How to create a coffee shop menu

Crafting your coffee shop menu takes time but it’s definitely worth the effort, here’s some tips to get you started.

Know your customer base

There’s no point offering bubble gum milkshakes if your customers are more likely to buy afternoon tea. Knowing who your customers are likely to be and what they would like to see on the menu is a big advantage. Take your local area into account, is there a school nearby? Is the neighbourhood attractive to families, or perhaps there are lots of students living there?

Research the market

It’s a good idea to know what is popular in the world of coffee right now. Whilst adding every new trend to your menu might not be the best idea, the odd trend in-line with your customer base will help freshen up your menu. We recommend reading the Project Café reports by Allegra, you’ll need to pay for the full report but the free summary is still definitely worth a read.

Check out the competition

Take a walk around your local area and see who is selling coffee, this is a great way to see what sells well locally, and also find a way to differentiate yourself in the market. We’d advise against copying another establishment’s usp or undercutting the competition, the aim is to create an offering you’re proud of to attract more people to the area.

Keep it simple

Start with some classic drinks, like espresso, americano, latte, flat white, hot chocolate and see what sells well. It’s worth asking your customers what they would like to see on the menu. A menu with too many choices will be overwhelming for your customers, sometimes simplicity is the way forward.