Coffee Shop Curb Appeal
We were out and about in London recently and walked past some charming coffee shops, others we ran past!
There were some visually stunning examples in the art of attracting attention.
After all, there are three primary ways that new guests will find you:
- Word of mouth or recommendation
- The Internet
- Walking past the door
You only get one chance to make a first impression, and for a hospitality business, this is your frontage.
Having a good sign outside will be the best return on investment in marketing you will spend. So an easy to read sign telling people what you do is a must, an old business lecturer of ours used to say that you should be able to see your sign from outer space!
However, more than that you need to make your frontage appealing, welcoming, wholesome, and catch the eye of a hungry or thirsty passer-by.
As an Independent, getting new guests over the threshold for the first time can be challenging. The bright lights and brand comfort of the well-known chains can be too tempting for people in a hurry.
Clutter, stickers, posters, and dirty windows will all conspire against you to deter the first steps towards your door.
Take off all the unnecessary stickers; credit card signs (who doesn't take cards now?), Deliveroo, uber eats (you will show on the app anyway), and third party stickers from suppliers like coke a cola.
The only things we recommend you have in your windows are:
- An opening hours sign that includes contact details and social media accounts
- Your Food Hygiene Rating
- Wifi sign (only if you want to attract people to stay longer)
If you are Dog-Friendly, then that would be an exception, and of course anything you must display by law.
Too much clutter becomes 'wallpaper' and is not noticed so 'keep it clean.'
