1. Consult with you on the suitability of your prospective location to evaluate its potential before you lease it and commit yourself. The location of your shop will be your single most important step. Once you sign the lease it will be too late. By the time you finish the remodeling and the rest, you will put into it anywhere from $60,000-$300,000. It would be financially and emotionally disastrous if after all that money and time invested you realize that you made a mistake in choosing the location. If the location does not make good business sense, we will tell you so. If it is appropriate, we will do our best to help you to succeed.
2. Design the working part of your shop for speed and efficiency of operation. A wrong design will slow down the service, tire your employees needlessly and upset your customers. This will include the configuration of the counters, the placement of all equipment, plumbing and electric needs, as well as everything necessary to comply with your local health department. We do not get involved in the visual aspects of the shop design and leave that part to you and your architect. Ongoing consultation with your contractor.
3. Advise you on all the equipment that you will need to operate your shop. This alone may save you thousands of dollars and eliminate all the confusion that can arise by talking to many espresso equipment and other sales people. We help you find the best sources in your area.
4. Provide you with a complete and detailed list of all supplies that you will need to start your business. This will include coffee, syrups, cups, napkins, etc. We do not sell equipment or products, but will advise you on suppliers in your part of the country that will do the best job for you. This will save you a lot of time that you can better invest in thinking about the decor of your shop or in hiring employees.
5. Develop a menu that will make sense to your customers. The right kind of menu is your most important marketing tool, and it may determine to a large degree the success of your business. Unfortunately, this is neglected and misunderstood by most coffee shop operators. We have seen "horror" menus without any sense or purpose, some of them listing as many as sixty eight items! Such a menu will not only confuse your customers, but will make it impossible to train your employees in doing a fast and efficient job. This will be a hot, iced and "designer" espresso based drinks menu, as well as advise on pastries, etc.
6. Develop an "espresso friendly" marketing and pricing strategy so as to sell more espresso based drinks. Why? Because that's where the money is!
7. On site training: One day before you are ready to open, we will travel to your location, set up your shop ready for opening and remain with you for the next 3 days or so (depending on the location), training you and all your employees in all phases of the operation under actual serving conditions. This will include how to open and close, cash security and control, equipment maintenance, customers and employee relations, ordering supplies and cleaning your shop. One of the most important parts of this training will be on how to prepare superb espresso based drinks fast and efficiently, and how to "hook" your new customers to those drinks and make them want to come back for more!

 

---

 

 

Please call 1-503-590-9423 for your investment in this complete "Turn-Key" On Location Consulting & Training plan. An exact quote will not include travel expenses (air, hotel) and will vary depending on the location, distance and number of employees to be trained.

1. Consult with you on the suitability of your prospective location to evaluate its potential before you lease it and commit yourself. You would e-mail us some photos of the shop, with a general description of the area, the size of the shop, rent, what lease can you get, what other businesses are next to you. The location of your shop will be your single most important step. Once you sign the lease it will be too late. By the time you finish the remodeling and the rest, you will put into it anywhere from $60,000–$300,000. It would be financially and emotionally disastrous if after all that money and time invested you realize that you made a mistake in choosing the location. If the location does not make sound business sense, we will tell you so. If it is appropriate, we will do our best to help you to succeed.
2. Design the working part of your shop for speed and efficiency of operation. A wrong design will slow down the service, tire your employees needlessly and upset your customers. This will include the configuration of the counters, the placement of all equipment, plumbing and electric needs, as well as everything necessary to comply with your local health department. We do not get involved in the visual aspects of the shop design and leave that part to you and your architect. Ongoing consultation with your contractor.
3. Advise you on all the equipment that you will need to operate your shop. This alone may save you thousands of dollars and eliminate all the confusion that may arise by talking to many espresso equipment and other sales people. We help you find the best sources in your area.
4. Provide you with a complete and detailed list of all supplies that you will need to start your business. This will include coffee, syrups, cups, napkins etc. We will advise you on suppliers in your region that will do the best job for you. This will save you a lot of time that you can better invest in thinking about the decor of your shop or in hiring employees.
5. Develop a menu that will make sense to your customers. The right kind of menu is your most important marketing tool, and it may determine to a large degree the success of your business. Unfortunately, it is neglected and misunderstood by most coffee shop operators. We have seen "horror" menus without any sense or purpose, some of them listing as many as sixty eight items! Such a menu will not only confuse your customers, but will make it impossible to train your employees in doing a fast and efficient job. This will be a hot, iced and "designer" espresso based drinks menu, as well as advise on pastries, etc. *
6. Develop an "espresso friendly" marketing and pricing strategy so as to sell more espresso based drinks. Why? Because that's where the money is!! *
7. Provide you with Alex's personal "Espresso Business Training" DVD Start-up package: This 90-minute DVD demonstrates all espresso drinks, hot & iced, you will ever need to serve, an "espresso focused" menu, together with an explanation of how to market espresso-based drinks. Included with this program is Alex's book "Espresso Business Success Program" Laminated Recipe Sheets showing how to do all the drinks on the menu.
8. Phone or e-mail consultation before, during and after the opening of your shop.
    

 

---

1. Your dream of owning a successful coffee business can be your reality—but it may be time to do some self-examination. Let us help you assess What You Already Do Right, then show you how to improve on it!
2. Identify & sharpen your best practices: Alex & Associates can help you take a fresh look at your business and provide valuable insight based on years of experience recognizing the opportunities as well as the hidden pitfalls.
   
   Once upon a time, a coffee shop might have gotten away with slow service and improperly prepared drinks due to lack of competition and a standard of comparison—that is most definitely not the case today. Times have changed and people have become far more selective about their coffee and where they spend their dollars.
   
   To survive and prosper in this economic down-turn, a coffee shop must adapt itself to the current realities by providing value, exceptional service and memorable espresso beverages.
   
   So, how do you determine how your espresso coffee shop business stacks up to the competition? With lower-than-hoped for revenues and a diminishing customer rate of return, an immediate assessment of how your coffee shop currently performs in these critical areas is key to rescuing an under-performing coffee shop:
3. Menu and Pricing: Have your customers become conservative in their spending? Are you offering competitive prices, excellent value and quality coffee service?
4. Product & Presentation: Do you suffer from characterless coffee? Are your drink preparations consistent in taste and quality? Are they presented in a visually pleasing manner? Are you using the correct coffee grind and coffee brewing equipment? Are all your employees properly trained? Do you have a current quality assurance maintenance program?
5. Ineffective Branding: Does your coffee shop have a unique and well-known presence and reputation in the surrounding community? Is your reputation increasing or decreasing sales? Are you providing what your customer base is looking for?
6. Vision: Has your passion for espresso been diluted? Are you providing your customers with an espresso drink experience or just a cup of coffee?

Alex & Associates, Inc. provides you with proven techniques to stimulate your business and create a distinct presence in your community. We will help you take stock of your business and help you identify areas to target for improvement to develop an improved and sustainable business model. To sharpen your best practices, increase your sales and thrive, contact Alex & Associates today and ask about our Espresso Business Assessment Program.

HOW WE'LL INCREASE YOUR
SALES & CUSTOMER SATISFACTION:

1. Arrive at your location and observe your operation several hours before you open your doors. We will check:
   • Equipment lay-out
   • Menu and pricing
   • Customer order and pick up area
   • Drink preparation techniques for taste and speed
   • Signs and any other promotional material
   • After opening we will check the flow of speed and efficiency in serving customers
2. We will suggest how to reposition your equipment (if needed) for speed and efficiency of operation, (some times all it takes is to move it a few inches) suggest menu and pricing adjustments so as to focus on espresso based drinks and implement effective low cost marketing techniques to attract more espresso customers.
3. Present a mini-espresso business seminar to you, the owner and selected employees, which will include in-depth drink preparation techniques for best taste and speed.
4. Work with your "baristas" on line, serving drinks to actual customers and improving their new skills.

All of the above may be accomplished in about a day and a half, and if implemented, you will notice an increase in sales and customer satisfaction within a short time.
Regular brewed coffee, no matter how good it may be, is not going to attract customers or retain their loyalty if they can get the same thing in a more convenient place to them. To survive and prosper, you must develop a strategic difference from your competition, and the most effective way to do that is by implementing a viable espresso concept, which may require a different approach, marketing and drink preparation techniques.

How to Increase Espresso Sales in Your Coffee, Bagel, Bakery or Donut Chain

This "One or Two Day Espresso Business Workshop", developed especially for the corporate segment, presented at a location of your choice by Alex & Associates, will show your management, franchisees, operation supervisors and your coffee supplier how to boost your espresso based drinks sales, increase customer satisfaction and make your concept more desirable to customers and prospective investors.

This workshop, presented in your corporate office or any other location of your choice, will cover the following:

1. Management Orientation to cover opportunities and challenges of this business and understanding what the "espresso business" is really all about. This will allow you to formulate "fact based" decisions when planning or implementing any espresso related venture.
2. Field Supervisors, selected Franchisees & others will meet in separate session for:
   • Brief history of espresso development in this country
   • Designing an in-store espresso station or kiosk. How to design an espresso environment for speed of service, efficiency of operation and customers and employees satisfaction. Giving your espresso station a "store-within-a-store" look.
   • Developing non-traditional locations by way of "mini profit stations" in colleges, offices and airports.
   • Developing a customer-friendly espresso menu and implementing marketing techniques that attract more of the already "espresso educated" customers as well as the "first-timers".
   • Proper "Barista" techniques for better taste and speed of service. This will cover all aspects of drink preparation like proper grinding, extraction, milk steaming and customer relations.
   • More intensive hands-on-training on barista techniques for some selected personnel that will train individual franchise or unit baristas.

Espresso is here to stay.

It is not a fad, and as more and more customers are becoming educated in the "real thing", marginal additions of espresso to bagel/bakery/donut shops will have a hard time attracting espresso customers and will continue losing the ones they have developed before, as they discover the real joys of "true lattes" somewhere else. Besides, your franchisees may be clamoring for some real, effective "espresso help". And believe me, your friendly coffee supplier won't be able to do that. Otherwise he would have done it from the start, wouldn't he?

By serving a much better espresso product, prepared faster and marketed effectively, you will be way ahead of your competition and open new opportunities for you and your company.

1-day seminar ($895/1 person or $1250/2 people) + (travel & lodging)
2-day seminar ($1250/1 person or $1850/2 people) + (travel & lodging Please call 1-866-590-9423 to arrange a sales-boosting Espresso Business Workshop at your franchise or corporate location today.