Top 5 features to keep people coming to your coffee shop or eatery

The best thing about a coffee shop, and the main reason people keep coming back for more, should undoubtedly be the coffee. However, is serving good coffee all that it takes to get customer feet in the door? Juan Fourie, head of Hospitality and Leisure (HandL) at Santam shares his top 5 elements that may help take your establishment from good to great and keep those patrons queuing!

1. Cleanliness

A spotless shop is not only about clean tables and floors. Since the Covid-19 pandemic, consumers have become increasingly aware of good hygiene practices when it comes to hospitality. And while we don’t have any stringent COVID regulations in place anymore, it’s wise to have hand sanitizer at the ready and ensure staff adhere to good hygiene practices at all times.

2. Wifi

In our always-on digital age, good wifi is a must to attract and keep customers coming back. Make sure you have a good connection, an easy login process and – above all – it should be free (at least for an initial period).

3. Backup power

Don’t lose out to the coffee shop around the corner by failing to prioritise alternative power for outages. You need to keep the grinder going and wifi on, even when the lights go off. 

4. Aroma

Who doesn’t love the smell of freshly brewed coffee or newly baked bread? Keep these inviting aromas coming if you want to attract more clients. Be sure not to overuse perfumes, air fresheners or other artificial smells.

5. The space

Space equals purpose. If businesspeople are your target market, set up shop to get them in and out quickly. If your guests like to lounge around, make sure you have comfy seats. Lighting also impacts the mood of the space. Dimmed lighting will make people linger for longer, whereas bright lighting will make them move quicker.