There is no denying that demand for coffee is as high as it’s ever been. Even when Australians start tightening their purse strings, coffee is seen as a daily essential; totally worth the $3.00 to $4.00 a cup.

However with plenty of coffee shops out there, customers are spoilt for choice. This can create difficulties when looking to start your own coffee business from scratch.

While all coffee shops are different, with varied baristas, bean origins and quality of service – a competitive edge in this market is extremely difficult to nail down and even harder to keep.

Of course, this shouldn’t put anyone who has a dream to run their own coffee shop off the idea. There is plenty of profit to be realised in running a successful coffee shop but you need to be mindful of what consumers want, and then action it.

The underlying problem is understanding what customers actually want.

According to Ibis World, convenience is a factor influencing every retail sector, with cafes encroaching on the traditional territory of fast-food operators, offering ready-to-go options for consumers who are living their lives on the run. 

But it’s not just the concept of a take-away coffee that is annoying fast food operators; it’s that cafes are now jumping on the drive-thru bandwagon.

And it makes sense. Parking your car to grab a coffee just isn’t feasible, especially during the morning rush, and ordering your daily fix from the comfort of your own car is way more favourable than dashing into a shop, often braving the elements, to wait to be served.

Zarraffa’s Coffee, is one franchise which has moved their business into the drive-thru sector, offering their customers premium, barista-made coffee on the go. 

But, convenience is just one factor that makes up a successful business model. There is also a strong and well recognised brand, product quality and consistency to consider, along with marketing activities, ongoing training, systems and operations management; all of which go hand-in-hand with the customer service side of the business.

Zarraffa’s has been operating since 1996 and is a fully Australian-owned and operated specialty coffee franchisor. With over 70 stores in Queensland and Western Australia, the company has built its reputation on great coffee and the many multi-unit franchisee owners who continually reinvest in the brand also stand as testament.

With an emphasis on a quality QSR experience, without sacrificing product and service, Zarraffa’s has maintained steady and consistent growth across its franchise network and has available locations in regional and south-west Queensland.

Want to find out more? Click here to download the whitepaper and find out what factors are driving the resurgence in drive-thru’s and why Zarraffa’s Coffee is so successful at what they do.