3 ms·

An espresso beverage that is described by a list rather than a short phrase is, IMHO, crossing the line into bad taste-- both for the customer to ask for it and

An espresso beverage that is described by a list rather than a short phrase is, IMHO, crossing the line into bad taste-- both for the customer to ask for it and for the vendor to make it possible. TBH, whatever Stabuck's is doing is perfectly fine. They're not killing-off the super-cool coffee shops who employ skilled baristas, they're making them more desirable and rarified.

Closi 5y ago
Eh, in my view if you own a coffee shop but snub customers when they ask for a decaf latte with coconut milk and a shot of vanilla then you probably won’t stay open too long, because that’s a reasonably basic request that’s good for the coffee shop too (people have caffeine sensitivities, lactose intolerance and generally the syrup shots and coconut milk are an up-charge anyway so as a coffee shop that’s a win). We can agree to disagree on that though! You can also either look at the options as pure complexity or as sales opportunities. Sure adding a choice between two beans doubles the permutations, but it also provides an opportunity to add $0.30 on a portion of sales. Sure you could only offer oat milk as a non dairy alternative, but some people prefer coconut and if you give it to them for a $0.50 charge that’s money in the bank for you along with a customer that will come back. Teens going to the coffee shop with their mates don’t like the bitter taste of coffee? Great, take even more money from them by charging an extra buck for some pumpkin spice syrup and a sprinkle of powder that costs you a few cents, plus because it tastes like candy you might manage to get someone into drinking coffee that otherwise wouldn’t. This isn’t annoying complexity to Starbucks corporate - these are opportunities to appeal to a broader audience while taking more cash at a higher margin.

3 ms·

An espresso beverage that is described by a list rather than a short phrase is, IMHO, crossing the line into bad taste-- both for the customer to ask for it and

by crispyambulance 5y ago

Closi 5y ago
Eh, in my view if you own a coffee shop but snub customers when they ask for a decaf latte with coconut milk and a shot of vanilla then you probably won’t stay open too long, because that’s a reasonably basic request that’s good for the coffee shop too (people have caffeine sensitivities, lactose intolerance and generally the syrup shots and coconut milk are an up-charge anyway so as a coffee shop that’s a win). We can agree to disagree on that though! You can also either look at the options as pure complexity or as sales opportunities. Sure adding a choice between two beans doubles the permutations, but it also provides an opportunity to add $0.30 on a portion of sales. Sure you could only offer oat milk as a non dairy alternative, but some people prefer coconut and if you give it to them for a $0.50 charge that’s money in the bank for you along with a customer that will come back. Teens going to the coffee shop with their mates don’t like the bitter taste of coffee? Great, take even more money from them by charging an extra buck for some pumpkin spice syrup and a sprinkle of powder that costs you a few cents, plus because it tastes like candy you might manage to get someone into drinking coffee that otherwise wouldn’t. This isn’t annoying complexity to Starbucks corporate - these are opportunities to appeal to a broader audience while taking more cash at a higher margin.