Top 6 Takeaways from the Chicago Coffee Festival

Last weekend, Luke and I went to the Chicago Coffee Festival where we met some amazing people and got to learn from the experts about how to successfully open and brand a coffee shop.  Here are our top 6 takeaways from the Coffee Fest to help with your coffee shop branding:

1. The key is to be distinctive.  Utilize elements that will make people remember you, both in your marketing and inside the shop itself.  Share what you love and what you’re passionate about.  Share your story.  You’ll sell your story long before you sell your product.  If you’re a local coffee shop, make sure that people know that.  Everyone loves knowing that their money goes right back into the community.
2. Do research and find out as much as you can about your customers wants, needs and desires.  You want to attract new customers, of course, but the majority of your time needs to be spent on satisfying the customers you already have and building their loyalty.  Definitely don’t chase after the people that will never actually come to your shop.  There’s no point.  By meeting what your customers want, you can make your coffee shop their coffee shop.  When they feel like they have ownership, they’ll always come back.
3. If you’re opening a new coffee shop, make sure that you know all the building and health codes before you even sign the lease.  Also, make sure that you understand exactly what equipment you need to make and serve every product.  Otherwise, you can lose a ton of money very quickly.
4. Networking is an incredibly powerful thing.  The key to this isn’t to make a sale instantly.  It’s to get to know people — their goals, their vision, their interests — and leave an impression.  So down the road when they  need what you offer, you’re the first company that comes to mind.
5. Stay up to date on the latest market trends.  But also make sure to do your research before you make a huge coffee or machine purchase.  Everyone will say that they’re “the best” or “exactly what you’re looking for.”  Take a moment to verify this.  Talk to other people that buy from them or use their services.  Their testimonies will be the most genuine and the most useful.  You also want everything that you sell to match with the image you want your business to have.
6. Realize that every single aspect of your business is marketing.  It’s what you post on social media, the ambiance of your store, traditional forms of marketing like websites and fliers, your product itself, and the customer service of your employees.  Make sure that it all combines to create the image that you want your company to have.

So there you have it.  Hope all you future or current coffee shop owners out there can benefit from our post.  If you have a shop, feel free to comment with some more important tips!