Should Coffee Shops Sell Beans by the Pound?

We often recommend that any business wanting to sell beans by the pound should brew up a pot and set up a coffee sampling station to really get those beans moving—but what about the reverse? Should a coffee shop serving already-brewed coffee also sell beans by the pound?

The answer is a definite yes!

A customer inside your coffee shop is going to drink what you’re brewing, but even the most fervent fan will eventually go home—taking their thirst for quality caffeine with them—and then what are they going to drink?

The latest Zagat survey on coffee drinking patterns in America (conducted in early 2015) shows that a whopping 43% of coffee drinkers get their fix at home or at the office. That’s a whole lot of coffee drinkers that could still be your customers, even if they aren’t standing in front of you.

The solution? Sell the same coffee you’re already hawking, but in another form: convenient, portable coffee gift packaging. Offer a whole bean option for those who appreciate fresh flavor and longer shelf life, and a pre-ground version for the ultimate in convenience.

Set up a nice display near the counter—within easy reach, and with eye-catching signage that lets customers know they’ll be drinking the same good stuff they already know and love. Offer to grind it for them. Teach your staff to up-sell your beans with every order, perhaps emphasizing a different coffee every month, or the newest varietal you’re trying out.

Combine your beans and your brews into attractive sales—“Buy a pound, get a free cup!” When the season is right set out smaller bags and promote them as stocking stuffers—your customers sharing beans with friends and family (with your logo and location potentially right there on the label) is efficient word-of-mouth advertising.

Take-home coffee sales are an excellent opportunity to engage customers long after they’ve walked out the door, and might even bring in new business. Explore the hundreds of packaging options available from Coffee City USA, and get those fresh sales going today!

Conquering the 4th Quarter Holiday Rush

Attention new business owners: are you ready for the 4th quarter rush?

We've survived the Christmas surge for nearly 20 years, and we want you to do the same! If this is your first time your business is going through the 4th quarter (or if you just want to improve on last year's sales) we have a few tips for making it less scary and more profitable.

• Don't wait till the last minute. Fourth quarter seems to defy space and time and will sneak up on you out of nowhere, but if you prepare yourself in advance it won't get the chance to knock you over. Any special holiday considerations—such as hiring seasonal help, opening extra registers or setting up special displays—should be done before you actually need them. And if you're trying something new it's better to work out the kinks in advance of the rush.
• Are you a brick-and-mortar store? Create a holiday floor plan. Non-seasonal items can go near the back, while holiday gifts (as well as your impulse items and other fast-movers) can be more front-and-center.
• Have a window display? Change it up! This will grab the eye of new customers as well as regulars who may be so used to your current display that they don't even notice it any more.
• No stock? No sales! We see it every year—a customer or two calls us up in a panic because they ran out of item X and Christmas is 5 days away! Do yourself, your employees and your customers a favor by getting ahead of sales and filling up your inventory early, or at least reordering before an item entirely runs out. We always try to accommodate last-minute requests as best we can (and we understand that even the most prepared may be caught off guard by an item's unexpected popularity) but the volume of orders received at this time of year may cause processing delays for everyone.
• Set holiday prices and sales. 'Tis the season to shop, shop shop, and savvy consumers are already gathering gifts. Raise retail prices on your best-selling items (we recommend around 3-5%) and put your worst-sellers on sale to thin out the inventory and make room for holiday items. Be sure to draw attention to these sale items with eye-catching signs and displays.
• Set a shipping deadline and let your customers know it well in advance. For those that ship out products communication with the customer is key—panicked calls about items not arriving in time for Christmas is a headache neither party wants to deal with. Let them know when they need to order by—put it on signs, invoices, your website, social media and on any mail-outs. Check with the post office (or UPS or any other shipping service you use) to determine a reasonable deadline.
• Remind your customers to shop with you this year. Set special discounts or coupons to attract first-time customers and reward returning shoppers, and make sure they know about these specials.
• Iron out any technical difficulties. If you have a website do you know for sure that it handle holiday traffic? Do you know who to contact if something breaks down? What's your backup plan?
• Prepare your employees. Any concerns about inventory organization, order processing (if you ship items out) and bookkeeping should be addressed now. Can any of your process be automated? Reduce human error with specialized software for inventory and sales tracking and organizing just about every aspect of your business. (If you're small enough you may find that the software is cheaper, and possibly even free.) New software programs usually come with a learning curve, so giving your employees a chance to familiarize themselves with the new system will prevent missteps at the worst possible times.

The 4th quarter rush can feel overwhelming—especially to new-timers—but with the right mindset and plenty of common-sense prep you, too, can conquer this exciting (and profitable!) time of year.

The Coffee City USA/Cappuccine Blender Program

It’s summer, and coffee shops everywhere are alive with the sound of blenders! Iced coffee and frozen coffee drink sales just keep climbing—according to Mintel, a research and data analysis company:

More than most countries, the US has embraced cold coffee—especially in foodservice, with Mintel research showing that cold-served coffee’s share of all coffee on menus of US restaurants and coffee houses increased from 19% to 22% between 2009 and 2012. However, looking at just the first quarter of 2013, its share has jumped from 22% to 24%, highlighting that interest in iced and frozen coffee is not only accelerating, but is now transcending a summer-only appeal.

If you’re not yet providing customers with the icy cold treats they crave (or you just need to update your equipment) now is the perfect time to partake in the Coffee City USA/Cappuccine Blender Program.

The concept is simple: buy a blender (choose from the 6 below in a wide range of prices) and get 3 free cases of Cappuccine, a versatile drink mix in a large variety of flavors and one of our biggest sellers.

Each 5-ct case yields approximately 255 drinks; sell each 16-oz drink at $3.75 each and you’ll recoup most (or even all!) of the cost of your new blender. Free shipping is included with all blenders (valid only in the contiguous United States.)

The blenders available for this program are as follows:

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EZ Blender by Blendtec ($495)

• Rock solid performance at a great price
• 13-amp motor
• Comes with two 64-oz pitchers
• 30 pre-programmed blend cycles
• Recommended usage: 30 blends per day
• Manufacturer’s warranty (through Blendtec) good for 3 years on parts and labor

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Drink Machine Advance by Vitamix ($575)

• Advanced tech for more demanding operations
• 11.5-amp motor (2+ peak HP)
• Two 32-oz pitchers
• 6 pre-programmed blend cycles with automatic shutoff
• Recommended usage: simple menu/light use
• Manufacturer’s warranty (through Vitamix) good for 3 years on motor base parts and 1 year on labor

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Touch & Go II by Vitamix ($950)

• Includes sound enclosure with removable hinge design
• 11.5-amp motor (2+ peak HP)
• Two 32-oz pitchers
• 34 pre-programmed blend cycles
• Recommended usage: full menu/medium use
• Manufacturer’s warranty (through Vitamix) good for 3 years on motor base parts and 1 year on labor

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Connoisseur by Blendtec ($1,095)

• Includes sound enclosure for quiet operation
• 15-amp motor
• Comes with two 48-oz pitchers
• 30 pre-programmed blend cycles
• Recommended usage: 100+ blends per day
• Manufacturer’s warranty (through Blendtec) good for 3 years on parts and labor

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Quiet One by Vitamix ($1,295)

• Operates at up to 4 times quieter than the closest competitor
• Includes easy-to-clean sound enclosure with magnetically-secured cover
• 15-amp motor (3+ peak HP)
• Two 48-oz pitchers
• 34 pre-programmed blend cycles
• Recommended usage: complex menu/high use
• Manufacturer’s warranty (through Vitamix) good for 3 years on motor base parts and 1 year on labor

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Stealth by Blendtec ($1,395)

• Quiet and powerful performance
• Includes easy-to-clean sound enclosure for quiet operation
• 15-amp motor
• Comes with two 96-oz pitchers
• 36 programmable blend cycles (USB interface)
• Recommended usage: 200+ blends per day
• Manufacturer’s warranty (through Blendtec) good for 3 years on parts and labor

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Ready to get started? Give us a call at 1-888-583-9526 and take part in the blender program today!

Note: Prices and availability are subject to change without notice.

Why You Should Go to the Show

Summer is almost here, and with the changing of the season comes family vacations, blistering hot weather and the annual summertime trade show at Dallas Market Center! We have our own permanent booth there (we’re on the first floor of the World Trade Center building in booth #B50) and we want to see you there, too.

But why should you (and your business) go to a trade show?

• You can make it personal. A business relationship is still a relationship—and the best relationships are built on trust. When you go to a trade show you get to meet the people you might be dealing with for years to come and really get a feel for how they’ll be handling you and your concerns. It’s also a great time to discuss pricing and hash out deals.
• You’ll make connections. You’ll be surrounded by newbies and old pros alike, all with similar interests and goals as yourself—there’s really no better time or place to network and generate leads.
• You’ll see everything up close. Photos and descriptions are great, but actually holding items in your hand gives you a lot of instantaneous information and real confidence in the product; plus, any questions that pop into your head can be addressed immediately. You’ll likely find several businesses offering similar products and services, so comparison shopping is a breeze.
• You’ll leave with some really great ideas. You’ll be surrounded by everything from creative product displays to clever sales techniques in a wide variety of industries, and you’ll see first-hand how shoppers respond to them. Great ideas don’t happen in a vacuum—they spring from external stimuli. Walk around the show for a day and just try not to be inspired!
• You’ll get a nice look at the competition. No matter what business you’re in, checking out your contemporaries is valuable market research and can help you stay on top of industry trends.
• You’ll have fun! Trade shows are enjoyable, and nothing gives you motivation and energy for your business like having a good time.

There are a lot of great trade expos, but we recommend the massive Dallas Market Center shows in January, March, June and September (or the AmericasMart in Atlanta in January or July) for a first-hand look at how these events can personally benefit you. And check out our Trade Show schedule for all the places where we make an appearance!

Have a great summer, and see you at the show!

It's the Perfect Time to Start Selling Tea

Last year, according to the Tea Association of the USA, Americans consumed over 3.6 billion gallons of tea—mostly black tea (followed by green) and usually ice cold. Sales are up and the industry is expecting continuous growth: 87% of millennials drink tea and the Association predicts tea sales doubling over the next five years.

So, with summer rolling on in and everyone thinking about cooler ways to get their caffeine fix, now is the perfect time for your company to consider selling and serving tea.

If you’re interested in loose-leaf tea or tea bags, consider the following:

• Tea lasts longer in bulk bins than coffee (up to a year) and has a higher profit margin.
• Our bulk tea start-up package is ideal for first-timers: this package includes 16 pounds of tea (8 different flavors), bulk jars with labels, scoops and tin-tie bags.
• 1-oz packages of loose-leaf tea are available in attractive gift packaging, including private label, and are an easy sell.

Customers may initially be hesitant to move from familiar Lipton-style tea bags to better-tasting gourmet loose-leaf, but are easily won over—let them know they can make tea in their auto-drip coffee maker and keep a few tea ball infusers by the register for a quick impulse buy. You may also want to put up a sign (or a stack of fliers) with our recommended steeping instructions:

1. Measure accurately. Use 1 teaspoon to every 5-7 oz of water. As dry tea leaves vary in density you may want to use 2 teaspoons for larger leaf varieties such as Greens and Oolongs. If you are brewing for iced tea use 1 oz per gallon.
2. Use cold, filtered water. If filtered water is not available, let the cold water tap run for a moment before filling your kettle.
3. Add tea leaves to a teapot or infuser, or brew tea through your coffee brewer using two filters for better extraction and running the brew cycle twice.
4. Different water temperatures are required for brewing different teas. Pour boiling water directly over Black and Herbal teas, allow water to cool for a few minutes before making Green, Oolong and Darjeeling teas.
5. Steeping times will vary. The best way to find the perfect steeping time is to experiment with your favorite tea.
6. If you prefer strong tea do not steep the tea longer, simply add more leaves.

For the restaurateurs and cafe owners out there: it’s easy and inexpensive to brew and serve fresh tea (we recommend the hugely-popular Apricot Mango as a house specialty) and you can save even more money by purchasing BOP-grade tea, which is ideal for commercial brewing due to the cheaper cost and higher yield. Our commercial-grade Bunn tea brewer can make up to 26 gallons an hour and includes a 3-gallon dispenser and is optimal for the busy lunch crowd.

Tea popularity is on the rise, and carrying it will give your customers another great reason to stop by. Explore our bulk loose-leaf and packaged teas today, and call us with any questions!

Will Sampling Sell Coffee?

When it comes to selling coffee your success is our success—and we know from our own years of experience that sampling really does sell.

But you don’t have to take our word for it; research studies, such as the one conducted in 2009 by Knowledge Networks-PDI (“Report on In-store Sampling Effectiveness,” or R.I.S.E.) or in 2011 by the University of Kentucky’s Department of Agricultural Economics (“Regional Farm Market Sampling”) come to the same conclusion: sampling drives sales.

In the case of the R.I.S.E. study it was found that in-store sampling not only increased product sales, but drove additional repeat purchases right along with attracting first-time buyers. In the farmer’s market study consumers were surveyed after making their selections; 55% said they purchased a sampled product that day when they had not originally planned to do so.

Sampling is something that successful companies already know about; Costco, for instance, is practically famous it for it. Their sampling tables are handled by a product-demonstration company called Interactions, whose representative said, “When we compare it to other in-store mediums...in-store product demonstration has the highest [sales] lift.”

Coffee sampling is especially easy to get going: start with a thermal pump pot to keep your coffee hot all day long and some styrofoam sampling cups (this is the same set-up we use in our store), brew up a little of what you’re selling and watch your customers develop a sudden thirst.

You can dip into your own bulk supply for this, of course, but we recommend you try one of our coffee sampling kits: each kit comes with 42 packets of fresh-roasted coffee, and each pre-measured packet makes a single pot. It’s ultra-convenient, portable and gives you a nice variety to choose from (we carry flavored coffee kits, regular coffee kits, decaf coffee kits and mixed kits.)

Contact us today with any questions—we’re here to help!—and we’re confident sampling can make a difference to both you and your customers.

The Private Label Process

Of all our many coffee gift packaging options the private label line is the absolute best-selling.

These are completely custom items, each with unique and original packaging displaying your name and all your company information—and all wrapped around a quality product that will keep customers coming back to you for more. The best part, however, is just how easy it is: we’ll take care of the entire design process and help you figure out an order. It’s usually as quick and easy as this:

1. You contact us, tell us what kind of private label packaging you’d like and send us your business logo.
2. We design a label for that packaging and email you a proof.
3. You approve it and your order is processed; or we make any necessary revisions, you approve it and your order is processed.

For some businesses this simple, quick and convenient turnaround is just what they need, but we offer even more customization options:

• Choose your own bag colors. A color for every type of coffee, a color for tea, a color for decaf, a color for ground or whole bean; our foil bags are eye-catching and line up neatly on the shelves (and we have even more ideas for displaying 1.5-oz foil bags.)
• Choose between burlap bag and kraft box samplers. This sampler packaging, along with the design of the custom tag attached to it, can match any decor, from rustic primitive to modern chic.
• Choose a message, slogan, verse or other content for your labels. Our private label 12-oz packages are a great item for this kind of customization, with a lot of space on the front label that’s perfect for holiday well-wishes or thank-you notes, or anything else you can imagine.
• Choose your own coffee names. Name them after your business or yourself or your town or the roads and landmarks in it; name them something cute or funny or clever—whatever you want.
• Choose a look. Are you going for something sleek and professional, or something more homey? Do you want something modern or something with a retro feel? Our private label department will work with you to come up with a great look that ties in with your branding and perfectly fits your business.

We’re eager to show you what we can come up with! Email us your logo today and let us show you an idea or two; we’ll give your packaged coffee a new face—one that looks as great as you.