Frequently Asked Questions

This famous old New Zealand hotel has a good way of answering tourists' questions - love it.

Cookie Karaoke

In store music selection at Queenstown, NZ 's Cookie Time.

Power of Promotion

Cookie Bar's internal design has be seen to be believed - Mini, cuddly toy dispenser

and proud heritage going back to 1983

You Write, We Send

Cookie Bar's way of spreading the message - one of the best branded operations I have ever come across.

Cookie Bar

Brilliant marketing and merchandising at Queenstown, New Zealand's Cookie Bar

Music, signage, decor, quirky ideas, menu - really great

Stools on the street plus ear-catching music and eye-catching signage

Coffee Break Offer

The meal deal is commonplace amongst retailers but cafe operators often miss a trick of upselling and attracting the lunch trade.

Chatter & Natter

Costa partners with The Chatty Cafe Scheme https://www.thechattycafescheme.co.uk/ to launch ‘chatter and natter’ tables at 25 outlets across the country. A sign on each of the tables indicates that customers sitting there are happy to chat. The aim is to provide a safe space for cafe-goers – particularly those struggling with loneliness – to strike up a conversation with a stranger.

Smell the Coffee

 Costa's clever way of promoting their coffee credentials

Ripping Cake

Ripping cake at the RAF Museum - Captain Albert Ball VC always flew with his mother's home-made plum cake and wrote home about the 'ripping' cake.

 Caterer Centreplate also features a Berni Inn Menu!

Purple Sauce

 Premier Inn and their new Purple Sauce made from blackberries, cider vinegar with pepper and chillies.  Clever, exclusive, limited time marketing of a product that boosts their breakfast appeal.

Attracting Attention

Owls outside Coffee Aroma in Lincoln.  Crocodiles at the Eccentric Englishman tearoom at Johnsons of Old Hurst Farmshop in Huntingdon.  How are you attracting attention?

@JohnsonOldhurst   @Coffee_Aroma

Parched Pooches

 One of the most dog friendly cafes in the country, the Beach Cafe at Wells-next-the-Sea, has rolled out its own dog watering station.  Making yet another photo opportunity and memorable moment to promote the cafe.  Bravo Bertie's Bark Up Bar.  @WellsBeachCafe

Buoyed Up Advertising

 

Advertise your cafe anyway you can - The Lifebuoy Cafe in Fowey has a boat 'hoarding' moored off the town quay.  Brilliant.

Look After The Locals

Cupcakes may be commonplace but they are a great way of making that local connection.  Glendoick Café sent in a photo of their limited edition St Johnstone Cup Cakes in celebration of the team winning the Scottish Cup Final back in May.  St Johnstone's Chairman is boss of a major local employer.  Local connections count.

A-Board Fun at Caffeine

 New magazine Caffeine says "give a barista an A-Board and you'll have gags all week".

 The magazine is available for free at good coffee shops http://www.caffeinemag.com/findus/

1,000 Strong

The Beach Cafe at Wells-next-the-Sea has just signed up the 1,000th dog owner/cafe customer to its K-9 Club and awarded its Dog of the Year (see http://greatcafes.blogspot.co.uk/2013/11/could-it-be-you.html ).  Brilliant off-season marketing by the Holkham Estate and well done to Layla.

Daily Specials

 Fakenham Garden Centre's cafe works hard to get the locals in every day of the week.

Filing Remembered & Recycled

Remember those old filing cabinets; Ozone has pulled one out to hold and present their business cards at the cafe entrance.

Certificate of Excellence

We noticed several cafes in Dublin proudly showing their Tripadvisor rating alongside their menus.  KC Peaches is a wholefoods shop and cafe and is worth visiting.

Hotting Up

The coffee price war continues with Giraffe restaurants offering take-out lattes and cappuccinos at 50p until 10.30am Monday to Friday.