5 Reasons To Elevate Your Restaurant’s Coffee
GREAT FOOD DESERVES GREAT COFFEE
Restaurants, even the world’s best, haven’t always been known for serving quality coffee. Five years ago 30% of Michelin starred restaurants reportedly served Nespresso. But the tides are changing. Today the merits of fresh roasted, Direct Trade coffee have begun to make their way to the mainstream. Diners are expecting more. Iconic restaurants like Noma are running world class office programs as robust as their wine programs. Leading chefs are increasingly weaving unique coffees into their menu design.
At Detour, we think this is only the beginning. We’ve always seen great food and great coffee as a beautiful pairing. To drive home our point, below are five delicious reasons to up your restaurant’s coffee game:
- It’s a reflection of your food philosophy. Do you promote fresh, seasonal ingredients and responsible sourcing? If so, serving stale, commoditized coffee is a misalignment of values. Today’s foodies are recognizing that coffee is seasonal (yes, coffee is a fruit— coffee beans are the seed of a coffee cherry!). Serving fresh roasted coffee allows you to tell origin stories about your coffee that are as inspiring as your food.
- It’s an opportunity to differentiate your menu. The restaurant business is cluttered and hyper-competitive. Truly standing out is not easy. Today many diners are still surprised to learn that coffee can have tasting notes as varied as butterscotch, blueberry and grapefruit, depending on its source and production process at origin. From an innovative brunch to delicious dessert, quality coffee offers opportunities for creative pairings that can elevate the food, improve the overall experience and benefit the bottom line.
- It leaves a lasting impression. Too often restaurant coffee is an afterthought. That’s unfortunate because it’s the last impression the customer is left with. We’ve had countless incredible meals let down by a bad cup of coffee. Whereas a subpar cup can leave a bitter taste in the diner’s mouth, a delicious cup can have people dreaming of coming back.
- It can attract new customers and drive traffic in downtimes. Yesterday more than 70% of Canadians drank a cup of coffee. A growing proportion of that is Specialty Coffee. In response, we’re seeing a rise in hybrid restaurant-cafe concepts. Restaurant owners are quickly learning that serious coffee drinkers are incredibly loyal customer group. They know what they like, they are okay paying more for it, and they will go well out of their way to find places that serve it.
- It elevates the entire experience A restaurant is more than the sum of its parts. Every detail matters. When it all comes together — the food, drink, service, and space — it can make a meal sing. Legendary actor Burt Lancaster once said “I judge a restaurant by it’s coffee and bread”. He was ahead of his time.
There’s a reason why you’ll find Detour coffee at many of Canada’s best restaurants. These restaurant owners know coffee isn’t just a reflection of the restaurant itself, it’s a way to stand out, satisfy customers and create new value.
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Want to learn more? Check out our Restaurant Program page for details. We set up and support custom coffee programs for restaurants of all sorts and budget sizes.