You want to join the beverages business, but don’t have enough capital for a brick-and-mortar shop? Starting a drive-thru soda and coffee location is the best way to get in the beverages business.
Just like a sit-down restaurant, it can generate much revenue. However, you need to plan and prepare appropriately, as this is key to the success of the coffee and soda business. You should also learn more about your coffee from resources like ConvergentCoffee. You must have the best location for this business; however, it is irresponsible to lease a location without a plan.
Here we discuss seven tips and considerations that will help you in guiding your aspirations and efforts. Read on to learn more.
Create a Good Business Plan and a Menu for a Drive-Thru Shop
Just like in other businesses, a drive-thru coffee and soda shop needs a good business plan. It is the foundation of all that you will do. An excellent business plan will guide you in choosing the right location, staff, and equipment. As experts say, a business plan is the heart of every business.
Determine what your drive-thru location will sell and put it on the menu. You perhaps will sell coffee, sodas, and maybe some snack foods. This must be captured in the menu.
Find the Best Location
Do you want your drive-thru shop to be successful and fetch high profits? The geographical and physical location means a lot. However, getting the best location for any business is not always easy. It depends on several factors such as the availability of enough cash for the monthly lease, the customer base, the traffic in the area, among many other factors.
Just make sure that the area you set your shop has enough target customers.
Determine Your Competitions
For your drive-thru coffee and soda stand to be successful, you must figure out your competition. Here you learn everything that your competitors do and what shortcomings they face. Competition is healthy and all good businesses have competitors. Visit them regularly and see the kind of service they offer.
Improve on those services and provide beverages made with the best products like Monin Blackberry Syrup, Monin Peach Syrup, or Monin Raspberry Syrup. In other words, be a customer yourself and serve what you find to be delicious.
Start Marketing Before You Open
You must have noticed that all serious businesses market days before they open. Early marketing helps to prepare customers psychologically on your coming making a huge impact on opening day.
You can start marketing online by use of social media and the mainstream media. You can either start a blog, Facebook posts, or Twitter conversations. You can also use signs or lights. I mean, do anything that can capture the attention of the driver.
Make Your Coffee and Sodas Better Than Everyone Else
We said that location would put you ahead of your competitors, but there is something else—the quality of your services. You have to offer the best. You might not have the best facilities, but make sure that you give your customers the value for their money.
Your services must be top-notch, from how you welcome them to the products you offer. If you make the best coffee, you will run away with more of your competitor’s customers.
Hire and Train the Best Staff
Do you know that staff can make or break your business? After all, they are your business’s face, especially when you are in customer-facing business like a coffee stand.
Perhaps you can hire staff who have previous experience working in a drive-thru coffee location. By doing so, you will save the time of training staff from scratch. Also, you will be sure that those staff will best serve your customers.
Alternatively, you can hire newbie staff and invest in training. Either way, make sure that you have the best team.
Monitor Your Progress and Make Changes
Wow, your own drive-thru coffee and soda stand are now operational! Now, you must focus on management work. Study your business closely and note the areas that need to be improved and changed. Also, develop new strategies to improve your business.
Those are some of the tips that can help you to start a successful drive-thru coffee and soda location. If you follow them keenly, you will join the lucrative beverage sector. Keep on reading your customer reviews to know where to improve. Congratulations as you open your own drive-thru coffee shop.
