Fresh Cup Magazine, providing specialty coffee and tea professionals with unique insight into the trends, ideas, products and people that shape their world.
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around longer and spend more. Not only are coffee, tea and the foods that pair with them going to boost sales, but a café creates a realm of relaxation for an otherwise hurried clientele. This example holds true at Powell's City of Books in downtown Portland. Measuring a full city block and three stories high, Powell's is one of the world's largest booksellers and one of Portland's more popular tourist destinations. Not only does the Powell's café—managed by local roaster World Cup Coffee & Tea—give patrons a place to peruse books before buying and caffeinate for the trek to the third floor, it makes visiting the literary mecca a more comfortable experience for first timers, who might be overwhelmed by the store's color-coded rooms and sky-high shelving (fold-out maps are available for those who get turned around easily). World Cup owner Dan Welch describes Powell's café patrons as book-hungry regulars, "transients" and those seeking the City of Books "experience." He says being a part of the bookstore's magic is a definite advantage for the World Cup brand. "We stick pretty much to the Portland metro area, that's our game, and Powell's is a destination for visitors of Portland," says Welch. "It brings notoriety to us because it is a marquee location in the city, and for business purposes it gives great exposure to our brand. Reciprocally, Powell's has a specialty-quality coffee they can offer their customers." Another way to capitalize on literature's mystique is by weaving the theme into your café: The Dolphin Bookshop offers a menu of sandwiches named after famous books (Catcher in the Rye, Under the Tuscan Sun), while World Cup sells an exclusive roast, the Bookworm Blend, at its Powell's location. Similarly, at Red Lodge the culinary section is full of books on tea for patrons hoping to learn more after perusing the tea bar's impressive offerings. SETTING THE SCENE It's important to build out your bookstore café in a way that best suits your shop's needs. Robson at Red Lodge notes that coffee shops have an "energetic" atmosphere, so he opted for a relaxing tea bar instead. Literary happenings and live music make sense at The Dolphin in Port Washington, but at Gertrude & Alice events limit lounge time for regulars and are mainly reserved for special occasions. Determine the type of shop you want to have— is it laid-back or lively? Modern or Old World? Then craft your customer experience around that vision. Carving out a niche will also set your shop apart. Maybe you focus on a literary genre (cookbooks work well aside coffee and tea) or stick to pour-overs and manual-brew methods—having a theme gives your shop individuality. This is also good advice if you're working with a smaller space, such as an existing café with minimal shelving. Regardless of how you build your business, it never hurts to make a shop more versatile and welcome in a new type of customer. History shows that books and beverages are the perfect fit, so adding great literature or high-quality coffee and tea to your offerings is virtually guaranteed to draw attention. freshcup.com | January 2014 35