The best coffee shops are those that source delicious beans from all around the world. If you own a cafe, you can beat out the competition by serving a wide variety of delicious coffee flavors. Once customers have seen the amazing options available on your menu, they’ll never patronize your more generic competitors again. Here’s how you can go about sourcing delicious new beans for your cafe.
Attend Trade Shows and Conventions
Any savvy business should take advantage of the insider events pertaining to their industry. Coffee trade shows offer up-close looks at beans from a variety of producers around the world. Sales representatives from the different companies will talk to you at length about what sets their company’s beans apart. They’ll also offer special promotions that allow you to try the beans out in your shop. After hearing about a 2 lb bag whole bean Colombian coffee at a trade show, you could buy a few just to see what you think.
Read About Coffee in Magazines and Trade Journals
Like most industries, the coffee trade has countless print publications dedicated to keeping insiders in the loop. Subscribing to a few journals and magazines will keep you up to date with all the latest news in the industry. When a new brand of bean is getting a lot of attention, you’ll be among the first to know.
Use the Internet for Research
You can’t beat the internet for providing vast amounts of information on a wide range of topics. If you’re looking to investigate the specific qualities of a certain bean, an internet search engine is a great place to start. Online, you’ll be able to find all sorts of scientific information and customer reviews. A little research will allow you to make informed purchasing decisions.
Travel to Sample Beans in Person
If you’re an adventurous person by nature, you should consider hitting the road in search of new and exciting flavors. This is a great way to source beans that nobody else in your region is selling. By traveling to lesser-known corners of coffee-producing nations, you can discover exotic flavors. You’re also bound to have a lot of fun along the way.
It seems that today’s coffee drinkers are more sophisticated than ever before. They want a variety of beans from every corner of the globe. By taking the steps outlined above, you can provide the type of variety your customers are after.