How to open a boutique cafe?

With the increasing number of boutique coffee shops, how to stand out has become the first problem that every coffee shop operator needs to consider. In my opinion, there is only one way to solve this problem, and that is to find out the "USP" of the coffee shop, that is, unique selling points / unique sales propositions (Unique Selling Proposition). "USP" is actually a proper word of marketing. Many people have a big head at the mention of the word "marketing". Don't be nervous. In fact, it is not difficult to do a good job in marketing.

Indeed, there are countless cafes that compete with you, especially large independent cafes and chain cafes. The key to the success of these cafes is that they have found "USP". They can provide customers with products or services that their competitors cannot provide, thus attracting more customers' attention.

In this article, I will explain in detail what "USP" is and how to find the unique selling points of your own coffee shop, so as to attract more customers.

One, ten million do not face all the noodles!

The reason why many cafes fail is that operators want to do everything from the very beginning, they want to provide customers with the most comprehensive range of goods and services as diverse as possible. Doesn't that sound wrong? But have you ever thought that you could sell the highest quality coffee and service at the lowest price? Is it possible for you to sell painstaking home-baked cakes with high quality raw materials and salads you just made in the morning at the lowest price?

Obviously, you can't. No one can do it, and because you can't, you will slowly fail, so don't cover everything and don't try to meet the needs of every customer.

For example, Starbucks, why can Starbucks drive all over the streets of the city? The key to success lies in the atmosphere of the coffee shop, the coffee experience of customers, the feeling of finding peace in a busy life and enjoying a sandwich and a cup of milk-based coffee in a moment.

Second, standing alone is your advantage.

Of course, the scale of your business and the maturity of your business model are not comparable to those of Starbucks. But from another point of view, your independence happens to be your advantage, and you need to use your independence to get your share of the market.

Throughout the world, new independent boutique cafes continue to emerge every day in major cities with a more developed boutique coffee culture, such as London, New York and Tokyo. In addition to big cities, boutique coffee culture has also penetrated into small and medium-sized cities, the great market opportunities, and the fierce market competition can be imagined.

In such a crowded market, you need to rely on unique selling points to survive. You need to find out the value of your coffee shop and why your coffee shop is different from other cafes.

Third, it is related to the performance of promotion.

Remember, not everyone will accept your unique selling point. Your selling point is unique and unreplicable. You need to implement your unique selling points in every aspect of the coffee shop operation, whether it's interior decoration, product packaging, or your baking craftsmanship. Only in this way can customers really feel the message you want to convey. Will think, "this coffee shop is so different, I like it very much!" Many operators are worried about how to improve their business performance, but in my opinion, as long as you grasp the unique selling point, your performance will naturally be qualitatively improved. Yes, as long as you find your "USP", you can attract more customers and make more money!

Well, having said so much, how on earth should we find our own "USP"?

To find your unique selling point, you first need to have a deep understanding of your customers and the business philosophy of the coffee shop. You can look at your coffee shop from a consumer's point of view, from a bystander's point of view, to determine whether the selling point of your coffee shop is unique and whether you, as a consumer, will be attracted by the selling point of this coffee shop.

To sum up, I think there are four main steps to find the unique selling point of the coffee shop:

1. find the right target customer base and have an in-depth understanding of customer needs

2. Find the business characteristics that you are best at and most different from others

3. Find the balance between the profit point of the coffee shop and customer satisfaction

4. Synthesize the above factors, form your unique selling point, and implement it in every link of the coffee shop management.