INTERVIEW it’s about appreciation, benefits, training and flexibility. For business owners in hospitality, it’s a tough world out there and what worked with recruitment a few years ago isn’t cutting the mustard now. You have to adapt. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR NEW START-UP BUSINESSES IN THE CAFÉ SECTOR? You’ve got to be really clear on what is unique about your business – what is the problem you solve for people? When you answer that, using language that your customers understand – people will want to connect with you. Give them a reason to engage with you – a free drink only has the shelf life of the depth of the cup they drink it out of, so you need to be clear what you stand for. Don’t scare people off with fancy descriptions or making things over complex. Keep it simple. High quality. And enjoyable. Invest in training for your baristas – the better the service you can deliver
the more likely people will return. It is those simple touches like latte art and being able to offer advice on a brew type or roast preference that make all the difference. Look to team up with a local roaster – it’s a great way to build a sense of community and can be beneficial for crossover marketing too. WHEN IT COMES TO OPTIMISING SPEND ON EQUIPMENT, WHAT SHOULD OPERATORS BE FOCUSING ON? Invest in quality at the start – buying cheap means buying twice and you can’t afford for your gear to break down on you when you have a rush of customers on. Look for durability – brands like La Marzocco, Baratza and Rhino are built to last and offer exceptional customer service. Invest in equipment that is simple to operate, easy to clean and designed for commercial use. That doesn’t necessarily mean you need to spend money on all the bells and whistles – it’s about getting the best for your budget. A simple, effective
separate grinder works just as well as a complex built-in grinder attached to your machine. WHAT FUTURE PLANS DO HAVE FOR YOUR OWN BUSINESS? Over the last couple of years we’ve really focused on clarifying who our customers are and what the problem is that we solve for them. We’ve also lasered in on our value – helping cafes and coffee shops to serve great coffee, simply. We’ve always road tested every item we sell so we are 100% confident it’ll be fit for purpose for clients. But we’ve just never really spoken much about it before, so this year we’re working on getting that message out there – so business owners don’t have a spend a ton of time trawling the internet wasting money on substandard gear that’ll let them down. We want people to know when they come to our site they can rest assured everything is great quality and built to last and they will get the information they need to make the right decision.
International Suppliers Index Product Listing
Sandwich Manufacturers
BAKERY INSERTS Sigma Bakeries Ltd
SIGMA BAKERIES PO Box 56567 3308 Limassol, Cyprus Contact: Georgios Georgiou Tel: +357 25 878678 Fax: +357 25 346131 info@sigmabakeries.com www.sigmabakeries.com SUBWAY Chaston House, Mill Court, Hinton Way, Great Shelford, Cambridgeshire CB22 5LD Contact: Frederick De Luca Tel: 01223 550820 www.subway.co.uk
TAMARIND FOODS SPRL Brixtonlaan 2c, 1930 Zaventem, Brussels, Belgium Tel: +32 2 731 69 77 Fax: +32 2 731 69 78 Contact: Frederic Teichmann fteichmann@tamarindfoods.be www.tamarindfoods.be
BREAD Sigma Bakeries Ltd ORGANIC PRODUCTS Sigma Bakeries Ltd SANDWICHES Subway Tamarind Foods SANDWICH FILLINGS (prepared) Sigma Bakeries Ltd SPECIALITY BREADS Sigma Bakeries Ltd
THECAFELIFE.CO.UK | CAFÉ LIFE 35
