Getting clever with coffee

As a total and utter coffee addict -and a bit of a coffee snob to boot- I was fascinated by this piece in Big Hospitality, covering some of the best coffee innovations in the industry. Here are five ways in which the smartest operators in the business are bringing new offerings to the market. Coffee in a cone? Coffee ice cubes? Civet poo coffee? It seems to be all about the differentiation and creating a new or distinctive product. And with high turnover of staff remaining an issue in the sector, having the best training procedures and systems in place is key.

I’ll be passing this article on to some of our industry clients: these examples may be for coffee but they could provide some great food for thought for innovation and brand development in all kinds of fields of business I’m sure.

Restaurants are getting smarter with coffee and tea selections, linking them back to their overarching concept. We explore the best ways to provide a point of difference and drive sales
1. Know your market and stick to it.

When James Walters was planning the coffee offer for his Borough Market restaurant he had to take into account the fact that the site was only a few doors down from Monmouth Coffee, which pulls one of the finest espressos in London.

'That meant an espresso-based offering was out for Arabica Bar & Kitchen,” he says. 'Instead we offer French press alongside Turkish coffee. We encourage people to try the latter – Turkish coffee makes up about 50% of our sales now. People like to try something new.”

In keeping with its name, the restaurant only serves 100% Arabica.