NEW CAFÉ OWNER

A GUIDE TO OPENING YOUR DREAM CAFÉ

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Articles
Each article is followed by a “Timely Takeaways” section that sums up the major points from the articles.

Negotiating With A Landlord

And The Value Your Business Adds To A Space.................................................................1
Starting With The End In Mind.......................................................................................3
How To Select The Physical Retail Location For
Your Business Model And Target Demographic................................................................5
Don’t Let It Become A Nightmare....................................................................................8
Design It Right, Build It Once........................................................................................10
What Do You Need?...................................................................................................12
Signature Drinks - Power Up Your Profits.........................................................................16
Using Social Media to
Reach Your Community................................................................................................19
“Should You Be Doing That?”-
Understanding The Value Of Your Time.........................................................................22
BPS® Training Materials-
Your Access To The Pros, After Hours.............................................................................24

INDEX
Contributors................................................................................................................25
Front of the House Essentials Checklist...........................................................................26
Back of the House Essentials Checklist...........................................................................27
Your Guide To The New Cafe Forms & Logs (with a sub-index)..................................................28
The New Cafe Forms & Logs (the beginning)........................................................................29
Health Department, SDS & OSHA................................................................................49
Summary & Next Steps..................................................................................................60
 Negotiating With A Landlord And The Value Your
Business Adds To A Space
Full disclosure, I am a painfully optimistic person. Sometimes Here are some pointers on negotiating the best rent you can:
I think my very eyelids have a silver-lining on them. Anything
is possible, am I right? When I bought my first business I • First renter in the building
negotiated a deal: $1,000 down and $1,000 a month till the oo You can negotiate a lowered rate, say 50% off, till
business was paid off. If at any point I didn’t make good on the building is 50% occupied, then 75% of rent till the
my end of the deal the owner I was buying from would get the building is 75% rented
business, and everything in it back, no strings attached. • Last renter in the building
oo You can convince the landlord that your coffee business
Why would I be so crazy to will bring new shoppers to the area on a daily basis
negotiate such a deal? Because I and help all the businesses in your area to thrive
knew I had nothing to lose, and • If you’re leasing inside a business space or residence you
can show how your café will improve occupancy happiness
the seller had a great opportunity.
and keep them renting longer
It was going to be win-win-win.
Win, for me because I was going
to get a café without going through The big point is to put yourself in the landlord’s shoes
all the work of getting a loan. Also and think about what they want and all the benefits of having
if things went south then I was free your business there. Then after you have thought about it
and clear with only the sunk cost of how far I had made it. ask them what they think the benefits would be. Let them talk
Win, for the seller because they were going to get the agreed themselves into leasing to you.
amount. And if they didn’t get the agreed amount then they
Some big corporations
would get back a business that they could just resell a second
are looking for coffee kiosks to
time. Win, for the customers, because I was (and did) make
enter their lobby area and help
amazing coffee for them all.
them with their employee morale.
If you’re looking at putting a kiosk
But how did I arrange this deal? After visiting seven potential
in an office building meet with the
locations, I chatted with the owner of the drive-thru at his shop.
HR department and show them how
He had dropped some hints that I didn’t pick up on at the time,
your café concept will put so many
such as that they were looking at closing on a certain date.
of their employees in a great mood
When he said that I thought to myself, “Oh, I don’t want him
as they go to work, or will serve as a fast and quality pick-me-
to close and then lose all of those customers!” What I should
up in the afternoon. There are a lot of people who need your
have heard was that he is really trying to get out. Or I should
wonderful business, you just need to find them and let them
have heard that I should come back after it has been closed for
know about your vision.
a week and buy it for even less.

Although I may have missed out on a cheaper business, I did

end up with a great opportunity, and here’s how I did it. I “Give me six hours to chop down
approached him with full transparency, I told him I knew he a tree and I will spend the first
was losing a few dollars a day, and that meant it was hundreds
of dollars per month. So I said, “You could go from losing four sharpening the axe”
money, to making money each month. No strings attached.”
He liked that.
-ABRAHAM LINCOLN

1
Negotiating With A Landlord And The Value Your
Business Adds To A Space

Timely Takeaways:
• Listen to what the seller is telling you and what it means
for your approach to purchasing.

• Put yourself in the Landlord’s shoes:

- What do they want?
- What does your business provide them?

• Try to negotiate better rent based on whether you’re the

First or Last renter in the complex.

• Planning ahead will save you lots of time, in the future:

- Consider the benefits of your business for the larger
space and sell that to the landlord/company.
- Having a business plan will also demonstrate to the
landlord/company that you are serious about what you’re
doing & that you’ve done your research.

2
 Starting with the End in Mind
As I sit to write and tell you about • Menu:
“Starting with the End in Mind” oo What menu items will I have?
I must admit, I had to ask myself oo Besides coffee what about beer & cocktails?
exactly what I wanted the take-away, oo Do I want to have a big food menu with fresh paninis
the epiphany, and the very essence or salads?
of this advice to really be. It was a oo How will I get my items, especially if they are unique
funny thing to sit and think about. Here’s what I want for you, or special?
I want you to read this and save yourself however many days • Unique brand:
and hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of pain by doing oo Is there a reason why no one has tried my specific
this one simple step: getting real with yourself. idea before?
oo How will I advertise my business?
This February, I spoke at Coffee Fest Atlanta about opening • Competition:
a café (I love speaking at that event), I shared my own story oo Who is my competition?
(barista at career day, former drive-thru stand owner, current oo How will I be different?
lead barista for three global coffee brands, and weekly oo Do I need to compete on price?
pod-caster), then as a group we moved into the content of • Staff:
the presentation: What to Look for When Buying Your First oo How much hiring and training will I need before I can
Coffeehouse. sell a latte?
oo How many employees will I need?
Let me just launch to the ending point of that presentation, I’ll oo Do I want my friends to work with me?
bet you can guess what it may have been all about. Well, it oo Where do I find great staff?
was all about being real about who you are. It was all about • Profit:
assessing your own skills and what interests you then taking oo How long do I have until I start making a profit?
all of the opportunities that best suit your current situation oo How much money do I need to get started and pass
and where you want to go. Essentially, we’re talking about the 2 year mark?
beginning with the end in mind. • Legal:
oo What taxes do I need to set aside & pay?
So here are some questions that I want to challenge you with, oo What kind of insurance do I need?
these should help you shape what your ultimate vision for you • Exit plan:
café is: oo Is there a certain time or sales revenue marker that I
want to hit before selling?
• Starting a café is TOUGH: oo Do I have a buyer in mind already, such as a friend or
oo Why am I starting a coffee shop? family member?
oo Would it be easier to just hang out at cafés on the oo Do I want to sell and see the business thrive even better
weekend and not over complicate things? once I am gone?
oo Am I prepared to spend the time and money needed • Ultimate goals
to get my business started? oo If you close the doors will you be devastated?
oo Is my partner on board to support as well? oo Is there someone else you’re trying to help with this
• Ambiance: business?
oo What kind of ambiance do I want? oo Is this business bigger than you?
oo What can I afford? What fits the locale?
• Ideal customer: Now if you took the time to think through and find answers
oo How will my ideal customers resonate with my brand to these questions then you should start to see what your end
and café? goal is.
oo What will attract them to my shop?
oo Is there anything about my brand that alienates
other customers?

3
Last year I was talking to a hopeful future drive-thru owner, she So, what do you want to create?
was driven but also perplexed. Being a military wife she knew What is driving this idea of
that she had a lot of time on her hands, but would be leaving owning a coffee business? Is it
the area in exactly three year’s time. Her big question to me just to hang out with friends? If
was “Why start a drive-thru stand if she knew she was just so then great! How do you make
going to sell it?” Great question. Amazing question actually. them feel comfortable to hang
She had an insight that many of us don’t have the fortune of out at your business and become
knowing, she knew that she had to create an aggressive exit your best patrons? Or do you
plan if she was to make this happen. And I really hope that she want to serve the absolute best
did give it a go! coffee history has ever seen? Well then you are up for a big
challenge and best wishes to you! Whatever your end goal is,
make sure each piece of your business is set up to support that.

Starting with the End in Mind

Timely Takeaways:
• Ask yourself the hard questions and honestly listen to your
own answers.

• Think about the BIG picture before you jump right into
making lattes.

• Why do you want to start a Cafe?

• What will you do and how will you handle it if things

don’t go well?

• Conversely... do you have a plan in case things go Really

well? Success can be just as hard to handle as failure.

• Make sure you have a plan that looks at all the angles,
including the legal and financial aspects.

4
 How To Select The Physical Retail Location For Your
Business Model And Target Demographic
Starting a business is a huge endeavor. Not to scare you, but it really is. Here is a little pro and con list for you to help discover
what options are out there.

BUYING A BRAND NEW CAFÉ: BUYING AN EXISTING CAFÉ LOCATION:

PROS PROS
• Blank canvas • Built in customer-base
• Negotiate tenant improvements with landlord • All of the equipment is set up
• Negotiate that you’ll anchor more daily business • All of the systems are in place
to the area • Great starting place to improve
• Negotiate you need ramp-up time & reduced rent • Possibly negotiate great deal
• Good press or buzz when opening

CONS CONS
• Setting up permits, licenses, & insurance • Customers may not like any change
• Build-out costs & time • Branding barriers
• Could be a new area with minimal traffic • Re-training staff is likely needed
• Customer base can take years to build • Purchasing outdated/used equipment
• Full staff & customer training needed • Hidden contracts with vendors
• Need to create every system in the café • Abused space

Now that you know the direction you’d like to go, let’s talk Let’s talk about your specific building selection:
about the specific building location. What do you think about
the landlord? What does your gut tell you? What do the other • Mall, movie theater, ballet club, dance club, etc.
renters say about them? Do they make time to answer your oo Do people come here to get coffee?
questions? If you asked them a question that is a little unrelated oo When was the last time you grabbed a cup of coffee
to renting their building do they show their frustration or impa- BEFORE going to these locations?
tience? If yes, they may still make a great landlord, or maybe oo If someone invited you to these locations would you
you and they will never jive. think to get coffee there before or after?
• Hospital, park, library, corporate offices, etc
oo Do people near here want coffee?
oo How much time do people spend at these locations?
• Talk to your neighboring businesses
oo Ask lots of questions
oo Ask what little surprises you will “Just need to get used
to” to really get to the heart of renting woes
oo Are all the surrounding businesses pet shops and pet
parks but you’re allergic?
oo Do things look good on paper but your gut says no?

5
• Is the location missing a key component that you can bring Let’s talk about speaking with the seller:
oo Energy, creativity, better products, vision, leadership,
customer service, new décor or ambiance, more food • Check the books:
options, artistic flair, marketing oo Trust your gut
• Is it a place where you could hang out all day, everyday? oo Have someone else double check you so you don’t fall
oo This will be your second home for a few years in love with the wrong business
oo If you don’t want to be there, why would anyone else oo Could the business work if it sunk just 25% for one
want to visit? month?
• Foot traffic vs traffic • Why do they want to sell:
oo Nearby anchoring business that people visit, such as a oo Do they want to leave a legacy?
grocery store? oo Are they just burned out?
oo Is there a traffic obstacle like a stop light that causes oo If they sell would they keep some “Skin in the game” to
people to stop and visit your brand? show their good faith that the business is healthy?
oo Place that gets people out of their car? • Competition:
oo There is a difference of 500 cars vs 50 people on foot oo Is there a nearby competitor who is selling for less?
per hour passing by oo Have you talked to the surrounding businesses to see
what information you can learn?
Now that you know which opportunity is ideal for you it is time oo Don’t be afraid to ask if someone is selling, it’s a
to search for a space you can rent or buy. Time to hit the streets compliment to their business not a bad thing
and start looking at locations, asking questions, and letting the
word out that you’re doing this thing. Talking about what you Certainly there is a lot that goes into opening a business. When
want to do is a great way to stay inspired and build momentum. it’s a foodservice business, then a lot of what you need to con-
Personally, I found it very helpful to do. Take the opportunity to sider is actually the location and ambiance itself. Spend extra
visit locations that you don’t think are ideal for you because this time going over the location. Visit each potential site multiple
is great practice. times, visiting on different days and different times of the day
is very important. You’d be surprised what you learn just from
Let’s say that you have found an existing café that has an owner, hanging out at the location. Don’t neglect visiting other shops
in a great spot, but you get that feeling that they want to sell – that are for sale. It’s a good opportunity for you to sharpen your
what’s stopping you from asking them? skills as a potential business owner and learn more about what
to look for. The more you do it the better you’ll get at it.

Don’t think you’re alone. Always reach out to local roasters and
distributors and talk to them about your ideas. They have staff
that help people like you day in and day out. Seek help, ask
questions, and stay thirsty.

6
How To Select The Physical Retail Location For Your
Business Model And Target Demographic

Timely Takeaways:
• There are very different Pro’s and Con’s to starting a Cafe
from scratch or to buying an already existing business

• Again, listen to the landlord and get a feel for what

they’re really like - not just what they want to show you

• Where is the location situated? In a mall, business

complex, small shopping center, or stand-alone location?

• Talk to neighboring businesses and find out what they

think about the location, landlord, etc.

• If you’re buying - why is the seller wanting to sell?

• What sort of competition would you have in the area?

7
 Don’t Let It Become A Nightmare
Opening a café or coffee shop can be a very challenging in town, saw some problems with my plans. He asked if I had
process. Every week, I talk to people who have just signed the talked to the building and health department about parking,
lease and are very excited to get their café open as soon as restrooms, fire exits, ADA codes and grease traps. I became
possible. Over the last ten years in the café design business, worried and took my plans down to the city.
I have heard the good, the bad and the ugly. The part that
always seems to cause problems with new retailers is the two The nightmare was about to begin! I met first with the plumbing
month time period from signing the lease to getting the building inspector. The flower shop had only one restroom. It was up
permit. Once permitted, it usually takes another two months for to code and handicapped accessible. However, the plumbing
the contractor to build-out your space. So on average it takes codes required that I have two. I figured that there was room
four months to open your cafe from lease signing. The first two in the budget for the extra restroom but did not like losing the
months of this process have all the variables and unknowns space for my seating. I also did not like spending $6,000 of
that can cause your dreams to become nightmares. my money on a restroom that was really the landlords. Then
the fire marshal looked at my plans and said I needed a second
Many of the problems that occur in the first two months are exit in case of a fire. This was strange; the flower shop only
not due to lack of effort but rather lack of experience and had one door, why should I need two? He explained that there
knowledge. Most new coffee shop owners have never signed a would be more people in a coffee shop than in a flower shop
commercial lease, hired a commercial contractor or dealt with which he referred to as occupancy load. This was going to
the local building department or the health department. be a challenge. There were tenants on both sides, and across
the back of my space was the kitchen and storeroom. I really
The following story is hypothetical. However, it has began to feel I was in trouble when the building inspector
been experienced by far too many people in one way said that the front door needed to
or another. Hopefully it will help a few new coffee shop swing out, and the two steps at the
owners open on time, stay on budget and avoid some very entrance needed to be removed
costly mistakes. and replaced with a handicapped
ramp. How big a ramp I asked?
I had been searching for the ideal location for my new coffee He figured about 15 feet long
shop for almost a year. I heard that the flower shop was going by 4 feet wide. Wow, between
to expand and move to a new larger location down the street. the extra restroom, another door
Their old 1500 square foot space would be perfect! The leasing and the wheelchair ramp, I was
agent has several others interested in the space so it will not be going to loose half my seats! The electrical inspector wanted
available for very long. Afraid that I might miss out on this rare to have his input as well. He mentions that the current panel
opportunity, I sign the lease. I cannot believe that the dream of is not up to current codes and the amp load would need to be
owning my own coffee shop is about to come true! The flower increased for all the equipment my coffee shop required. The
shop will be out in about a month and the lease gives me an health department was the best; all they wanted was a $2,200
additional two months of free rent for the build-out. I figure that grease trap! They explained that the waste water department
I will easily be open in three months. required all food establishments with a three compartment
sink to install one. As I was about to leave, the city planner
Over the next few weeks, I finish my business plan, apply for was looking at his site plans in the area where my coffee shop
a loan, work on the logo, design my floor plan, and look for was located. It turns out that the flower shop only needed five
a general contractor. This is hard to do while still working parking spaces; however my coffee shop needed 14 due to
my regular job. Time is running out. With the $2,800 rent that higher occupancy load issue. There was no way I could
payments starting in just over two months, I quit my job. Now find nine more parking stalls! If I wanted to apply for a parking
things are moving along nicely, the loan is approved, the logo variance it would take about two months and the odds were
looks great and the floor plan is almost complete. Finding a against me. The people at the city were all very helpful and
general contractor is the hard part. Everyone seems to be so felt bad about all the time and money I had already spent. My
busy, but they promise to give me a bid when the plans are begging, pleading and even a few tears did not help. Their job
completed. One contractor, who had built several restaurants was to enforce the codes, not make them.

8
I wish this was all a bad dream but it wasn’t. This nightmare was be open. How could this be happening to me? How could I sign
a reality. In less than an hour, I found out that I would need a a lease that did not even have enough parking spaces?
second restroom, another fire exit, a handicapped wheelchair
ramp, upgraded electrical panel, new grease trap and nine After discussing the parking issue with the landlord, he let me
additional parking spaces. These improvements were way get out of the lease. I am back looking for that perfect location
beyond my budget, even if I could solve the parking issue. I again. I also got a job selling flowers at the new shop down the
was also told that the lead time for getting my health department street! But before I sign another lease, I am going to bring my
approvals and building permit was around a month. By the floor plan down to the building department and spend an hour
time I revised my plans and allowed the contractors a two talking with my new friends at city hall.
month build-out, I would pay over $5,000 in rent and still not

Don’t Let It Become A Nightmare

Timely Takeaways:
• If you are starting from scratch and will be designing your
floorplan within a existing space, contact both a
contractor and the city regarding permits and codes
Before you sign a lease.

• You should do your research ahead of time to avoid

having monstrous headaches later.

• Your local city hall should have resources to help you in

the case of permits and building codes.

• Also, you may contact your local Chamber of Commerce

to get recommendations for local contractors.

9
 Design It Right, Build It Once
A common approach to the design of a new café concept is to operator must decide early in the design process what items
plan the space from the front to the back. The primary focus is will be prepared and stored on-site and what items will be
on the atmosphere and design elements in the customer areas. purchased from an outside vendor.
These may include the style and type of seating, a roaster, retail
displays, internet stations or a fireplace. Then architectural When designing a floor plan, start with the kitchen and
features such as soffits and lighting are combined with colors storeroom. Working from the back of the space to the front,
and finishes to create your image and identity. It is in the essential pieces of equipment ranging from dry storage,
“front of the house” where your concept and brand identity refrigerated storage, food prep and ware washing are designed
are realized. into the space first. Remember, your health department codes
will dictate the minimum requirements of a water heater,
These design elements are crucial to differentiate your café mop sink, three compartment sink, hand sinks, and adequate
concept in the marketplace. However, this approach has a refrigeration and dry storage needs. So, before you begin
tendency to underplay the importance of the service counters designing the location for the fireplace and retail displays, get
and the back room storage needs. These are the areas your the storeroom and kitchen areas done first.
employees depend on for logical equipment placement,
functional work space and adequate storage needs. When The front and back service counters are then designed into
the employee areas are designed last, efficiency, labor costs, the floor plan. This is where employees must have efficient
speed of service, customer retention and profits are adversely work space and the proper equipment to deliver orders quickly
affected. The challenge of any design is to balance the to the customers. The counters
desires for unique and appealing design elements (customer incorporate built-in equipment
areas) with the needs for functional work and storage areas and supplies which are readily
(employee areas). accessible to the employee
(cups, ice, refrigeration, trash,
Before you can begin your layout, you must first decide what plates etc.). Equipment should be
items will be served on your menu. Coffee, espresso, tea, strategically arranged so that each
smoothies, pastry, cookies, sandwiches, soup, salads, and employee has their own work
ice cream are common menu items. This menu will dictate the station (cash, espresso, sandwich).
equipment needed to support your menu. For example; bakery The longer the lead time for an order, the further from the cash
items purchased from a local bakery and delivered daily, will register the customer will move. This prevents a back-up at the
only require a display case for merchandising. However, when cash register when a customer orders three espresso based
the cookies and muffins are baked on-site, your equipment drinks and the customer behind them just wants a large house
will change to include a storage freezer, convection oven blend coffee. With the operational areas of your café properly
and a work table. If you will be preparing sandwiches on planned first, the remaining balance of the space is available
site, a separate vegetable prep sink, sandwich prep table for creating personal design elements in customer areas.
and additional refrigeration will be required. Thus, the new

EMBRACE THE BUILDING TO ITS’ FULL POTENTIAL!

10
 Design It Right, Build It Once

Timely Takeaways:
• Before you begin designing, decide what will be on your
Menu-this will inform what equipment you will need space
for in the back-of-the-house.

• What items, ingredients, or components will you make in-

house and what will you bring in from a vendor?

• Begin designing your cafe with the kitchen/prep area and

the storeroom - working from the back of the space, to the
front.

• Plan for equipment and storage needs: dry storage,

fridge(s), freezer(s), working space, mop sink, etc.

• Then design the front and back counter areas for your
employees, so you maximize efficiency.

• Equipment should be arranged strategically for flow of

traffic, cash register, espresso machine, coffee brewer,
hand-off station, etc.

• Finally, design the seating area and your ambience.

11
 What Do You Need?
Opening a new coffee shop or Who will you serve?
café can be a daunting venture,
you must first find an ideal location There are two basic ways to determine who and what you will
that’s within your budget, remodel serve. Both of which require understanding the demographics
the space to meet your needs, and of your customers in order to be aware of how you can satisfy
then you’re faced with the task of their preferences. Some people know they want to open a
stocking that new store. From the coffee shop because they love coffee and want to share their
vast number of brands available to excitement for coffee with others. Some people open cafés
the breadth of offerings that now seem standard items at coffee because they want to engage and serve their local community
shops and cafés, how do you choose what you will serve at while working their ‘day job’. As you read on, be sure to
your shop? At a bare minimum, you’re going to want to offer think about the reasons you decided to open your shop and the
coffee, tea, and either deli or baked goods to accompany your goals you intend to achieve.
beverages. Even with these basic product offerings, there are
many decisions to make such as: what will be the protocol for If you have already signed your lease and have your retail
drink preparation, which brand of tea or roaster for coffee location finalized; the best place to start determining your target
will you choose, and how many different offerings should market is asking yourself the following questions: (If you don’t
you serve? Before you let this discourage you from opening have a physical space already, answering these questions will
a shop, brew yourself another cup, sit back, and follow these help to guide your search toward the specific areas that will be
tips to help you take the guesswork out of building a menu. the most valuable for your retail location, based on the density
These recommendations will help you align your menu with the of potential customers.)
desires of your customer base and, ultimately, sell!
“Who is my target market? Who is my ideal customer? What
What you need is a plan… will I need in order to satisfy this customer base?” Or, “Do I
want my business model to accommodate the preferences of
In today’s economy, too many businesses try to cater an the consumer already present in the area surrounding your
offering to every customer in the market which leads to an retail location?”
organization spreading itself too thin and sacrificing quality or
consistency, in areas they once held a competitive advantage. Once you can answer these questions, you will be able to
Although the “something for everyone” model seems very identify the key product attributes that your customer base will
profitable, the additional organizational costs outweigh find as valuable. These attributes will be based on unique
the benefits of additional customer segments. That’s why we factors which differ between the various customers and their
recommend starting with a hyper-focused menu and product individual preferences. Although every consumer is unique,
offering; then, once you’ve become accustomed to this routine we can attribute certain purchasing preferences to groups
experimenting with additional drink categories and introducing of individuals if they ordinarily behave in similar manners.
signature recipes. For example, if you serve daily commuters, speedy service
and convenience will be valuable. On the other hand, if you
Thus, before you do any product comparisons or menu have a larger physical space and intend to focus on in-house
planning, it is imperative you decide who your intended service, you will find more value through focusing on quality
customers will be. or providing new, unique options that separate you from
your competition or introduce the community to an entirely
These customers are your target market, or the group of new experience.
individuals you will be marketing to and expecting to convert
into loyal customers. Once you have an idea of who you will
be serving, then you will know what attributes to look for when
selecting the products you will offer at your shop.

12
What is around you? shop. Later on, this information will be pivotal as you develop
a plan for new customer acquisition.
Begin by taking note of who or what occupies all of the
buildings around you. Many times this will reveal your So, you might be asking how do you analyze what’s
competition. When you identify competitors, too many people around you?
will only consider other coffee shops as competitors. Although
this the most specific example, there are drastic repercussions If you have a gym or health club near you, there’s a good
for performing this narrow of an assessment. Not only will you chance you won’t become a part of any of their member’s
need to recognize all the places that serve coffee, but you must daily routines if you’re serving smoothies that are sugary and
also think about what need your shop’s products fulfill, which high in calories. This type of product may appeal to them on
is sustenance and energy whether that’s via snacks, food, or an indulgence basis, but the product attributes directly conflict
caffeinated drinks. This with their desire to be fit. People who have gym memberships
idea of need fulfillment are often much more aware of the health and dietary attributes
is crucial for accurately of the product they consume on a daily basis and will avoid
identifying the competitive products that contain high amounts of sugar, fats, and calories.
businesses that offer However, if you’re serving all-natural smoothies or delicious
comparable goods which (low-calorie) flavored teas that are high in antioxidants
your intended customer alongside snacking options with low fat content yet adequate
base might choose as a caloric and protein levels your products are more likely to
substitute for visiting your appeal to this consumer.
shop. For example, if you
serve smoothies or blended iced coffees (frappés), you must On the other hand, if you are located near a high school and
now consider any businesses that offer smoothies such as a fast you intend to target the students as your intended customer
food restaurant, convenience store, grocery store, or smoothie segment you will much different consumer preferences. For
bar. Are you considering serving food options? Again, you instance, younger consumers will value the experiential and
must include any business that offers coffee, or any other aesthetic attributes of their order, as opposed to the utilitarian
caffeinated beverage, alongside breakfast, lunch, or grab-n- benefits. Bright colored drinks, sweet flavors, and a unique, fun
go snacking options. The main point is that you will want to atmosphere will help to drive business among these consumers
identify ALL of the businesses in your immediate area that offer a as they want enjoy the experience instead of just satisfy the
product which is similar or an exact substitute for what you sell. physiological need of caffeine for that jolt of energy. Do you
This research will help you to determine the benefit of directly serve students during their lunch hour? You might want to focus
competing either by offering the lowest price or unprecedented on setting up guidelines that streamline your drink preparation
quality; or cutting your losses and deciding not to offer that processes and reduce service times, because if you can’t serve
item on your menu. A product might have astronomical sales them quick enough to return to class on time you will begin to
in one location, but stagnant sales in another shop located in lose customers.
a more competitive landscape. This should solidify the idea
that there is no perfect checklist of products or brands to carry. Speed of service is also a critical attribute for the early morning
Even within franchised chains, you will find different offerings commuter who is in a rush to beat the traffic, but needs to
and decor across the various regions of our nation. Further, be sharp when they arrive at work. Both of these consumers
this also reveals that your shop’s success is more correlated value a speedy service because they both have places they
to finding an engaged customer base and properly adapting are expected at shortly. In this second instance, note that the
your business to fulfill their preferences. functional attributes of caffeine or hydration are a higher
priority for the commuter than the aesthetic appeal of the final
However, there’s additional value in identifying what’s around product or the shop atmospherics from which it was ordered.
your retail space. By analyzing the surrounding housing units
or organizations, such as a non-competitive businesses, schools Cost is one of the main attributes of a product owners typically
and universities, or gyms, you discover who will be your base their purchasing decision upon. Although you do need
captive audience, or the individuals who will pass by your shop to be aware of and actively monitoring your costs, selecting
via car, foot or public transportation. This will determine who products since they are low priced is not guaranteed to be the
your target customer will be or it reveals that the key customer most profitable. As you’ve just seen, there are many factors that
demographic you plan to target typically will not travel by your influence a consumer’s purchasing behavior; not just price. Yes,

13
we typically like to pay the lowest price possible; however, it’s engines or social media. Either way, your shop will have to be
imperative to understand consumers also value factors such as, the main destination; or the main attraction that causes them
taste, convenience, quality of ingredients, and, at an increasing to visit the area. When a strong brand leverages the proper
rate, socially or environmentally responsible products. communication platforms to reach their audience this can
be accomplished; however, it will be important to isolate the
Although, there are products, such as tape or facial tissues, customers who will be the most enthusiastic to engage with
that we will tend to purchase solely upon the lowest priced your brand in order to create an initial base of loyal supporters
option; there are also products that we are willingly to pay who will eventually become brand ambassadors for you.
higher prices for based the factors listed above and many
more. Oddly enough, there are even times that a consumer If you’re going to have a commitment to serving quality brewed
will purchase an item based intangible elements. Let’s consider coffee that is of utmost quality and focus on experiencing
Mercedes-Benz for a moment, many people would agree they coffee; then you will have to get an understanding of the local
are a premium line of automobiles, but can they tell you why coffee scene. Search out roasters to find out if there are local
you should accept paying a higher price for their cars? In barista competitions or events. These events invaluable because
this instance, there is an expected social status, or perceived nowhere else will you will find a captive audience which is the
value, attributed to owning a Mercedes-Benz. However, this perfect opportunity to spread your message and brand. Or
perceived value will not be a valuable attribute for selling the are you located near a university and you know you would
car to a consumer who just wants to get from point A to point like to service the college students looking for a caffeine fix.
B, and could care less what others think about the brand of car Research possible promotional channels Well consider placing
they drive. At the same time, it is still true that tons of people advertisements within the school’s newspaper, on housing
aspire to own a Benz. and dining facilities bulletin boards, or anywhere else that
will give you brand exposure. Do they host a welcome event?
How will they know about you? Sponsoring an event like this could be a great opportunity to
sample products with potential customers in addition to the
If you plan to target customers who opportunity for brand exposure.
regularly pass by your location,
you will be able to utilize visible, As you organize your marketing strategy, be creative don’t
creative and eye-catching signage allow yourself to believe that in order to market your brand
to attract business. Bear in mind, as you must buy billboards and run commercials. Traditional
you’re designing your signs, you marketing is becoming so prevalent that it makes less of an
must not only have an attention impression on consumers, which means the more creative you
grabbing image, but it will also are when promoting your brand to potential consumers, the
need to clearly communicate what more of an impact you will realize.
your business is and what you
offer, namely specialty beverages. Hopefully, this article gives you an idea of how to begin the
A java junkie may take note of your awesome sign, but if they decision-making process for stocking your brand new café. In
don’t know there’s an equally awesome coffee shop in that order to make this decision, you must remember to take an
space they may never stop. in-depth survey of the area around your location. Once you
know your competitive landscape and the preferences of the
However, if you are targeting customers who don’t work, consumers in the immediate surroundings, you will be able to
live, shop, or travel past your location then you will have to select products that resonate with your potential customers as
commit more attention and time toward your promotional well as those that operationally fit within your business model.
strategy. Instead of relying on capturing attention you will Whether that means, selecting products based upon ease of
have to search out opportunities, or communication channels, preparation, nutritional benefits, or specific flavor profiles. As
to introduce your brand. The communication channels you we alluded to in the opening, there are numerous options to
rely on to accomplish this could be any of the following, or a choose from and each has their own benefits; however, those
combination: print advertising, press releases, posting flyers benefits are only valuable for your business if they fulfill the
in the area, as well as virtual channels which means you will needs or desires of your target market.
want a strong online presence to facilitate discovery via search

14
 What Do You Need?

Timely Takeaways:
• 4 Key Questions: What is your focus and do you have a
plan to execute it? Who will you serve? What is around
you? How will they find out about you?

• To determine your focus, figure out what your desired

customer looks like.

• Is this customer someone you’re likely to find in your

chosen area? Use this concept to help you determine your
physical location (if you haven’t signed a lease yet).

• What other businesses are around you and what needs/

roles will your shop fulfill? What problem do you solve?

• Determine who your captive-audiences are likely to be

(those in the same shopping center, those using a bus stop,
walking by, etc).

• Signs will need to clearly communicate what your business

is and what you offer.

• Consider having social media accounts and a website for

customers who don’t see you during their daily commute.

• From here, decide on your menu & your focus.

15
 Signature Drinks - Power Up Your Profits
While those in the know may think they have fully capitalized How do I get started?
on creating signature drinks for their retail specialty coffee
business, there are many different ways to power up profits So you understand the uniqueness of signature drinks and have
through signature drinks, and only a handful of savvy coffee gained a better understanding of what they are, but how do
retailers do it correctly. you get started in concocting them? As with just about anything
that has ever been created, you need some sort of inspiration.
In order to understand how signature I’ve personally found it helpful to
drinks can add to your business, it’s base new recipes off some of my
important to make sure that you first favorite deserts, but play around
understand this question. What are with other ideas you may have such
signature drinks? From there, it helps as ice cream or bubble gum flavors.
to be aware of the tools needed to The world is your oyster, people!
create signature drinks, the benefits
and value signature drinks bring
Once you have a basic idea of
to your business, as well as tips on what you’d like your end result to
the best ways to promote signature taste like, begin your research. For
drinks to your customers. example, if you want to make a
Tiramisu-inspired signature drink,
So what is a signature drink? take a look at Tiramisu recipes and
see what similarities and differences
Contrary to what a lot of you may you come across. Google away at
believe, Snickers-Mochas, Milky every idea you have and see where
Ways, Almond Joys, Sugar Daddy’s, it takes you. A few clicks here and a
etc. are not true signature drinks. click there, you may stumble across
These can be made by anyone, and something great!
chances are, it’s going to taste the
same or at least similar at Java Joe’s down the street as it does The final and most important step is to make sure you’re
at your place of business (not to mention the potential copyright getting creative and having fun! You need to be so excited
issues involved with drinks including other brands). and inspired that you can’t help but want to flip bottles around
like Tom Cruise in ‘Cocktail’! Begin with your flavor foundation
Imagine the uniqueness of your own hand-written signature, but tweak it a bit here and there and taste test it until you’ve
I want you to keep that in mind when creating signature achieved your desired flavor profile.
beverages.
Why bother?
Granted, you want signature drinks to be based off of best-
sellers like a mocha or vanilla latte, but the key is that they have The extra effort that goes into creating signature drinks pays
a secret recipe. Since mocha and vanilla lattes are the most off in more ways than just extra pennies in your pocket at the
popular flavored drinks sold at your coffee business, why not end of the day.
start with these two flavors as a foundation of what you already
know your customers love?! As with everything in your business; whether it be a sign, your
color scheme, the name and theme of your establishment, you
Since we want these drinks to be something your customers want those all to be reaching towards a common goal of brand
crave, offer drinks that can be promoted day-to-day and identity and awareness. Signature drinks allow you another
become part of your everyday menu. The key in creating venue to promote that identity. For example, if the name of
your signature drinks is having offerings on your menu that your shop is Tiki Java, create a name for your signature drinks
someone is going to want to drink day after day and not feel along that theme such as offering a Maui Mocha.
as though it’s simply a splurge item to be purchased every You can’t help but build customer loyalty when you use this
so often. approach. Using the same example, if a customer of yours

16
goes to the coffee shop down the block and tries to order a How do I promote my new signature drinks?!
Maui Mocha, your competition won’t be able to duplicate
that drink, therefore, steering the customer back to your As humans, we naturally have an emotional connection to what
coffee business. we see, whether it be a cute kitten (aww) or a delicious looking
drink with whipped cream and a chocolate drizzle (yum!). The
Of course, customer loyalty is great and we love to see repeat best way to get your customers to not even think about another
customers, but the sweetest reward in adding signature drink on your menu is to put these enticing pictures right in
drinks to your menu is definitely the front of their face so all they will want to do is point to a great
financial payback for your efforts. looking drink and say, “I want that one!” Make sure the photos
What you’ve done in creating these you use are professional and include a brief caption describing
signature drinks is added value to an the basic flavor characteristics present in the drink.
item that actually cost you nothing
more to create behind the bar! With all of the options your customers already have when
Simply use the same total volume of they pull up to your drive-thru window, walk into your café
syrups as you would for a certain or come up to your kiosk; you want to make sure you aren’t
sized drink, but ratio it out using a overwhelming them with your new signature drink offerings.
combination of different syrups. Ideally, four to six signature drinks is what you would want to
highlight on your menu.
When in doubt, follow this rule: if your current 16 ounce drink
typically contains 1 ½ ounces of syrup flavoring, you can create Keep in mind that these all don’t need to be coffee-based
a signature drink using ½ ounce each of three different syrups. drinks. In fact, they shouldn’t all be coffee-based drinks. Not
You can also change it up with ¼ ounce of two different syrups every customer wants coffee, so change it up and offer a tea
and ½ ounce of two other syrups-as long as the total adds up infusion, handmade soda, or fruit smoothie as one of your
to what you would normally measure for the drink size. four to six drinks. That way, you’re able to capitalize on every
palette that comes through your door.
On average, if you promote your signature drinks correctly,
about 30% of your current customers will begin ordering them Get to it!
regularly. The best part? Because of the perceived added value,
you are also able to charge approximately 10% more per drink Are you excited to start creating your own signature drinks? I
with the only initial investment being the signage you create to sure hope so! You now understand what signature drinks are,
promote them. how to get started in creating them, the value they will bring
to your business and the best way to promote them. Now you
have no excuse to not add them to your menu! Just remember
to have fun and get creative!

17
 Signature Drinks - Power Up Your Profits

Timely Takeaways:
• A Signature drink is like your own hand-written signature
- something that is versatile & unique.

• This drink should be different enough to set you apart, but

cravable enough to become a part of people’s every-day
routines.

• Have fun! Get creative! Research all your ideas and see
what you can come up with from there.

• Don’t forget to tie in the drink’s name to the overall focus/

brand of your Cafe.

• Ideally, have 4-6 signature drinks on your menu - enough

to appeal to different people without being overwhelming.

• Take photos and make signs! Imagery is very powerful.

18
 Using Social Media to Reach Your Community
Recent studies have shown that 75% deter you from setting up a Facebook profile; customers will be
of buying decisions are made after looking for you on Facebook, so your presence is incredibly
consulting at least one social media important. You should dive into Facebook with the expectation
site, and that eight out of every ten that unless you want to give them your AmEx number, your
customers are influenced by what posts may not be seen as often as you’d like.
their peers post on social media. The
question has evolved from “Do I need Posting guidelines: 2-4 times a day, not more than 6 though.
to be utilizing social media?” to “What can I afford to risk Facebook keeps us humble and it’s important to remember that
losing by not?” Social media has outlived the trend phase; if sharing is caring, so aim for 50% of your posts to be shared
you haven’t embraced your place in cyber space, you could from someone you’re following (you can follow other pages
be letting your customers click through your competitor’s with your own business page).
door. Customers want to connect with retailers through social
media, and expect the option to do so. Providing these outlets Instagram: Users interact with Instagram as an ongoing
strengthens connections with your customers while also serving stream of photos, posted by other users that they “follow.”
to meet their expectations. Believe it or not, your customers Businesses that use Instagram have the option to leave a
want to engage with you just as much as you want them powerful caption, but it’s important to recognize that this
thinking about you. series of photos will be scrolled with little to no reading. Your
customers are visually oriented, and in the world of go, go, go,
In a world of iDevices and sky-high Wi-Fi connections, deciding we’re all suffering from a shortened attention span. Instagram
which adorable miniature icon you’ll be devoting your screen is quickly becoming the most frequently trafficked platform—
time to can be daunting. Where will you get the most bang for posting your enticing, freshly baked cinnamon rolls, or the
your buck? Are there shortcuts to help you get more out of your latest and greatest coffee mocktail you’re serving is a quick
efforts? And when you find time in your jam-packed schedule (and sense-provoking) way to invite your customers in to your
to devote to social media, when do you post, where do you café.
post, how often do you post, and what do you post? Creating
inactive social media profiles can be more detrimental that not Posting guidelines: At least once a day, but not more than once
having a presence at all. an hour. Make sure your posts are image worthy, they grab the
viewer and leave them wanting to be part of that photo.
The players with the biggest reach in the world of social media
are Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. While most people are Twitter: Twitter combines characteristics of Facebook and
familiar with the basics of these three platforms, a healthy Instagram. Operating in a scrolling-style feed, users can post
understanding of their purposes will help you use your time photos, videos, and short statements, as long as they don’t
with each medium more productively. Strategic use of these exceed 140 characters. Users can use the #hashtag function
sites cultivates a level of customer engagement that both your to tag the subject of a post, or directly tag another user by
business and customers are craving, helping to build healthy typing @Username, such as a business. Because of the nature
and happy relationships. of its tagging features, Twitter is the most effective and easy
way to connect and engage with your customers. However,
Facebook: Facebook is a profile-driven site that allows running a successful Twitter campaign requires a whole lot
users to interact by “liking” pages (such as businesses and more sweat equity. While Twitter can quickly and easily yield
organizations), and connect as “friends.” Users can post the most successful customer results, it’s essential you treat
photos, share links, ping their location, and interact with Twitter like a digital conversation—be aware of not only
posts by other users. Facebook has become a pay-to-play what’s being said about you, but be engaged when someone
environment. We’ve all seen sponsored links and we know is saying anything about you. Did someone ask a question?
exactly what they mean—someone is coughing up cash to get Don’t leave them hanging; aim to have that answered within
exposure. While we all make a solid effort to ignore them, the hour. Someone give you kudos about their morning latte?
those messages are stuck in the back of our mind—but they are Thank them, and maybe even retweet that! Did a customer
paid messages, so what is a small business to do? Don’t let this have a one-off negative experience? Acknowledge it, and do

19
what you need to do to make the situation right. You’ll not only To complete your social media puzzle, there are a few essential
save that customer, but you’ll also show everyone in their social elements we must review:
network that you’re a great business that will go the extra mile
to create a wonderful customer experience. Who wouldn’t 1. Page consistency: Keep all aspects of your social media
want to become a regular at your café? profiles consistent, including your profile pictures, “About
Us” information, and contact information.
Posting guidelines: Aim for 11-30 original tweets 2. Establish posting guidelines: When do you post? You’ll
per day focusing on the 80/20 rule, but this time 80% your typically see the highest click-through times between 1 and
content and 20% retweets. The easiest way to maintain this is 3 pm, with a peak user reach on Wednesday at 3 pm.
by scheduling out your tweets for the day utilizing hootsuite, 3. Use photos: Always include a picture when posting
leaving you the remainder of the day to retweet and engage in (whenever possible). This will not only increase the
conversations. engagement directly with your customer, but also your
customer’s engagement with the photo, in terms of shares,
Once you have your profiles developed and perfected, you retweets, etc. If you’re going to not post, try to plan your
need a trustworthy way to get the most bang for your buck. down periods between between 6 pm and 8 am; lets be
While there are many available applications for you to utilize honest, we’re all watching The Bachelor, not planning our
for scheduling and cross-posting, Hootsuite has weathered the next latte.
test of time for managing multiple social media platforms. While
jumping into Hootsuite may initially be a little intimidating, know Social media is the most cost-effective and efficient way to
that your time invested in learning the program will pay off ten- connect with your ideal customer. Using social media requires
fold. Are you slower between 11am and 2 pm? Run a special work, so as you move forward in the process, know that your
on those fantastic grab and go burritos you offer from 12-1, commitment will pay off. You have the opportunity to play a
and schedule your posts in advance with Hootsuite. The app is proactive role in your customer’s decision-making process.
quick to alert you when someone has mentioned you, replied This is your opportunity to reinforce your goals, values, and
to you, or retweeted you, sending alerts on your smartphone mission as part of a direct interaction with your customer base.
so you can quickly respond. Just like Twitter, Hootsuite requires You’re creating an emotion response and cultivating loyalty,
a little sweat equity, but will pay off over, and over, and over and at the end of they day, if you’re not on Facebook, Twitter
again. or Instagram for your customer to reach out to, they will take
their business elsewhere.

20
Using Social Media to Reach Your Community

Timely Takeaways:
• Customers want to connect with retailers through social
media and they expect the option to be able to do so.

• Facebook is profile-driven and encourages customers to

interact with and ‘like’ their favorite retailers.

• Aim to post on Facebook 2-4 times per day (not more

than 6) and to be sharing content from others about 50%
of the time.

• Instragram is all about the visual appeal - plan to post at

least once a day, but not more than once per hour.

• Twitter should be treated like a digital conversation - know

what others are saying about you and remember to
Respond to those things (whether it was positive or
negative).

• Keep your pages consistent! Profile image, about section,

contact info, etc.

• Post with images whenever possible.

• Try to schedule posts ahead of time to free you up during

your busy day.

21
 “Should You be Doing That?”
Understanding the Value of Your Time
As an owner or manager of a you’re looking at this and realizing that you spend an awful lot
specialty coffee business, you of time working in your business, that’s okay - you’ve made a
are faced daily with almost critical observation and now you can work on improvement.
unlimited choices of what to do
with your time. There are a lot Start looking at all the tasks you put in the first column and
of chores involved with running organize them into a few groups. Your groups might be:
any business - run to the bank, “Mine”, “Employee”, “Outsource”. For the example chart, you
take out the trash, wait on a might decide that Bookkeeping can be outsourced, Banking
customer. All these things are important to a successful business, and Scheduling needs to be done by you, and that Barista,
but should you be the one doing these tasks? For many of us, Inventory, Ordering and Cleaning can all be done by an
the longer term projects easily take a back seat to stuff right in employee.
front of us that seems to have greater urgency. Working with
your bank to improve your terms, negotiating or shopping for Once you’ve decided which tasks should be done by an
a higher value trash service, developing marketing to increase employee, you may have to set some systems up. For example,
the flow of future customers that need to be waited on - these if you’ve always done all of the inventory and ordering, you
are simple examples of enhancements you can make to your might have an informal way of doing it. This is the time to
business - but these projects can be tough to complete when formalize it. Create a spreadsheet with all the products you
you’re a barista one minute and clearing tables the next minute. order, grouped by vendor or type of product (ingredient or
My goal is to encourage you to track how you spend your time cleaning supply) and set up your par levels - a par level is
for one week, and then to evaluate what tasks you can train the quantity you build your inventory to. You should then give
someone else to do. your employee the guidelines for ordering from your vendors.
Is there a minimum order? Do they ship on demand, or do they
Tracking your time should be simple. Make a daily chart that deliver once a week? Once your employee has the guidelines
has a column for every hour you work that day. For the rows and is trained to do inventory, the next step is for them to place
of the chart, define your common tasks and leave a few blank the order. How much time did you just get back? How are you
rows to write in unanticipated jobs. Carry a timer with you and going to use it?
set it for an hour at the beginning of each hour (many cell
phones have a timer or alarm feature) to remind you to stop While you were tracking your time, you may have noticed
and review what you’ve been doing. At the end of each hour, some projects that you could work on once you found the time.
put a slash mark in the appropriate box for every 15 minutes Always keep your eyes open for projects that will make your
you spent doing one of the tasks. Concentrate on determining business better over time. Projects that cut costs can be good.
what you spent the bulk of that 15 minutes doing. I realize that Projects that increase revenues are better. We have a number
you’re always multitasking, but try to get the general theme of of Ask The Pros articles that will inspire projects for you.
how your time was spent that hour. Each column should end
up with four slash marks in it (they might be all in the same It can be easy to get off the track of working on your business.
box!) At the end of the day, add up the number of slash marks I know firsthand that it’s often faster and easier for you to
in each row and divide by four - this will convert your slash just take care of something yourself. If it’s a unique task or
marks to hours. Now you know how your day (at least 8 hours something that you are really the best suited person on the staff
of it) was spent. to do, that’s okay. If it’s a recurring job, you should consider
delegating it and developing a system to ensure it’s done to
How’d you do? Did you spend many hours improving your your standards. It’s unlikely that you chose to take on a small
business? Did you spend most of your time working in your business just to provide yourself a job. Assign the jobs to
business as opposed to working on your business? If you can someone else and enjoy the process of growing your business
honestly say you spent most of your time making your business - no one is going to be more passionate about that than you!
stronger, then congratulations! It might be a good idea to have
your managers or shift supervisors run through the exercise
to start moving them towards working on your business too. If

22
 “Should You be Doing That?”
Understanding the Value of Your Time

Timely Takeaways:
• Identify how you’re spending your time: are you working
ON your business or are you working IN your business?

• If you are doing tasks that can be delegated or out-

sourced, determine what they are and whether their
process needs to be formalized beforehand.

• Plan on time to train your employees/managers on how

to handle these items with little to no input from you - still
have check-ins and be available for questions, but the
goal is to engender a sense of ownership in your staff and
free yourself to do more for the business.

• Always look for more projects that cut costs or increase

revenue (without sacrificing your quality or focus).

• Assign the ‘jobs’ to someone else and enjoy the process of

growing your business!

23
 BPS® Training Materials- Your Access to the Pros, After Hours
Better Tools. Better Baristas. Better Business.

This is not only the tagline that accompanies our logo, but it is Do you know which brand you need more information about?
also the guiding principle behind what we do here at Barista Pro Go directly to the brand that interests you and select their
Shop. When you think of BPS, you might think of an extensive exclusive Training Materials from the links located under the
line of syrup flavors or maybe you think of our personable and label “More Info From…”
knowledgeable customer service staff; but, do you think of a
resource library? It’s true we have a whole lot more to offer The best part about this tool is that you have access to the
than just one of largest selections of specialty coffee supplies Pro’s knowledge anytime; after hours, on weekends, or even on
for your cafe or coffee shop. Previously, you may have just holidays. So, if you can’t contact one of our Pros directly; you
thought about BaristaProShop.com as a virtual showroom or will still be able to find answers and solutions to many of your
e-shopping outlet, but now you should think of it as your one- questions or concerns. These Training Materials give you a
stop source for product specifications and information as well wide array of information spanning from product ingredients,
as a valuable asset to help inform and train your staff about the proper usages & applications, to recipes, and how-to videos.
brands you carry and the beverages you serve. And that’s just a few of the examples of the great resources
available at Barista Pro Shop’s Training Material library. In
Whenever you want to learn more about a brand or product addition to resources for you and your staff, you will find PDF’s
all you have to do is check out the Training Materials section. for many of our products that you can utilize to promote new or
Within this page, you have access to in depth product seasonal products on social media channels, your website, or
information from over 60 brands in our catalog. It doesn’t stop to print off and display in your shop. Whether it’s information
there, you will also find over 65 videos that show you how to for you, your employees, or your customers; you can find just
produce everything from frappes and smoothies to unique latte about anything you need in our Training Materials section.
art. With over an hour of content, you will have a resource to
train the basics of being a barista in today’s specialty coffee For additional resources, visit
shops to all of your new hires at almost no cost to you! www.BaristaProShop.com
or call 1-866-PRO LATTE
To find this amazing resource, either scroll to the bottom of any
page and find the link in the black navigation bar or find the To access a digital version of this and many other similarly
link from the drop down menu located under the Contact Us useful documents, for FREE, visit:
tab at the top right of any webpage. www.BaristaProShop.com/bps/NewCafe

CONNECT WITH US ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Facebook.com/BaristaProShop (@baristaproshop)
Twitter.com/BaristaProShop (@baristaproshop)
YouTube.com/BaristaProShop
Instagram.com/BaristaProShop (@baristaproshop)
Pinterest.com/BaristaProShop

24
 CONTRIBUTORS

Levi Andersen Anna Gutierrez

Beverage Product Specialist: Kerry Foods Regional Sales Manager: Gourmet Source
• Negotiating With A Landlord And The Added • Signature Drinks - Power Up Your Profits
Value Your Business Adds To A Space
• Starting With The End In Mind
• How To Select The Physical Retail Location For Megan Clark
Your Business model And Target Demographic Fresh Cup
• Using Social Media to Reach Your Community

Tom Palm
President: Design & Layout Services Jay Weller
• Don’t Let It Become A Nightmare Owner: Barista Pro Shop
• Design It Right, Build It Once • “Should You Be Doing That?” - Understanding
The Value Of Your Time

Matthew Moseley
Director of Marketing: Barista Pro Shop Becky Chapin
• What Do You Need? Marketing Representative: Barista Pro Shop
• BPS® Training Materials - Your Access To The (& Former Cafe Manager)
Pros, After Hours • Your Guide To The New Cafe Forms & Logs
• All of the New Cafe Forms & Logs
• Your Guide to Your Order-Guide
Tia Peck • Record Keeping: Binders, Files, & Folders
Café Consultant: Barista Pro Shop • Health Department - The Food Code, Forms, &
SDS

Dana Schlingman
Marketing Representative Promotions Specialist:
Barista Pro Shop
• Quality Customer Service
• The Ideal Tamper Size For Your
Espresso Machine

25
 FRONT-OF-THE-HOUSE
ESSENTIALS CHECKLIST
EQUIPMENT DISPOSABLES
†† Espresso Machine †† Hot Cups
†† Espresso Grinder †† Cup Sleeves
†† Grinder for Brewed Coffee †† Hot Lids
†† Brewer and Airpots (Require †† Cold Cups
Commercial Brewer) †† Cold Lids
†† Manual: Pour overs and Presses †† Cup Carrying Trays
†† Cold Brew: Toddy †† Lid Stoppers/Caps/Stickers
†† Pitchers for Cold Brew/Iced Coffee †† Straws
†† Blender †† Stir Sticks
†† Blender Pitchers †† Napkins
†† Soda Siphon & Chargers †† Plastic Utensils
†† Whipped Cream Profi †† Food/Soup Containers: To-go containers
†† Whipped Cream Chargers
PERISHABLES
SMALLWARES †† Coffee
†† Steaming Pitchers (8-12, At least one small one) †† Espresso
†† Shot glasses or pitchers (8) †† Tea - Hot/Iced
†† Long handled spoons (4-8) †† Maté
†† Scale: for dosing coffee water for manual †† Chai: Powders or Liquid
brewing †† Smoothies
†† Mugs/Demitasses/Saucers/Cups if you will †† Fresh Fruit?
have in-house service and seating †† Frappes: Powders or Liquid Base
†† Bean Scoop (and coffee bags): If you plan to †† Flavored Syrups
sell whole bean coffee †† Sauces: Chocolate, Caramel, White Chocolate,
†† Racks (various types): Display Tea and Grab-n- and more?
Go as well as efficiently store Sauces/Syrups †† Milk & Alternative Milks
†† Organizers for Disposables/Paperwares
†† Cup and Lid Holders GRAB-N-GO/FOOD ITEMS
†† Squeeze Bottles †† Nutrition Bars
†† Pumps for Sauces and Syrups (or a jigger if you †† Nuts
choose to pour and measure) †† Oatmeal
†† Espresso Machine Smallwares: Tamper, packing †† Breakfast/Baked Goods
mats, and knock box (or chute) †† Lunch Options
†† Aprons & Hooks to hang them †† Candy
†† Thermometers-Be sure to include thermometer
calibration tools and clips CLEANING SUPPLIES
†† Carafes for Milk/Cream †† Espresso Machine cleaner
†† Pitchers for Storing/Mixing Product †† Brew and Urn Cleaner
†† Jars/Canisters for Open Product †† Grinder Cleaner
†† Clips to Seal Open Bags †† Coffee Equipment Cleaner
†† Drying Tiles/Mats/Racks †† Steam Wand Cleaner
†† Group Head Brush
†† Grinder Brush

26
 BACK-OF-THE-HOUSE
ESSENTIALS CHECKLIST
FINANCES RECORD KEEPING
†† Point-of-Sale System †† Temperature Logs
†† Cash Drawer †† Thermometer Calibration
†† Safe (or some other secure option) †† Waste Logs
†† Quickbooks or other financial software †† Cleaning Schedule/List
†† Determine Menu Prices †† Order Guides
†† What Margins do your Prices give you? †† Order Schedule/Frequency
†† Company Credit-Card (is it necessary?) †† Receiving (for orders, etc)
†† Set-Up a Business Bank Account †† Inventory (and how often?)
†† Get Bank Bags for delivering Deposits †† Open/Close Checklist or Guide
†† What forms of Payment will you accept? †† Employee Records
†† If you accept Credit Cards - how will you †† Pest Control
process them? †† Repairs
†† Will you require a Minimum Purchase amount?
†† When/how will you pay employees? SIGNAGE/ADVERTISING
†† Menu Board
LICENSES, ETC. †† Table Toppers/Tents
†† Business License/Permits †† Hours of Operation
†† Taxes - Federal, State, County, City †† Logo/Branding
†† Food Handling Certification †† Business Cards
†† Phone Line(s) - how many? †† Fliers or other Disposables? (stickers,
†† Internet personalized cups/sleeves, etc)
†† Utilities †† T-Shirts, Tumblers, Mugs
†† Insurance †† OSHA requirements
†† Health Department requirements (i.e.
EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES hand-washing sink identified)
†† Cash Drawer (also listed under Finances) †† Outside Signage - what requirements or
†† Dishwasher restrictions does your landlord have?
†† 3-Compartment Sink †† Website
†† Hand-washing Sinks †† Social Media Presence
†† Mop Sink (plus bucket, mop, & way to hang the †† Newspaper Advertising
mop) †† Local News (press releases)
†† Floor Cleaner †† Local Chamber of Commerce
†† General Purpose Cleaner
†† Bathroom Cleaning Supplies HIRING
†† Office Supplies for record-keeping, etc. †† How many employees?
†† Sanitizer Buckets/Disposable Towels †† Pay-rate (local requirements)
†† Hazardous Waste Clean-Up Kit †† Training
†† First Aid Kit/Supplies †† Insurance
†† Trash Cans (with lids) †† Worker’s Comp/Medicaid/Social Security
†† Recycling? Payments
†† Hooks to hang Aprons †† W-4’s and W-2’s
†† Day-Dots or other Dating System †† Employee Handbook/Expectations

27
 YOUR GUIDE TO THE NEW CAFE
FORMS & LOGS
THERMOMETER CALIBRATION INSTRUCTIONS............................................................29
• Two different calibration methods are described in this document. We’ve also included images/dia-
grams to make it easier to teach your team.

THERMOMETER CALIBRATION LOG............................................................................31

• Keep an ongoing record of your thermometer’s accuracy.

DAILY REFRIGERATOR/FREEZER TEMPERATURE LOG...................................................32

• Keep an ongoing record of your equipment’s internal temperatures so you can identify problems before
they become food safety or waste issues.

OPENING/CLOSING CHECKLIST.................................................................................33
• An example checklist of tasks that can be done in the morning and night to help keep your cleaning
and preparation expectations both clear and trackable.

WEEKLY/MONTHLY CLEANING LOG.........................................................................34

• An example of a cleaning log, to ensure that items are addressed that may not need daily attention.

WEEKLY WASTE LOG.................................................................................................35

• Keep an ongoing record of what and how much product you are wasting so you can address problems
and create solutions to power your revenues.

YOUR GUIDE TO YOUR ORDERING-GUIDE.................................................................36

• Lots of details here regarding why the Order Guide is divided into its particular sections and how I
recommend structuring your ordering (based on my previous experiences running cafes - both good
and bad).

ORDER GUIDE............................................................................................................38
• The Order Guide to make sure you know what you have on-hand and what you need to bring in for
your next delivery.

QUALITY CUSTOMER SERVICE....................................................................................40

• Some great tips on how to approach Customer Service training with your staff. It’s important for so
many different aspects of your cafe.

THE IDEAL TAMPER SIZE FOR YOUR ESPRESSO MACHINE...........................................44

• As the title says - this will help you determine what size tamper you need for your particular machine.

POSSIBLE MENU CATEGORIES & EQUIPMENT/SUPPLIES..............................................45

• Stumped on where to begin with your menu? Here are some general categories and options that you
can begin with and a ‘yes/no/maybe’ feature so you can make notes as you go with this worksheet.

RECORD KEEPING - WHAT & HOW?..........................................................................48

• A suggested list of what forms/records you should keep and how do you file or organize them.

28
 THERMOMETER CALIBRATION
INSTRUCTIONS
Introduction:
Thermometers should always be calibrated to ensure that the temperatures they record are accurate. This
doesn’t necessarily need to be done every day (although it certainly wouldn’t hurt), but the general rule-of-
thumb is that they be calibrated once every 1-2 weeks. For the purposes of this document, we’re assuming
that you are using a Stem/Probe Thermometer (pictured below) with a dial or digital display.

Cold-Point Calibration Method:

This method is also called the Ice-Point or simply an Ice-Bath.

Fill a glass with ice and clean water (with enough room so the
thermometer can be submerged 2” without touching the bottom or
sides) and stir the ice water.

Hold the dial of the thermometer and submerge the stem at least 2”
into the ice water and wait for at least 30 seconds.

If the temperature reads 32° then it’s calibrated. Record the reading
on your log & then check the next one.

If it reads anything aside from 32°, then see the next page for

Boiling-Point Calibration Method:

Of the two methods, this is not the recommended method because of
the differences in boiling temperature (based on eleveation) and the
added risks of working so close to boiling water.

Bring clean water to a boil in a safe container.

Once it’s boiling, pour it into a glass container if it isn’t already

in one (glass causes less disparity in temperature readings,
than metal will, with the hot water).

Use wooden tongs (or some other hot-water safe tool that is
Not metal) to hold the thermometer. The stem needs to be
submerged at least 2” without touching the sides or bottom of
the container. Leave it there for at least 30 seconds and then
read the temperature. Elevation / Boiling Point
Compare the temperature reading to the temperature at which water
boils for your eleveation and adjust your thermometer as needed. Sea Level / 212° F
2,000 ft. / 208° F
NOTE: For every 500 feet of elevation, reduce the expected boiling point of 5,000 ft. / 203° F
water by 0.5°F/0.25°C. 7,500 ft. / 198° F

29
 THERMOMETER CALIBRATION
INSTRUCTIONS

How-to Manually Adjust the Temperature Reading:

First, keep the thermometer in the water (whether iced or boiling).

Use a wrench, pliers, or other such tool that will properly grip the hex nut to turn it either clockwise or
counter-clockwise.

When you are looking down at the dial, Counter-Clockwise will lower the temperature while Clockwise will
raise the temperature.

NOTE: This image has the thermometer upside-down

just to demonstrate where the hex nut is actually located
- you will want to be looking at the dial face to
determine whether you are spinning the nut clockwise
or counter-clockwise.

Thermometer Calibration Tool:

This tool is intended to serve as both a holder for your stem thermometer while you are
calibrating it, as well as a way to turn the hex nut.

After you have prepared the water, you would thread the thermometer stem through the hole in
the calibration tool.
Ensure that the nut on the underside of the thermometer face is aligned with the grooves in the
calibration tool.
Insert the thermometer into the boiling or freezing water.
Turn the nut on the underside of the thermometer face with the calibration tool.
This will move the pointer.

We have this tool available for purchase and you can find a link to it on our
New Cafe Guide Page: www.BaristaProShop.com/bps/NewCafe

30
®
31
®
32
®
33
® 34
® 35
 YOUR GUIDE TO YOUR
ORDER-GUIDE
Breakdown of the Columns/Headings:
Item # - You may or may not need this column, but it can be useful when entering your order to verify
that you are ordering the correct item (especially when names/descriptions might be similar).
Item Name/Description - This could be the name as listed from wherever you order or it could be
your short-hand for the same item. Whatever you use is fine as long as you (and anyone else doing
orders) knows what it refers to. ( i.e. Vanilla Syrup, SF Vanilla Syrup, or DaVinci’s Classic Vanilla Syrup )
Vendor/Brand - This can also help with differentiating items if you have similar products that come from
different vendors or are different brands. ( i.e. DaVinci, Barista Pro Shop, etc. )
Date: - You decide whether this is the date that you are submitting the order or the date on which it is
supposed to arrive.
OH - This stands for “On Hand” as in how many of ‘x’ item you currently have in your inventory. Record
this for all the items you will be checking on for your order.
Ord. - This is your Order - the amount that you will be ordering based on your On Hand numbers and
when you will be planning to order next.

On-Hands & Order Records:

The reason it’s important, that you record your OH numbers every single time you place an order, is
because then you can acccurately track how much of any individual product you are going through
between orders. Your POS software may also give you reports with this information, but I still recommend
going through the process of recording your physical On-Hands and then comparing that with the report
from you software. This will help you identify any discrepancies and perhaps stop any product-loss issues
before they get too unwieldy to manage.

It also provides you with a easy-to-see history of product inventory and orders so that if you have to have
a barista jump in to do the order at the last minute - they already have a built-in guide as to what to order
and how much.

One of my Cafes was already doing their orders in this manner and once I discovered the method, I
shared it with everyone I could. It made ordering super simple and I was always confident that I was going
to have enough product to get me to my next order. I could also see how holidays affected my inventory
and sales right through my order guide.

If you order in this way, you may not even need to do a full-scale inventory because you’ll already be
doing it each time you order. However, this only works well if you give yourself the time to physically check
all your products as you’re filling out your order. If you make guesses, then it won’t work.

Additionally I recommend that once you are ready to send your order in (whether digitally or calling it in),
that you use a highlighter to highlight each order amount as you enter it. This way if you get interrupted
in the middle of entering your order - you can easily see where you’ve already finished and need to pick
back up. It also provides an easy method to double-check (before submitting the order) that you’re actually
submitting everything you need.

36
 YOUR GUIDE TO YOUR
ORDER-GUIDE
Doing the actual Order:
I found that keeping my order guide in its own binder, worked
best. I used the binder much like a clipboard (pictured to the left)
while I walked around recording On Hand amounts and
deciding on my order totals.

I also kept the last 4 completed order guides tucked behind a

divider in the binder so that I could always reference those if I
had additional questions or just needed more data.

How to count/record your items:

In the editable Order Guide file, you may choose to add a
column that indicates how each item is being recorded. I find
that this is most easily determined by how you order each
product or how you store the products.

We always kept our syrups out of the boxes and available on our
dry storage shelves. So, I would count these as ‘eaches,’ but I did
still keep in mind that I ordered them by the case. Some places
(such as BPS) will let you order bottles by the ‘eaches.’
I would count my cups by the case - estimating whether I had .75
of a case left or perhaps .25 of a case.

Try doing things different ways and see what your prefer. The trick is finding a balance between accurate
recording and efficiency - so it doesn’t take you all day to finish your order.

How often should I order?

The answer to this question depends on a few things... does your distributor have a limit to how often they
can deliver to you? I have worked in cafes where we were only able to receive 1 order a week - maximum
- and I wouldn’t see my order for an entire week (order on Wednesday and receive my order the following
Thursday). This made things very difficult and involved a lot more guesswork.

Other cafes have had the option of ordering twice or even three times in one week. This made things both
easier and more difficult. Each time you submit an order you need to make sure you allot enough time to
do an accurate count or it’s not beneficial. So, ordering ate up a lot of my time (basically doing orders ev-
ery day), but it did make the overall process go faster because I was more familiar with what I had in stock
and I didn’t usually need to order as much product.

The sweet-spot for me and my last cafe was ordering twice a week. Once to recover from the busy week-
end and once to prepare for the upcoming weekend. You’ll have to figure out what works best for you,
your distributor, and your staffing needs. Just don’t be afraid to change how you do things if you find that
it’s not working well - no one expects you to know it all the first-time.

“The Only Thing That Is Constant Is Change.” -HERACLITUS

37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
 OPTIONS FOR YOUR
MENU CATEGORIES
Using These Categories:
These categories and sub-categories are not requirements for a cafe, but we’ve listed them here to begin
the discussion of what you’d like your menu to look like. The “yes / no / maybe” options to the right are
for you to circle as you make a decision regarding each item.
Feel free to take lots of notes on these pages, highlight/circle sub-headings that you’re interested in or just
cross things out entirely. We hope that these pages are useful in helping you make your menu-decisions!

Additionally, the categories and sub-headings correspond with the same headings on our website &
catalog. So if you want to see examples of some of these items, print these pages out and make notes while
you peruse the products and see what you like best. www.BaristaProShop.com

As always, if you have any questions about products or otherwise - just call our Customer Service Baristas
and we’ll get you squared away! 1-866-776-5288

Coffee, Tea, & Mate:

• Coffee - organic, fair trade, locally roasted..............................................................yes / no / maybe

• Iced Coffee - brew & then ice, concentrates, cold brew............................................ yes / no / maybe

• Hot Tea - bags/sachets, loose leaf, concentrates.......................................................yes / no / maybe

• Iced Tea - filter bags (to brew), concentrates.............................................................yes / no / maybe

• Mate - loose leaf, tea latte concentrates.................................................................. yes / no / maybe

Syrups:
• What Brand(s)? Monin, DaVinci, Torani, 1883, etc...................................................yes / no / maybe

• Varieties - classic, sugar free, organic, zero-calorie................................................. yes / no / maybe

• Liquid Sweeteners - cane sugar, honey, etc...............................................................yes / no / maybe

• Flavor groups - nuts, fruit, chocolates......................................................................yes / no / maybe

• Apple Cider.......................................................................................................... yes / no / maybe

Chai & Alternative Milks:

• Chai - liquid concentrates, powder concentrates, sachets, ‘super’ concentrates...........yes / no / maybe

• Alternative Milks - almond, coconut, rice, hazelnut, etc............................................ yes / no / maybe

46
 OPTIONS FOR YOUR
MENU CATEGORIES

Frozen Drinks:
• Smoothies - liquid base, powder base, fresh fruit......................................................yes / no / maybe

• Blended Iced Coffee - powder base, liquid concentrates........................................... yes / no / maybe

• Blended Cremes - liquid or powder base.................................................................yes / no / maybe

• Protein Drinks........................................................................................................yes / no / maybe

• Blended Chai - powders or concentrates................................................................. yes / no / maybe

• Kid-specific drinks - cremes, smoothies, etc..............................................................yes / no / maybe

Chocolates & Caramels:

• Sauces - chocolate, white chocolate, caramel...........................................................yes / no / maybe

• Ground Chocolate - powdered bases..................................................................... yes / no / maybe

• No Sugar Added options...................................................................................... yes / no / maybe

• Hot Chocolate...................................................................................................... yes / no / maybe

• Confections & Retail Items - candy, caramels, fudge, bars, etc.................................. yes / no / maybe

Food & Grab’n’Go:

• Specialty Food Items - organic options.....................................................................yes / no / maybe

• Candy.................................................................................................................. yes / no / maybe

• Meat Snacks - jerky, sticks, etc................................................................................yes / no / maybe

• Nutrition Bars........................................................................................................yes / no / maybe

• Nuts.................................................................................................................... yes / no / maybe

• Oatmeal...............................................................................................................yes / no / maybe

• Biscotti..................................................................................................................yes / no / maybe

• Honey & Spices - cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, pumpkin spice, pepper, salt..................yes / no / maybe

47
 EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES BASED ON YOUR MENU
Things to Consider:
Based on what you want to serve in your cafe, you will need to purchase and keep on-hand different
equipment and supplies. Here are some categories that you will want to consider and some of the menu
items that they deal with directly.

Look for equipment that is Food Grade or Commercial Grade. Especially for scales, blenders, and even
grinders. Something you would buy to use in your home is probably not to the same standards required for
food service businesses. Another certification to look for is ‘NSF’ - National Standard of Food Safety.
Another note about Blenders: you need a blender with Ice Blades, not food processing blades. This will
make a huge difference in the quality of your frappes, smoothies, and other blended drinks.

Again, these are similar to the same categories and sub-headings in our catalog if you’d like to see
examples of all these items. www.BaristaProShop.com

Equipment:
• Blender(s).....................................................................................................for frappes & smoothies

• French Press, Pour Over set-up...................................................................for manual coffee brewing

• Commercial Coffee Brewer & Airpots.....for your standard brewed coffee (can be used for hot tea, also)

• Cold Brew Coffee brewer & storage pitchers................................................for cold brew coffee & tea

• Smallwares.........................................spoons, shot glasses, creamer carafes, kettles, teapots, tampers,

saucers, mugs, thermometers, knock box, etc.

• Whipped Cream Profi, chargers, gaskets......................................standard whipped cream & flavored

• Racks/Stands.................................................................................................for sauces, syrups, etc.

• Cleaning Products, brushes, scrubbers..........................................................for cleaning all the things

• Pumps & Dispensers.....................................................................................for your syrups & sauces

• Scales.................................................................................................for measuring & dosing coffee

• Grinders...............................................for your espresso machine (unless it’s built-in) & brewed coffee

• Knock Boxes & Knock Chutes..............................................................for your used espresso grounds

Supplies:
• Hot Cups & Lids • Food Containers

• Cold Cups & Lids • Plates & Utensils

• Cup Sleeves • Recycled Content? Renewable & Compostable?

• To Go Products - drink carrier, etc. • Ceramic Mugs for dining-in?

• Straws & Stirrers

48
 WHAT DO YOU KEEP AND HOW DO YOU FILE IT?
RECORD KEEPING
Binders, Files, & Folders, oh-my!
Having a plan for how you will keep all these forms and records organized is just as important as knowing
where you’ll be storing your milk and the fridge it’s kept in. Based on the forms that we’ve included in this
guide, the way I organized my files is as follows:
• 1 Binder for my Order Guides - the current one I’m using, plus the most recent 4 that I’ve finished with
(in the same binder, behind a divider)
• 1 Binder for my active Temperature Log, Thermometer Calibration, & Waste Log
• The Temperature Log could also be posted on one of your Fridges so you can see that it has been
done, at-a-glance
• 1 Clipboard with my Weekly Cleaning List - so it’s very visible and easy to transport (if you staff has
better access to it, then they’re more likely to work on it)
• The Opening/Closing Checklist can be done a couple of ways... either keep it in the binder with your
Temperature Logs (since both of those are daily items) or you could laminate it and have it posted in an
easy-to-access place (then just use dry erase during the day and wipe it clean at the end of the night)

• 1 Administrative Binder - this would be a larger binder where you keep the most recent 4 iterations
(4-weeks rolling) of your Temperature Logs, Thermometer Calibrations, Waste Logs, Weekly Cleaning
Lists, & Opening/Closing Checklists.
• This way, if the Health Department or anyone else needs to quickly see your records - you have it
easily at hand.
• Safety Data Sheets (SDS) Binder - more details on these in a couple pages, but this binder should be in
an easy-to-access-place and very clearly marked

As you move forms and logs from your active locations to the Administrative Binder, file the oldest away in
a filing cabinet. I preferred having a small 2-drawer cabinet wherein the top was the first half of the year
and the bottom was the second half.
• Each month had its own hanging file with 3 folders inside:
• One for finished Orders, one for completed Logs, & one for Sales reports
• Receiving paperwork would go into my Orders folder
• Any repair or service-call paperwork/receipts would go into the hanging file for the
appropriate month, but not into a folder
This way you have an entire year of reports and information to reference quickly. The sales reports can be
very helpful so that you can see how busy you were last-year around a Holiday when you’re looking to
prepare for it again, this year.

Typically, 2 years is a safe length of time to keep these sorts of documents - after moving them from the
filing cabinet, I would just box them up according to month. Financial information often needs to be kept
longer, but check locally.

49
 HEALTH DEPARTMENT
THE FOOD CODE, FORMS, & SDS
Federal & State Food Codes:
The federal Food Code is very expansive and may have a number of features that don’t apply directly to
your Cafe. However, it is still important to be familiar with it and ask your local Health Department
representative whether a particular portion does apply to you, or not.
The entire code is too large to include in this guide, but we have provided links to it and other important
food safety forms/guides on our website: www.BaristaProShop.com/bps/NewCafe

States will often choose to adopt all or part of the Federal Food Code - typically if they do not adopt a
section it is because they have their own (more restrictive) version that they have already enacted. On our
website, we have also included a link wherein you can select your State to see what your local require-
ments are. When in doubt, the best solution is to contact your local Health Department representative and
ask them questions to verify the scope of your responsibilities.

Additionally, we have attached a few select forms as examples of things you should consider when
opening a Cafe and considering how to handle staffing.

• Food Employee Interview: a form to include in interviews so you can rule out any exposure to food-
borne illnesses prior to hiring (however, this can’t be used to disqualify a candidate from being hired).
• Food Employee Medical Referral: a form to send with an employee (to the Doctor) if they are exhibiting
symptons of a food-borne illness or have been exposed to such recently - this way the medical
professional can sign off on whether they are safe to return to work or not.
• Food Employee Reporting Agreement: this is for both you and your employee to sign - verifying that
they will report any symptoms of food-borne illnesses to you and that you will, in turn, take whatever
appropriate steps may be required to keep you establishment safe for the public.
• Food Inspection Report: this page is an example of a food inspection report that a health department
inspector may use when they visit your establishment.
• OSHA quick reference sheet (more info below).

Safety Data Sheets:

The Safety Data Sheets (or SDS as they are often called) are forms that you need to have on-hand in your
Cafe for every chemical that you use: whether it’s something you buy from a vendor or picked up at the
grocery store. The reason you need to have these on-hand is so that if someone ingests or comes in contact
with a chemical and needs medical attention -- the form can be sent with them so that the Doctor knows
exactly what caused the problem and they can accurately treat it. This is why the forms need to be easily
accessible, identifiable, and available to both your staff and the public should an emergency occur.

We’ve included a document from OSHA that explains how all the SDS are structured. They are required to
be formatted in this manner so that each form is consistent and it’s easy to find the information you need.
Also on our website, we have linked to the SDS that apply to our catalog (all are from the Urnex brand).
For any products that you have gotten elsewhere, a quick google search for the product name and SDS
should bring up the manufacturer’s SDS.

We’ve also attached an OSHA fact sheet for new businesses as well as an example of the poster that
summarizes an employee’s rights through OSHA.

50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
 BARISTA PRO SHOP
SUMMARY & NEXT STEPS
Better Tools. Better Baristas. Better Business.

This guide has covered a lot of information, but we wanted to help make sure that you have
all the information you need to get your business running before you get right in the middle
of things. We fully expect that you may want to contact us for more help or to ask questions
about certain portions of this guide - or even where to go from here!
Absolutely contact us if you have any questions at all. We are available by phone during the
weekdays, you can also email us, and we have lots of great follow-up resources online:

www.BaristaProShop.com/bps/NewCafe

For additional resources,

Visit us:
www.BaristaProShop.com
Email us:
[email protected]
Call us:
1-866-PRO LATTE

LET’S CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION:

Facebook.com/BaristaProShop (@baristaproshop)
Twitter.com/BaristaProShop (@baristaproshop)
YouTube.com/BaristaProShop
Instagram.com/BaristaProShop (@baristaproshop)
Pinterest.com/BaristaProShop

61
 BaristaProShop.com

© 2017 Barista Pro Shop. All rights reserved