People are often in a rush when they come into a
cafe bar to use a commercial coffee
machine, just wanting to nip in and out quickly to get their
brew.
But even in this short amount of time, it is possible to get
customers to spend just a little bit more money than they might
actually plan to. It's just a matter of offering a sufficiently
tempting proposition to those who are on the move and in a
hurry.
So what can you try to tempt them with? Well, snacks go
perfectly with a cup of tea or coffee, so a decent selection of
crisps and chocolate bars can often be a winner.
Cakes and pastries are also likely to get a person's mouth
watering, with a pain au chocolate or a slice of gateaux looking
tantalisingly attractive on the display.
And the nature of some of these foods means it is often best to
sit down and eat it rather than take it out with a cup of
coffee.
As a result, offering a good selection of foods can encourage
people to sit down and grab a table rather than rush out as soon as
they have bought their drink.
They could then end up buying a second tea or coffee and spend
more time and money in an establishment.
For small businesses in particular, diversifying into food could
seem like a costly and possibly unnecessary expense if they simply
want to attract coffee drinkers through the door.
But if it is done right, the upfront costs can be covered in no
time and it will ultimately pay for itself.
And when more and more people find out just how good those cakes
and pastries are with a coffee, word will get around and the cafe
bar will be a much more appealing prospect for people who might
otherwise stick to the major chains.