxury, but only wanted to achieve the main thing - a pleasant atmosphere so that everyone can enjoy a cup of Bongiorno.
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Loyalty program
Another element important for increasing repeat sales. There are various forms of such a program: a business card with the 5th, 10th, 15th drink as a gift, bonuses for referring a friend, weekly gift draws, etc.
Let's be honest, such programs are already outdated and are now ineffective. On average, only 10-12% of clients carry cards and business cards.
Now the most interesting programs to implement are those where the card is created using the client’s phone number, right on the spot, without a lengthy registration procedure. You will be able to track what drinks the client usually orders, and, if the barista does not have an excellent memory, show off the phrase “As usual, a latte with coconut syrup?” We assure you, this will give you an extra 100 loyalty points and a few extra bills to tip your barista.
Loyalty programs like these provide endless possibilities for your marketing department. You not only gain customer loyalty, but also keep statistics and collect data to congratulate them on their holiday, offer to buy their favorite coffee beans, etc. Some of these most complex and effective tools are implemented in a coffee shop automation system. For example, you can see how this is done in Poster. The first 15 days are free.
