| Three business partners contacted me about creating | | | | The key to the coffee shop is the merchandising and |
| a marketing plan for a coffee shop that they were | | | | taste of its specialty drinks, which involves having the |
| opening in Greenwich Village in New York City. They | | | | right coffeemaker and coffee, and people who |
| had already leased a 3000 sq. foot space, which is | | | | understand the art of making good coffee. I suggested |
| very large for a coffee shop. They had not worked | | | | that the coffee shop purchased a high-end cappuccino |
| out what type of food or coffee they would serve. | | | | coffeemaker that has a shiny copper and bronze |
| The location was too large for it to survive as just a | | | | exterior that can be set out in a separate station to |
| coffee shop something extra would have to be added. | | | | attract interest to specialty coffees. Two employees |
| I met with the three partners where I discussed my | | | | along with the manager were trained in the proper |
| concerns about there new business venture. I | | | | technique of making specialty coffee drinks. |
| convinced them to follow a plan that I created that | | | | I worked with the part time program and sales director |
| would solve the extra space problem for them. Since | | | | with finding groups and creating groups that will hold |
| they had already signed the lease on the location that | | | | meetings in the coffee shop. A discount was offered |
| was to large to succeed as just a coffee shop I | | | | to any group or individual who would bring in groups. I |
| created a plan for the coffee shop to be used as a | | | | created a web site explaining what the coffee shop |
| place for community service groups, discussion groups, | | | | has to offer, and what meetings are taking place and |
| art and theatre groups, and special interest groups. | | | | how they can attend these meetings. The coffee |
| I arranged for the coffee shop to operate a two-prong | | | | shop will send out coupons to groups offering a |
| strategy. In the morning it will offer coffee, cappuccino, | | | | 25-percent-off discount. |
| and breakfast muffins and an assortment of pastries | | | | I bought a list from a list broker of organizations, |
| to the people in the morning, 65% who are | | | | associations, and local community groups in the area. I |
| professional. After 9:30 A.M. the coffee house will | | | | wrote solicitation letters to them explaining what |
| strive to become a meeting place for various | | | | services the coffee shop had to offer. I created online |
| community groups, organizations, associations, and a | | | | discussion groups that would involve potential clients |
| place for college students to meet after classes. The | | | | for the coffee shop. Articles were written for on line |
| coffee shop will have a part time program director | | | | publication for the organizations, associations, and local |
| who will work with the various groups to help facilitate | | | | community groups that held meetings at the coffee |
| community meetings and set up interesting forums and | | | | shop. These articles contained links to the web site for |
| discussion groups, and to provide other entertainment | | | | the coffee shop that would list the upcoming events |
| for the college students. | | | | and discussions that would be held at the coffee shop. |
| I conducted some research on successful coffee | | | | Print ads were also taken out in a small local |
| shops and found that the espresso machines | | | | publication that the targeted market reads. |
| contribute well over 50 percent to a coffee shop's | | | | After about 5 months the results of these marketing |
| revenue and even more to its profits. The shops with | | | | efforts had paid off. The coffee shops morning |
| the best tasting drinks did five to ten times the | | | | business was doing 10 percent better that was |
| business of shops with average tasting espresso. To | | | | forecasted. The coffee shop had 8 regular groups, |
| capitalize on this the coffee shop should try to get its | | | | organizations, and associations holding weekly |
| espresso drinks to over 50 percent of the drinks | | | | meetings in the coffee shop. I got permission from the |
| served. To accomplish this, the coffee shop set up a | | | | clients who are using the coffee shop for meetings to |
| separate espresso station, with instruction on how to | | | | use there names in the next set of ads that will run, |
| make a great espresso. The coffee shop will set its | | | | and on the new web site. You must promote your |
| pricing approximately 25 percent below typical | | | | success to get new business. |
| Starbucks' pricing. | | | | |