What’s your priority when running your restaurant? High-quality ingredients? Top-notch chefs and kitchen staff? A menu that stands out from the nearby competition? We bet it’s not your restaurant’s espresso machine or the blend of coffee you serve.
That could be a huge mistake.
“But people come here for the great food and the fantastic ambience!” we hear you cry. Absolutely. Yet failing to serve a really good cup of coffee – made by a skilled barista, using excellent ingredients with the best commercial coffee machine you can lay your hands on – could be costing you customers.
Here’s why.
We humans like to think we have pretty reliable memories, especially for enjoyable experiences. But the simple truth is that what we remember best is often the most recent experience – good or bad. Even little things can skew our impressions of an event, if they happen in the final moments.
Think about it this way: would you rather, if you had no choice, that your chef served up an inferior starter or an inferior dessert? Chances are, you’ll choose the inferior starter. Because that gives you time to recover the situation and leave a positive impression. Sure, the customer will say the starter was a disappointment, but you’ve made up for it in the meantime, and the final tastes they’re left with are positive and memorable for the right reasons.
It’s the same for the coffee you serve. Apart from the mint you might provide (don’t skimp there, either), it’s the very last thing that half of your diners are going to taste. And if you want them leaving still smacking their lips, rather than smacking your bar staff, you need to get it right.
This isn’t just our opinion, by the way. Back in 2015, one of the UK’s leading coffee companies surveyed more than 1,000 people about their experience of coffee in restaurants. The results were staggering.
77% said that good coffee made the difference between a mediocre and an exceptional dining experience
And those are very different ratings on the experience you’re trying to provide…not just a minor drop-off. Rather tellingly, under 50% of those surveyed actually expected to get a good coffee to finish off their meal.
What does that tell you? That more than half of restaurants are dishing up poor coffee, and they’re probably paying the price in terms of recommendations and repeat visits. And what does this mean for you? An opportunity to boost your restaurant’s reputation.
So, don’t disappoint your customers; make the final moments in your restaurant worth waiting for. For our recommendations on commercial coffee machines for restaurants, and advice on all things coffee-related, get in touch with our team today on 0800 840 9023 or email info@nationwidecoffee.co.uk.