Opening a successful café does not mean just renting a space and ordering chairs. If you want to attract your first customers, then besides a good idea you also need a bit of marketing. In this short but valuable post, written by Petra and David, participants of the Archetix Marketing Evening School, we show you how to go about it. So the question is: how do you open a café with marketing in mind?
From a marketer’s point of view, a café falls into the category of local businesses. It shares this category with, for example, hairdressers, florists and other services. What does that mean for us? The main turnover of these businesses comes from regular customers, people from the immediate neighbourhood and tourists. This information alone gives us a better idea of what we should focus on.
The marketing goals in the first phase of building a local business should therefore include findability, a clear definition of customers and adapting to their needs. How do you answer the question: I am starting a café, what do I need to do so that people come? We have summed up the most important points in five steps you should keep in mind.
1. Build Your Café on What Makes It Exceptional
What is your competitive and unfair advantage? A competitive advantage is everything you offer in addition, compared with other businesses. It can be the setting of the café, the atmosphere, an original loyalty programme, an unconventional menu and simply anything you can offer that the competition does not have. It also pays to know your unfair advantage. An interesting story, a secret recipe from your grandmother or you yourself as the centrepiece of a café that makes a good impression, has a pleasant atmosphere and where everyone is welcome. These are all things the competition can neither take from you nor copy, and that may be just what decides your success.
2. Who Is Your Café For?
“For everyone” is simply not the right answer. What are the people who should come to you like? Who are you building your café for, and for which group of people are you trying to create the right atmosphere? Adapt to your visitors. But do not forget to look at it from the other side too. Which people live close by and might want to visit your café in the future?
Our simple tool full of useful worksheets based on the STDC method can help you with both of these steps. Define your STDC marketing framework and put together your strategy. By filling in a clear table about your business you will easily remind yourself what your café is about and find out what to focus on.
3. Your Customers Must Find You First
We recommend setting up Google My Business. It means that people will find you on Google Maps and in Google Search. If your café is in a location interesting to tourists, definitely consider creating a profile on TripAdvisor and similar platforms, if only to keep track of what people say about you.
As for social networks and other options, always keep in mind who your customers are. Where do they spend their time? Where do they learn about new businesses that interest them? But once you decide on a platform, give it your energy and do not let it lie fallow. A business profile nobody takes care of can do more harm than good, and definitely do not overdo it with different networks. Less is sometimes more.
Setting Google Maps aside, the basis today is Facebook, where people often look for information about local businesses and which to some extent replaces a website. Do not forget to fill in the basic details on your Facebook page properly. You can also use Facebook’s special features, such as Your story on the page or adding posts retroactively, so that you look interesting to your potential customers from the very beginning. A similar story is Instagram, which keeps spreading. Do not be afraid to take a little inspiration from other people’s profiles.
If you are thinking about a website, do not forget that Google My Business can make it easier for you! It has recently started offering the option to create websites directly on this platform.
4. Start with a Bang
Invite your future customers to the grand opening! When else can you introduce yourself to so many new customers so easily?
What should you watch out for when organising the event?
- Plan the programme for your target group (If you want to be a calm café for mums with children, welcoming them with a punk band is perhaps not the best idea.)
- Count on your target group for the menu for this event too – What will suit them? Discounts? Free tasting? A workshop? A discussion? A book reading? A recital? Board games?
Start inviting your guests well in advance and think in advance about how you will promote the event.
- Offline advertising – The typical approach is to put up flyers around the neighbourhood, and also in places where people from your target group meet. Do not forget to invite friends and family too! Try asking them to help you with promotion.
- Online advertising – Online, use geographic ad targeting to aim at the immediate surroundings, and on Facebook create an event, and you can target groups with interests related to your café!
Also make sure that even people who are just passing by can see that your grand opening is not a private event for invited guests only. Be visible and be open. And finally, the whole event is about your café, so do not forget to show yourself in the best light!
5. Build a Relationship with Your Customers
If you want people to keep coming back, it does not hurt to give them a little help. Do not be just another boring business with a grubby loyalty card with cat stamps that ends up lying in people’s wallets anyway. Try to be original and do it your own way.
We like, for example, the idea of a reusable thermo mug on which you place a QR code, a regular code or the customer’s name. At the start the customer chooses which of your products they want to get at a discount, and they will then be happy to come back for it. On top of that you easily get an overview of what they like at your place.
What Next?
If you have managed to get the café going and attract your first customers, do not hesitate to carry on with your efforts. Do not stop at the opening event! You now have plenty of room to improve your presence, expand your base of visitors and build a great reputation. We have a few tips on where your next steps could lead.
Monthly/weekly specials (An attractive or discounted product will attract many a customer.)
- Make full use of Google My Business (You can start, for example, with the Google My Business course.)
- Reply to questions, comments and reviews (You show your visitors that you care.)
- Try ads aimed at the immediate surroundings of your café!
Or join the Marketing Accelerator we have prepared for start-ups and interesting projects!