Christmas is traditionally a good time of year for coffee businesses, which is why itโs so important to make the most of it.
Ensure you have a prosperous festive season this year by following these top tips โsmall touches designed to help you maximise sales over the busy Christmas period and help your business stand out from the competition.
A festive transformation
Thereโs a reason that high street businesses invest lots of money in Christmas decorations and festive window dressing โ it helps to boost sales!
You donโt have to go overboard, but adding some festive touches to your coffee van or premises, and investing in some special decorations can help to give your business the festive feel-good factor, and boost your profitability during the winter months.
Customers will notice, and many will appreciate the effort youโve gone to. At the very least, theyโll be more likely to remember your brand, which can only be a good thing in the long term.
A touch of Christmas
Sometimes, itโs the little touches that make all the difference, and making subtle changes to the way you present your drinks over Christmas can really help your business to stand out.
Seasonal cups are an easy option, but you can go much further if you like. Festive changes, like offering brandy flavoured whipped cream, powdered cinnamon and nutmeg, and Christmas themed baked goods will all help to add to the appeal of your business.
You might even want to invest in some edible gold powder. Itโs completely tasteless, and perfect for adding real festive impact and Christmas wow factor to your coffees.
The Christmas Latte Menu
Flavoured lattes are the ultimate Christmas coffees โ so itโs important to really push them over the festive period. This starts with creating a good Christmas coffee menu (check out our other post this month about the best Christmas lattes for inspiration).
You may also want to start practicing some festive latte art. The Christmas tree is an easy starting point, but if youโre feeling adventurous, there are plenty of guides online which will show you how to create snowmen, reindeer and even Santa Claus!
Latte art might seem superfluous, but itโs a really effective way of adding value to your coffees, and great for building brand awareness and loyalty with your customers.
Push the Hot Chocolate
Sacrilege! Ok, so we know itโs not a coffee, but at this time of year, having a good selection of Christmas inspired hot chocolates can pay dividends. After all, thereโs little more comforting than a warm, calorific hot chocolate smothered in whipped cream and marshmallows after a hard dayโs shopping.
Creating a dedicated Christmas hot chocolate menu is an easy way to stand out from the crowd, and a great way of engaging with younger customers.
Thankfully, chocolate works really well with a range of festive flavours. Orange, peppermint and salted caramel are all worthy of a place on your menu. Chocolate also works well with Christmas spices, like cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg โ so experiment and make your own combinations.
Tasty tipples
Alcohol and coffee are a tried and tested combination, and the ideal grown up Christmas coffees for outdoor events and Christmas markets.
Whilst the traditional Irish coffee is a good place to start, coffee goes well with a huge range of different spirits and liqueurs, including:
- Rum
- Brandy
- Amaretto
- Gran Marnier
- Drambuie
- Schnapps
- Cointreau
Weโve even heard of some people making โEnglish Coffeeโ by adding a tot of gin!
