Cafe with Zing! asks…

‘We’ve owned a small cafe for about 5 years. It’s a good business and provides us with a reasonable lifestyle but, for a while now, I’ve felt like it just doesn’t have any ‘zing’ or stand out at all?. We’d like to invest in making some changes but because we can’t really put our finger on the problem, we’re not sure where to start?…any suggestions?

Aaron says…

That’s a great way to look at your business! So many business owners get so tied up in managing the day to day, they never take the time to step outside and really take a good look at how their business really works.

What that also means is that you’re ready for change which is also a great positive because sometimes aversion to change can hold people back from making things better in their life.

I would suggest that there’s a couple of areas you might like to take a good look at first. In my experience, good restaurants or cafe’s I’ve visited and remember fondly have at least one of these ingredients down pat… if not perfect, at least impressively good.

The first is food… do you have signature dish that you do memorably well? If you don’t I’d suggest looking for something that you could become ‘known for’… maybe it’s something that fits in with the local area, your personal heritage or the ‘theme’ of the cafe? Once you’ve got it, you need to promote it at every opportunity and create a ‘buzz’ around it… press releases, footpath signs, competitions… anything that drives people to you to try it out!

The next thing I’d look at is the ‘theme’ of your cafe… is it based on something in the area, your background, heritage or a hobby or interest?. If the answer is ‘none of the above’ then you need to explore a new ‘look and feel’ or decor theme for your business.

Lastly and definitely not least, is your people. It is possible to get people coming back day after day and telling their friends all about you simply because of the wonderful way you and your staff make them feel. I once knew a guy who made pizzas… his pizzas weren’t much better than anyone’s else’s but where else could you get a cheeky personal greeting shouted out each time you entered the shop… I always took friends in to experience it.

You need to really stand back and look at your people, or get someone outside to do it for an unbiased opinion, and ask yourself if they’re really adding to your business.

What you’re really looking for here is a way to make your business stand out from the crowd… Seth Godin’s book Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable has some great insights on how to find it!

I’d also like to just add a personal note here about coffee… I’m a ‘good coffee’ addict and will ALWAYS go out of my way to revisit a cafe that serves up a good long black… crema and all so, that might just be a good place to start!