Enhancing the sales of your café is possible if you are aware of the latest trends like breakfast brunch, triple tacos, organic wraps, and of course gourmet coffee. Yes, you will need to use time-tested strategies that have proven to boost margins. Whether focusing on cafe ambiance, cafe wall decor,  the more elite drinks, or including branded merchandise in your coffee shop, the choices are many to make your café stand out from the rest. 

According to an article published on https://www.forbes.com, the key to a successful coffee shop is serving the best-quality espresso, using loyalty cards, and limiting the assortments. Here are some of the best ways to maximize your cafe’s revenue in less time: 

Why ask customers to stop using free Wi-Fi even after eating

These days, you can often see café-goers who use free Wi-Fi as well as power outlets while eating coffee and sandwiches. Then, did you know the more tables occupied by different customers, more is your revenue? If you are encouraging some customers to stay longer in your coffee shop even after they have done eating, but they keep using their laptops, free Wi-Fi, and power sockets, you are losing sales and money. It is sales because another customer can sit in the same chair, which means more revenues. 

It is important to provide your customers with a plush ambiance and a great coffee experience, but that does not translate to using free internet and power, comfortable seating, and staying longer without paying for any of the facilities. It is high time that you realize this and, request people to stop using Wi-Fi, who stay even after finishing their coffee. 

Starbucks in New York had covered up power sockets and restricted the use of free Wi-Fi and the amount of time spent. You can keep using free internet provided you order another wrap, coffee, or shell out money for internet usage. 

If you do not want to look crude by asking a person not to use free internet and power, simply place a tabletop sign with the message, “Limited internet use during busy hours.”

Use gift cards

Did you know that in 2015, the sale of gift cards reached a whopping $130 billion? If you have not thought of gift cards until now, this is the time. 

The concept of gift cards is nothing new, but if you look at the freedom as well as flexibility the cards offer to people, there is nothing like it. Yes, your café guests can buy whatever they like and whenever they want to. Therefore, you have enough reasons to make the most out of gift cards to boost your café sales, if you mull over Starbuck’s huge success in this regard. 

Gift cards may be the best way to improve margins and revenues, improve the potential of boosting sales in the days to come, and create consumer interest from unused or unredeemed cash balances. 

Make the most out of in-store displays

Have you ever visited Starbucks and noticed their in-store displays of drinking glasses, coffee mugs, or for that matter gourmet coffee. Then, these displays are not just to show off or for a decorative purpose; you can buy them too. 

Based on the findings of a 2014 POPAI study, it was discovered that spontaneous purchases are triggered by in-store displays, which a customer notices while at the café. It means for the 100 coffee lovers, who visit Starbucks; at least 16 of them will buy coffee mugs, glasses, or gourmet coffee.

You may have a small café and not as big as Starbucks, but you can always use these ideas to boost revenue. You can display cool T-shirts, mugs, beer glasses, and things like that. 

Then, not all displays need to be real items; you can use signage to sell your stuff. You need to consider this seriously for succeeding in your business and boosting sales. Think of how you shop at a store, you find displays or signage attractive, and inquire about the products and prices. From a simple open sign, to the common cafe style signs of a coffee cup sign, or others for a more general business aesthetic. The same applies to your coffee shop customers. 

Most store owners know this and use the tactic to highlight products or promotional offers. Then, sales are not the sole reason to display or use signage. It also improves the aesthetics of your café. These days, Millennials frequent coffee shops and they love the good ambiance, aesthetics, and pleasing café experience. All of these factors contribute to sales. 

Focus on board games 

If you want your customers to spend some more time at your café, especially those who order one coffee and occupy table space for 2-3 hours with free internet, introduce board games for a small fee. In a typical board game cafe, games and other activities are available for the customers for a small fee. Some coffee shops also sell these games. All this means additional income besides selling your wraps, sandwiches, garlic bread, tacos, and coffee. 

Cafes cater to fundamental human desires to connect and socialize with like-minded people. It could be their friends, family, and partners. And because of the social characteristics of board games, snacks and beverages are savored as well. It translates to more people at your coffee shop means more money. 

People who spend long working hours in front of a laptop tend to unwind at a café during weekends and spend some time with their friends. It is all about conversations, eating, laughter, shared experiences and beating the stress of extended working hours. That is the reason why board game cafes are popular these days among Millennials. 

According to experts in the industry, puzzles, games, or for that matter mind-benders are the perfect combination to increase sales and market your business, especially a coffee shop to improve sales and revenue. There is little investment and people like it when your café is trendy and cool. Your customers can eat and even buy board games from your café. 

Conclusion

Now that you have these ideas handy, implement them for your coffee shop to boost sales and revenue. Diversify your products and services to reap the maximum benefits.