Getting Takeaway Ready Today

As this Pandemic grows the government has enforced another blow to the café owner with some tough trading restrictions.

Cafés cannot offer sit in service from 12pm today but can only offer takeaway service. It is now the time to get your coffee hat on and still make an income to keep your business alive. I have got some quick tips to help you adapt this conversion to your café business fast.

Coffee is a necessity, people still need their morning brew – coffee breaks keep people sane.

Put signage up to tell customers the workflow system of your café. Ask your customer to practice social distancing – It is their responsibility now and everybody now knows the rules.
Reduce your staff to minimum numbers – Share work shifts between all employees one shift is better than none!
Reduce operation hours to save on cost – morning is the best coffee business start early.
Remove all tables and chairs so people can’t congregate.
Make hand sanitiser available to customers and staff.
Get rid of ceramic cups and use takeaway cups. If customers bring their travel cups have a washing procedure in place.
Use card only don’t accept cash – systems like “Square” are easy to set up.
Sell extra items to customers like cake, slices, pies and cold drinks to add value to your coffee
Offer immunity boosters like turmeric, beetroot and tea based drinks.
Offer café retail products for home like coffee beans, plant and dairy milks.
Offer home delivery if it is viable
Join your local community Facebook site and post that you are open for business as a takeaway or delivery service.
If you have an area for customers to drive up to your café you might be able to convert to a drive through or curb side pickup
Ask your customers to use your ordering app if you don’t have one get one installed.
Place your menu on your social media pages and display clearly in your café
Practice exceptional customer service skills as everybody is feeling the stress of the current situation
Don’t raise your prices as people don’t like this behavior in time of need.
Keep positive and ask your community to support you like you have supported them
Study all government stimulus packages and apply for any help you can get
Get your staff to sign up straight away with Centrelink for a job file number (CRN) in case you have to stand them down.

The Café Culture team are working around the clock to give our cafes and suppliers the best help we can offer via our communicating channels. We have a great resource of industry leaders who we will be leaning on for advice and help in these tough times.

Please stay safe and try and keep your doors open as long as you can, every little bit of cash flow will help. You will make some very hard decisions in the next few weeks. Remember you are not alone and hopefully support from banks, governments, landlords and your family will help you survive. Staff will understand the pressure you are under and they also do realise if you go under they will not have a place to come back when all this turmoil finishes.

See you on the other side

Sean Edwards

Publisher Café Culture

Quick Links to the Australian Government’s Economic Response to the Coronavirus

The Australian Government’s economic response fact sheets:
Economic Response to the Coronavirus
Delivering support for business investment
Cash flow assistance for businesses
Payments to support households
Assistance for severely affected regions and sectors
Early access to superannuation
Providing support for retirees
Providing temporary relief for financially distressed businesses
Supporting the flow of credit
Income support for individuals