Coffee Shop Menu

Coffee Shop Menu questions and answers

Coffee Forums is the largest coffee discussion group on the internet. You can find several discussions on Coffee Shops Cafes

Q: What items would you like to see or have you seen on a coffee shop's breakfast menu?
I am helping a friend open a coffee shop and we are looking to serve easy-to-make breakfast items that will be a good seller. What items would you like to see or have you seen on a coffee shop's breakfast menu? Any and all items are allowed.

A: best quality coffee. belgian style waffles, the ones with the deep holes in them. with lots of simple fresh fruit toppings. i don't like compotes, but some apparently do. know how to cook eggs, and how to listen to customers on how they want the eggs done. these days, everybody just beats eggs to death into a pale yello liquid and then quick cook it until it's all dried, and call it scrambled, that's a travesty. check to see if there are any wholesale bakers in your area. you need muffins, and lots of breakfast type breads. smoked salmon with eggs is simple in concept, but hard to do right if you don't know how to properly scramble the eggs right for this dish. oatmeal with choice of whatever topping and add-ins you like. even savory oatmeal with some ground beef and broccoli in it. soups.

Q: can you give the complete menu of the starbucks coffee shop?


A: Starbucks menu go to http://www.starbucks.com/retail/beverages.asp

Q: Coffee shop?
i'm gonna open a coffee shop. what are your fav. things in such a place? like decor, menu etc.

A: 1. GOOD COFFEE simple. please forgodsake dont use one of those fully automatic bullshit "espresso" machines. this is not real espresso, america!! real espresso is an art & should be treated as such, despite what the mcdonalds & starbucks of the world have tried to do. also: inventive & original drinks. offer different funky combinations. give em funny names too, thats always intriguing (oooh!) 2. COOL BARISTAS ie: interesting personalities, outgoing w/customers, large knowledge of coffee & espresso & allllll kindsa coffee/tea type drinks *mate, matcha, sugarshots, chai, REAL macchiattos, etc* & personable. yaknow, the type of people who are interested in hearing about someone elses day, or remembering a regulars drink & or name. people who will take it seriously, and truly care about the quality of your products. 3. CHILL ATMOSPHERE this includes awesome, laid back music *madeleine peyroux, radiohead, nouvelle vague, iron & wine, bob dylan, johnny cash, wilco!, cat power, just to name a few*, visually & mentally stimulating books to read, free WIFI, comfy furniture, local artwork on the walls, etc. you get the idea. ohyeah, & lamp lighting. always good. oh & color, color, color!! 4. OPEN LATE people like coffee at all times of the day man! stay open late, i guaruntee youll get a lot of people who're sick of the bar/club type scene comin in to hang out. trust me on this one. hope this helps <3

Q: Recommendations on the best coffee shop in Amsterdam? Who has the best menu?


A: Grey Area is a tiny place with a huge reputation.Run by two American enthusiasts known as "The Chiefs". John is very friendly and easy to talk to. Steve is also friendly but often a bit "out to lunch". The shop is a mecca for American tourists visiting Amsterdam. On the wall is a clock to show that it's always 4:20 and the music is usually old American rock. priced at €7.50 a gram and includes such mind-blowing strains as "Grey Mist", "Double Bubble" and "AK47". The amazing "Grey Mist Crystals" (unpressed Dutch hash) is €15 a gram. Open Daily 12:00-20:00

Q: When you visit a coffee shop, are you more likely to buy cookies, cake, muffin, pie, scone, biscotti, etc?
Opening a bakery cafe and building my new menu!

A: muffins, different flavors, bran muffins, biggest seller in all the coffee shops Ive worked in. You need a variety of all sweets, biscuits cakes and desserts if you want to target a audience. don't go to big or wastage will chew into you profits.

Q: Why do Coffee Shops/Cafe's write their specialties/menu/'menu of the day' on chalkboards & leave them outside?


A: First, to capture your attention; these chalkboards are quite visible, and a lot of cafes even write the menu items in coloured chalk. Second, to let you know immediately, at a glance, what their menu of the day is. That way you don't have to waste your time to enter the cafe and ask. You just read it from the outside, so if you don't like what they're serving for the day, you can walk right past. Third, it's for cost and convenience. Precisely as it means, the menu of the day or the special of the day changes every day. Rather than reprinting their menus all over again (which can become quite costly if you photocopy more than a dozen menus everyday), they just erase the chalk writings and write the new menu for the day. And in the event that an item runs out or becomes unavailable, they can easily erase the menu item. Hope this helps!

Q: Coffee Shop Etiquette?
I have never bought coffee from a coffee shop such as Caribou Coffee. I need some clarification so I don't blank out when I order. 1. What do I say if I just want regular, black coffee with the optional sugar and cream? I see latte, espresso, cappuccino and some other stuff on there. 2. What are lattes? How are they different from regular coffee. 3. What's espresso and cappuccinos? 4. If I order a latte, espresso, or cappuccino, is it normal to add sugar and cream? I hate strong, black coffee. 5. I see some coffee on their menu saying an ingredient is milk. Is this a substitute for creamer? Also, I see like 13g of sugar. Does this mean that little or no sugar is needed to be added?

A: Latte is simply coffee with steamed milk. Steaming the milk makes it frothy. Expresso is a double strength coffee...and double the caffeine. Cappuccino is a flavored coffee, regular strength, with frothed milk. It is different from a latte due to the flavors added. Usually it is dusted with cinnamon, too. Milk is different from creamer. Creamer is usually (but not always) non-dairy. Milk is, as you know, from the cow. 13g of sugar is not all that much, really. Consider that a 1 cup serving of Pepsi has 28g of sugar. If you like sweet coffee, ask for a couple of sugar packettes. Best advice...ask them what the house coffee is, and if it sounds good, ask them for a cup of that, the milk or creamer, and some sugar...good to go! Then get the gumption to try the rest of them...they are all divine!

Q: What sounds better to you for a coffee shop??
What sounds better to you for a coffee shop?? Please help!!!? My parents and I are trying to open a coffee shop and we cannot agree on a name. We are going to have gourmet epresso drinks along with some other specialty drinks, desserts, breakfast (bagels, croissants, etc), panini sandwiches and wraps, and a late night menu for the bar hoppers. But the main focus is coffee. PLEASE help and tell me what sounds better to you: 1) The Sweet Spot 2) The Sweet Spot Coffeehouse/Cafe 3) The Hot Spot 4) The Hot Spot Coffeehouse/Cafe Please tell me what you think. Thanx

A: I like The Hot Spot - it's cute, but you can leave off the coffeehouse because everyone will know it's a coffeehouse. I wish y'all luck!

Q: What sounds better to you for a coffee shop?? Please help!!!?
My parents and I are trying to open a coffee shop and we cannot agree on a name. We are going to have gourmet epresso drinks along with some other specialty drinks, desserts, breakfast (bagels, croissants, etc), panini sandwiches and wraps, and a late night menu for the bar hoppers. But the main focus is coffee. PLEASE help and tell me what sounds better to you: 1) The Sweet Spot 2) The Sweet Spot Coffeehouse/Cafe 3) The Hot Spot 4) The Hot Spot Coffeehouse/Cafe Please tell me what you think. Thanx

A: Since it is mainly a coffee shop I would go with The Sweet Spot Coffeehouse/Cafe or The Hot Spot Coffeehouse/Cafe.

Q: Thinking of Opening a Coffee Shop/cafe?
I want to open something that serves simple coffee drinks, has a full breakfast menu (eggs, pancakes, waffles, donuts/pastries), and a small lunch menu (deli style sandwiches, grilled sandwiches, salads, etc.) Also, ice-cream would be served and possibly there could be a window outside for walk-up orders in the summer. Would this be successful? Do any of you own or work at something like this? If so, how is it run? (Sit down style or ordering at a counter) If you don't own or work at something like this, would you want to come to a place like this? the area i am planning on is near a college. there are some places like this in the downtown area of this town, but i am looking at an area on a main road with plenty of free parking and close, but not too close, to the downtown area.

A: I love the idea and have thought many times of doing exactly this, in the style you describe. It's a place I would go myself, with friends and with family. It certainly could work - whether it does or not depends on your area, what businesses are already there, what would the interest be in something like this and how well do you plan and execute.

Q: How Are Coffee Shops and Diners Different?
I never understood how. I've been to both and they all have the same type of menu and about the same space. What is the difference?

A: The main focus at a diner is food. Usually American food such as burger, fries, sandwiches, and classic breakfast food such as eggs, bacon, omelette's, waffles, pancakes. Desserts are typically pie. The food is usually very "greasy." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diner#Cuisi... A coffee shop focuses more on the coffee and serves pastries to go along with the coffee, such as Starbucks. Coffee shops usually have baristers and you order at the counter. Diners have waitresses that take your order and serve you. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffeehouse Basically, diners focus on the food and also sell coffee, where coffee shops focus on the coffee but also serve lighter refreshments.

Q: What would you do if an ex-employee was opening up the same business 2 miles from you?
I own a coffee shop/bar that is opened 24hours. I just found out that an ex-employee is opening up the same business less then 2 miles from my business. The same menu, coffee, chai, even the same paint color on the walls. The only difference is the name. What would you do?

A: Unfortunately, unless that employee signed a non-disclosure agreement, you can't do much. Make sure your product is superior. Consider finding a marketing consultant to help you make sure everybody wants to go to your place, not the other one. DO NOT TRASH-TALK THE NEW PLACE. That will turn people off faster than anything. If business places a negative ad, I will usually refuse to patronize that business.

Q: Menu Costing Question?
I am trying to help out a friend who recently opened a coffee shop and now wants to add food items. I have a year left of culinary school and have not yet taken cost control. I'm pretty good with figuring the menu costs, but I don't know how to find the cost of things like a single slice of tomato. Do I need to just take the average weight of produce items and the average number of slices per veggie to find the cost? What about things like celery where you never know exactly how many usable stalks you'll get?

A: Food cost is figuered out in percentages. Food cost can vary depending on what you are specalizing in. You would like to keep your food cost down to 30% or lower. The way you figure that out is by dividing the larger number into the smaller one. Lets say for instance you have on your menu, " Open steak sandwich with fries, salad, and a drink." @ $8.95 Lets say the steak cost you $1.25-- fries @-- .30c salad @ -- .40c. and drink @ -- .35c. Thats $2.30 cost. Divide 8.95 into 2.30 and you come up with 25.69% thats good. You are below your projected 30% cost. Your whole menu should a reflect what ever you want your projected cost to be. Your menu cost is going to be reflected by many factors. Wast, mistakes, rise in market cost, stealing from imployees, credit card %, and constant changing of menu pricing. You will never always reach that goal of 30% because of the sky rocketing cost of some items and the fact that some people won't spend the money on those items if your cost is to high. Some items you may break even or go over your projected cost, but thats OK you make it up in deserts, drinks or other items you can sell in your shop. Open up a small corner so that people can buy things such as coffee cups with your shops name or anything else that has to do with coffee. You don't have to stick with just food items. I could go on for hours but I think you get the idea. Sincerely yours, Fred M. Hunter