Adding Food to Menu

[efriese]

Hello all, I have been reading the forum for a couple of weeks. I opened a coffee shop a few months ago and so far things are going as expected. Right now we only have pastries for food options. We are thinking about adding bagels and breakfast sandwiches to the shop. I was hoping to get any best practices from others who have made this move and see how it affected their business. Was adding more food to your shop a significant increase in revenue?

 

[ensoluna]

yes, it is significant increase in sales. between 30% to 60%
however, it will be a lot more headaches due to it is "perishable food".
Depends on what you are planning to sell, it could be a lot more difficult to maintain the inventory..etc
good luck to you.

 

[kb0wwp]

Yes, it increased our sales 40-50%, but it also increased our equipment, inventory, and labor costs almost as much! Also, keep in mind, once you add something, it is hard to get rid of (at least without hearing a bunch of complaining!)

We first added a refrigerated prep table and a panini grill to offer sandwiches. We followed that with a refrigerated display case for ready-made cold sandwiches, salads, and our biggest seller: quiche. Man, that is cheap to make and people love it. We use farm-fresh eggs because the margin can easily allow it.

We try to feature foods that are not easily found elsewhere, like bagels & lox, vegan sandwiches, and a few others. That helps to keep your place unique and memorable. Plus, then you don't have to worry so much about competing on price.

 

[John P]

I'm not a huge fan for both specific labor, business, and positioning reasons.

That being said: Decide whether you want to spend labor dollars making, learning about, or improving your coffee... or making sandwiches. It may or may not be good for you. It depends on waste and net profit. Simple things. Pre-made, maybe once in the morning. When you are out, you are out. You don't want to be making food to order. It completely changes the nature of your business.

DO NOT do it because you are panicking about revenue. DO NOT do it (or anything for that matter) because of "customer request".
Do it because it fits into your long-term positioning and your overall brand. A "this is who we are" business decision rather than a reactionary "now" decision.

I would stay away from any breakfast type things. I'm giving a cautionary and sane warning now. Unless you LOVE doing it...