May is a funny time for coffee businesses. As the last couple of weeks have proved, the weather can be really unpredictable – one day it’s t-shirt weather, and the next you’re sheltering from the freezing hail!
This brings some unique challenges for coffee business owners, and it’s important that your drink offering reflects the temperature outside. As the warmer weather approaches, it’s a good idea to adapt your coffee menu.
As spring turns to summer, maximise sales by adding these 4 fabulous drinks to your menu this May.
1. Cortado
The Espresso Cortado (also known as a Gibraltar or Noisette) is a great spring coffee – warm and comforting enough for wet, chilly mornings, whilst being light enough for hotter days.
Like a more grown up version of a Latte, the Cortado consists of an espresso ‘cut’ with an equal serving of hot milk. It’s a great transitional drink for your menu, bridging the gap between the warming comforting and calorific winter coffees and lighter summer preparations.
Once, the Cortado was a fairly obscure coffee, but it’s becoming increasingly popular, and there’s never been a better opportunity to add it to your menu if you haven’t done so already.
2. Frappes
On warm and sunny spring days, having a good selection of iced coffees on the menu is one of the best ways to drive sales.
Frappes are the obvious solution. Refreshing, delicious and high margin, they’re a great seller during the late spring and summer months. Adding some bright coloured frappe combinations, like strawberry, vanilla, and green tea (with or without espresso), will help to catch the eye of passing trade.
If you’re not quite ready to introduce frappes to the menu, then offering an iced Americano can provide an easy, refreshing alternative when the temperature rises.
3. Fruity flavours
Injecting some bright, fresh flavours into your coffee menu will help you to capture the spirit of spring. Fruit and coffee is a divisive issue, but with the right combinations, it can be delicious.
Sweet berry flavours like blueberry and raspberry are a great place to start (especially when combined with chocolate). Tried and tested combinations include raspberry and vanilla lattes, and blueberry and peach mochas.
If you’re feeling particularly bold, you may want to experiment with some traditional British fruit flavours – Rhubarb and coffee go surprisingly well together!
4. Diversify into decaffeinated
We know it’s strange, but some people simply don’t like coffee!
Whilst you might be tempted to write them off or try to convert them, there are plenty of easy ways to broaden the appeal of your mobile coffee business to non-coffee drinkers.
For spring, adding a selection of fresh fruit juices and smoothies is a good way to diversify. Creating your own is best, but if you don’t want to mess about with blenders and juicers, then stocking a high quality organic brand is a fair compromise.
If you want to try something a little different, then traditional lemonade is a great high margin soft drink. Simply mix fresh lemon juice with water, sugar and plenty of ice for a super-refreshing decaffeinated alternative that will help to set your coffee business apart from the competition.
