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  • Pages
  • Editions
01 The Archive Menu
02 Cover (July-Aug 20)
03 Introduction (July-Aug 20)
04 The Future for Cafes (July-Aug 20)
05 Operating Your Cafe Safely (July-Aug 20)
06 Coffee Menu Reset (July-Aug 20)
07 Summer To Go (July-Aug 20)
08 Health & Wellbeing (July-Aug 20)
09 Ethical Consumerism (July-Aug 20)
10 Marketing (July-Aug 20)
11 And Finally (July-Aug 20)
12 Get in touch (July-Aug 20)
13 Home (Sept-Oct 20)
14 Introduction (Sept-Oct 20)
15 Attracting customers in a socially distanced world (Sept-Oct 20)
16 How to make safe but sustainable cup choices (Sept-Oct 20)
17 Brazil: A Tale of Two Worlds (Sept-Oct 20)
18 How much does your water quality affect your hot drinks? (Sept-Oct 20)
19 Tea in a Global Pandemic (Sept-Oct 20)
20 Customer Q&A: Coffee at the Wilsons, Blanefield (Sept-Oct 20)
21 Autumn Drinks Recipes (Sept-Oct 20)
22 Get in touch (Sept-Oct 20)
23 HOME (Nov-Dec 20)
24 WELCOME ON BOARD LA MARZOCCO (Nov-Dec 20)
25 BARING FRUIT: THE UNDRESSING OF A COFFEE CHERRY (Nov-Dec 20)
26 RWRD: BUILDING DIGITAL LOYALTY (Nov-Dec 20)
27 TRENDS IN FOOD & BEVERAGE (Nov-Dec 20)
28 WINTER DRINKS HOW-TO-VIDEOS (Nov-Dec 20)
29 XMAS PACKAGING INSPIRATION (Nov-Dec 20)
30 CUSTOMER Q&A (Nov-Dec 20)
31 Get in touch (Nov-Dec 20)
32 HOME (Jan-Feb 21)
33 WELCOME (Jan-Feb 21)
34 DRINKS MENU INSIGHTS 2021 (Jan-Feb 21)
35 CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT: KAYA (Jan-Feb 21)
36 SUPPLIER Q&A KEEPCUP (Jan-Feb 21)
37 THE SMELL OF SUCCESS (Jan-Feb 21)
38 TAKEAWAY TOP TIPS (Jan-Feb 21)
39 DIARY DATES 2021 (Jan-Feb 21)
40 GET IN TOUCH (Jan-Feb 21)
41 HOME (Mar-Apr 21)
42 WELCOME (Mar-Apr 21)
43 INDUSTRY INSIGHTS 2021 (Mar-Apr 21)
44 Menu Board & POS Trends (Mar-Apr 21)
45 E-LEARNING (Mar-Apr 21)
46 SENSORY SESSIONS (Mar-Apr 21)
47 FAIRTRADE (Mar-Apr 21)
48 ISLANDS CHOCOLATE (Mar-Apr 21)
49 GREEN COFFEE (Mar-Apr 21)
50 GET IN TOUCH (Mar-Apr 21)
51 HOME (May-June 21)
52 WELCOME (May-June 21)
53 VOYEURISM OF THE NEW (May-June 21)
54 SIX SUMMER DRINKS (May-June 21)
55 SPOTLIGHT ON COLD BREW (May-June 21)
56 ABSOLUTE ROASTERS (May-June 21)
57 ART OF AWESOME (May-June 21)
58 SOCIAL MEDIA ANALYTICS (May-June 21)
59 SUSTAINABILITY (May-June 21)
60 GET IN TOUCH (May-June 21)
61 HOME (Oct 21)
62 WELCOME (Oct 21)
63 AWARD (Oct 21)
64 SMILE (Oct 21)
65 RECIPES (Oct 21)
66 CONTAINER CAFES (Oct 21)
67 SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT TIPS (Oct 21)
68 MENU BUILDER (Oct 21)
69 GET IN TOUCH (Oct 21)
70 HOME (Jan-Feb 22)
71 WELCOME (Jan-Feb 22)
72 AWARD WINNERS (Jan-Feb 22)
73 VEGANUARY (Jan-Feb 22)
74 TOP 5 THIS SEASON (Jan-Feb 22)
75 SOCIAL MEDIA PLANNING (Jan-Feb 22)
76 COP26 (Jan-Feb 22)
77 GET IN TOUCH (Jan-Feb 22)
78 COVER (Mar-Apr 22)
79 WELCOME (Mar-Apr 22)
80 RAINFOREST (Mar-Apr 22)
81 ALLEGRA ROUND UP (Mar-Apr 22)
82 FT FORTNIGHT (Mar-Apr 22)
83 SOUND OF FLAVOUR (Mar-Apr 22)
84 WEBSITE TIPS (Mar-Apr 22)
85 CALORIES (Mar-Apr 22)
86 GET IN TOUCH (Mar-Apr 22)
87 HOME (May-June 22)
88 WELCOME (May-June 22)
89 TEA GARDENS (May-June 22)
90 CUSTOMERS IN UNUSUAL PLACES (May-June 22)
91 ROASTERY FUN FACTS (May-June 22)
92 5 DESIGN TRENDS (May-June 22)
93 DEFINING ARTISANAL (May-June 22)
94 GET IN TOUCH (May-June 22)
95 HOME (Sept-Oct 22)
96 WELCOME (Sept-Oct 22)
97 JOHN MUIR AWARD (Sept-Oct 22)
98 CAFES AND THE COST OF LIVING (Sept-Oct 22)
99 ANNUAL PRODUCER SURVEY (Sept-Oct 22)
100 THE COFFEE FUELING THE NHS (Sept-Oct 22)
101 RECYCLING WEEK (Sept-Oct 22)
102 GOING AGAINST THE DESIGN GRAIN (Sept-Oct 22)
103 GET IN TOUCH (Sept-Oct 22)
104 HOME (sustainability nov dec 22)
105 WELCOME
106 NET ZERO
107 SOL Y CAFE
108 25 YEARS OF FAIRTRADE (copy)
109 LET DESIGN LEAF THE PAGE (copy)

MARKET NSIGHTS

ALLEGRA PROJECT CAFE: OUR TOP FOUR TAKEAWAYS

Roslyn Coombe, Marketing Manager

FOUR KEY CONSIDERATIONS FOR RE-OPENING YOUR CAFE.

"After a remarkable two decades of sustained growth, the coffee market is now an intrinsic part of daily life in the UK & Ireland, but it is facing increased challenges from a changing retail environment, economic pressure, and the on-going impact of COVID-19."

Allegra Project Cafe 2021

With the demand for great coffee at home increasing during lockdowns, consumer habits and expectations on the subject of coffee have undoubtedly changed. Online sales of coffee and brew kit soared as people working from home found ways to substitute their daily flat white.

Several big coffee chains introduced new business models to combat the decline in in-store footfall - from cashless technology, coffee delivery, and coffee subscription services - to store refurbishment.

These new consumer behaviors and business models all need careful consideration by cafe operators as you prepare to open your doors once again.

We've read and dissected the Allegra report, identified the four key areas for action, and pulled together a comprehensive bank of top tips and resources to help you accelerate out of lockdown.

(Header image courtesy of RWRD app)

1. Build Confidence for re-opening

Ok, so we've been here before - but there's no harm in reiterating. When lockdown restrictions across the country start to ease, cafes should think about how they can make their consumers feel safe. Building customer confidence will once again be paramount.

According to Allegra, consumers believe that the 3 most important provisions that all cafes should have in place to build consumer confidence are hand sanitiser at entry & exit points (61%), enforcement of social distancing (56%), and more frequent cleaning (53%). But what more can we do beyond these obvious measures?

Our Top Tip

  • Complete our Hygiene & Safety Checklist. You may recall we published this comprehensive guide after the last lockdown, covering everything from cleaning and training to restarting your coffee machine. The advice remains the same and we'd urge you to revisit it for this reopening too.
View the hygiene & safety checklist

2. Explore new Business Models

The Allegra report states that 42% of consumers would now happily use a click and collect, and over 22% would be willing to sign up for a coffee shop subscription. Even after the restrictions have eased, it is anticipated that consumers will continue to enjoy the benefits of these services.

Our Top Tips

  • If you haven't already so, consider expanding your cafe offering and creating an online store. It's never too late and could continue to serve you well long after the pandemic. Out of the box e-commerce solutions like Shopify make it easier than ever.
  • Create experiences and gifts using your produce that you can sell online and in-store. From afternoon tea boxes to coffee brewing bundles, the heightened appetite for indulgence delivered to your door is set to continue
  • Maximize your takeaway trade by offering and prominently displaying impulse purchases and meal deals
  • Build your customer loyalty and average spend by introducing coffee subscriptions and digital loyalty programmes. Check out our recent article on digital loyalty for further advice.

3. INCORPORATE KEY CONSUMER TRENDS IN YOUR DRINKS MENU

Nearly half of those surveyed by Allegra (47.8%) like to try new beverage products in coffee shops. What’s more, the use of syrups and alternative mylks is continuing to rise.

Our Top Tips

  • Familiarise yourself with the drinks trends report and menu recommendations we issued in the last edition.
  • Check out our seasonal recipes at espressowarehouse.com or in this e-brochure.
  • Utilize our free seasonal drinks point of sale to entice your newly adventurous consumers. You'll find them on page 124-126 of our new Espresso warehouse catalogue.
View our Spring/Summer drinks trends article
View our new Espresso Warehouse catalogue

4. Give ethical consumerism a voice

A particularly interesting finding from the Allegra report is that over half of consumers (53.8%) want coffee shops to do more to inform them about how their coffee is sourced.

Our Top Tips

  • Ensure your baristas can talk confidently about the coffee blend they serve. Its origins, certifications and taste profile. To understand your Matthew Algie coffee a little better head over to the coffee section of our website or ask your account manager.
  • Feature your coffee's certification and sourcing story on your menu boards, website and POS. Matthew Algie coffee customers will find a number of Fairtrade case studies on our blog and imagery is available through your account manager.
  • Engage with your consumers on social media about your coffee's story. A suite of Matthew Algie social media assets and copy suggestions are available to support you. Ask your account manager for access.
View our Fairtrade Case Studies

About Roslyn Coombe

Customer Marketing Manager, Matthew Algie


Since graduating in 2012 from the University of Strathclyde with an Honours degree in Marketing, Roslyn has worked for several large national brands and owned a successful restaurant in Spain.

Roslyn’s strengths have always been in Hospitality and Marketing, so working for Matthew Algie allows her to successfully combine both passions.

In her role as Customer Marketing Manager, Roz works hard to get under the skin of each and every customer, helping them to maximise their coffee offering.