Advice for re-opening your coffee shop after the summer break

That time of year dedicated to lying under a large umbrella on the beach and long days of sunbathing is coming to an end.

So the time is coming when you have to re-open your coffee shop and deal with everything that will allow you to get going again in the best way.

We will talk about how to check and clean your equipment, suggest new menu ideas, and give you the most important advice of all….

Step One: check your equipment

Only the best quality coffee will impress your customers and keep them coming back to you and your coffee shop.

To obtain this, however, you need to work with only the best equipment and carry out regular checks and thorough cleaning of every single part.

This is particularly important after your premises have been closed for a while, for example during the summer break, when all the equipment may remain shut off for many days at a time.

Filters and seals

The replacement of filters and seals on the espresso machine several times a year should be a fixed appointment, especially after the summer break.

Both of these parts are subject to very difficult conditions and become worn very quickly.

The calibration of the grinding and dosing of the coffee grinder 

Correct calibration of your grinder is fundamental and we have discussed this in great detail in the 10 rules for preparing the perfect espresso.

The size of the micro-granules to select for the grinding and the dosing of the coffee grinders are basic elements for obtaining a quality product, so once you are back to work, this should be at the top of your list of priorities.

Switching your refrigerators back on and filling them 

One of the things you certainly did before going on holiday was to empty, clean thoroughly and switch off your refrigerators.

All of which is intended to avoid unnecessary energy consumption, take advantage of the opportunity to clean from top to bottom, and prevent the possibility of a potentially very dangerous short circuit while you are gone.

Thus, it is very important that when you open your coffee shop again, you need to re-activate the refrigerators, checking that the temperature remains stable and everything functions as it should.

Carrying out a trial wash 

Cleanliness is the best business card you can have for your coffee shop.

It is fundamental, before you open again to the public, to do a trial wash with the dishwasher to check that everything is functioning correctly.

Step two: revamp the menu!

The holidays are the time for relaxing and having fun.

But, simultaneously, they are also a good time for thinking about what kinds of flavors and products you would like to have in your coffee shop when you open again. We would recommend that you take some time to concentrate on revamping the menu, identifying new trends in the world of coffee shops and reevaluating the needs of your customers.

Change of season, change of menu 

Once you are back, the summer is practically over. We would suggest that you remove some of the recipes more suitable for the sweltering heat of summer and replace them with others which are more autumnal; this is also a good opportunity to remove those menu ideas that were less suited to your customers’ tastes.

Always communicate!

You have spent a lot of time and energy changing your menu, to find new flavors and offer new flavorful blends.

Communicate this to your customers! Updating the menu is fundamental, because it gives your customers an increasingly wide and varied choice.

Furthermore it is an opportunity to show your creativity off to best advantage.

The best way is to communicate it via a real graphic update of your coffee “menu”, to grab the attention of your customers at first look!

Step three: come back to work with a smile

Remember, that for your customers, having a coffee at the bar, is their break time.

A precious moment of time-out during their working day, perhaps grabbed between one appointment and another.

Treasure that relaxation you enjoyed on holiday and come back to work enthusiastic and positive.

Give a smile and some positive energy to your customers. Avoid saying the classic phrases like “it was so good to be on holiday!”

What has your experience taught you?

Do you have your own list of  “things to do” that you use as a starting point every year when you re-open your coffee shop?