INNOVATION
What’s next for coffee shops? From creative thinking to niche marketing and tech hubs, staying ahead of the curve is crucial. SUSTAINABLE ECOSYSTEM Lois and Michela Wilson are the founders of Saint Aymes, the London café experience that embodies their belief that beauty has the power to
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elevate the human spirit. They’ve teamed up with BRITA Professional to celebrate and support coffee shops as hubs of creativity and innovation. Here, they discuss how businesses can reinvent the coffee shop to meet customer needs in our changing world. Saint Aymes is one of the most eye-catching coffee houses in central London, attracting Instagrammers and creatives, as well as substantial media interest. But running a café in the current economic climate isn’t easy, as owners contend with higher bills and many customers are struggling in a cost-of-living crisis. However, the sisters believe there are plenty of reasons for optimism. Lois describes independent coffee shops as the soul of a neighbourhood. “They are doing a really good job of serving the community. I think it’s about realisation of the value in what they already have and choosing to
support it, because that’s what keeps the ecosystem going.” FREEDOM OF AGILITY Smaller cafés do have one major advantage over chain rivals: their agility, which gives them the freedom for new ideas. “One of the things we tried out was a no laptop zone,” said Lois. “Creativity is about actually interacting with people. We find that when you sometimes limit laptops but encourage conversation through great music, being friendly yourself and quality coffee, what you’ll find is that people talk to each other more.” Michela added: “If I was at a coffee shop and they announced it was no laptop hour, I’d pack up my machine and leave! So, you have to build it into the front-end of your business. At Saint Aymes, we made sure that the drinks and flowers were so spectacular, that