Coffee System Providers Keep Improving Their Products, Keeping Operators On Their Feet

Nov. 17, 2010
At every coffee service show, brewer manufacturers keep coming up with better equipment that is capable of offering more variety. It's up to the coffee service operators to find out what makes a new system better than other systems and find an application for it.I recently had a conversation with the manager of a public location that drove this point home. Coffee service is not this manager's main concern. But a few years ago, he saw a lot of his customers coming into his business carrying coffee cups from specialty retailers. He contacted a local coffee service company that set him up with some single cup machines. He was pleased with the service, but he couldn't help notice that a lot of customers were still coming in with cups from specialty stores.This past year, he got a call from another coffee service operator who asked him if he was satisfied with his current service provider. He said he didn't think there was any way to stop people from coming in with specialty coffee beverages. The caller then persuaded him to see a new single cup system.The new system, unlike the old one, makes real espresso-based beverages in addition to regular coffee. The coffee service operator told him many customers are buying espresso-based drinks in the coffee shops, especially the younger ones. The location manager agreed to try the new system, and lo and behold, after a few weeks he noticed his hot beverage sales increased . The espresso based drinks only represented a small percentage of the total sales, but these drinks carried almost double the purchase price. The location manager decided the new single cup system makes more sense. This is one example of how progressive coffee service operators can win business by understanding customer needs, keeping up with new products and matching their equipment to the right customer. It also demonstrates the importance of attending trade shows regularly.