Dressing up your coffee shop for the holidays is a lot easier than you think. Remember your core business is beverage and food based so everything you do should be geared towards enhancing the placement and presence of what you carry.
Here are three areas of focus for your café/coffee shop area for the Holidays
1. Pastry Case/Display Area
You can do a few really simple things to dress up your pastry/Display area. Start with visiting your local Hobby Lobby, Garden Ridge, Old Time Pottery or other similar store and pick up a few seasonal colored place mats, some seasonal foliage and few colored plates. You can take your fall foliage and use it to trim the base of your pastry case. Switch out your normal display plates for your colored choices and use your place mats as a foundation to high-light each displayed dish. These changes will draw attention and warm feelings to your coffee shop.
2. Specialty Drinks
Now it’s time to dress things up with some hot drinks! The holidays have some very specific flavors such as cinnamon, peppermint, pumpkin spice, and nutmeg that make great ingredients for holiday drinks. Here are just a few.
Peppermint Mocha
Prepare a Café Mocha as you normally would and add 1 to 2 ½ ounces of peppermint syrup based on the size of the drink. For example, a 12 oz. cup should only require a 1oz. shot versus 2 ½ for a 20 oz. cup. Garnish with a small peppermint cane.
Spiced Chai
I recommend a great Chai mix from a company called Big Train Coffee that can be used for a frozen or hot Chai mix.
To prepare this drink you will:
- add the appropriate Chai mix for the cup size you are serving
- Steam your milk to a maximum of 140 degrees
- Thoroughly mix the steamed milk with your Chai powder
- Top with whipped cream and serve.
Island Breeze Smoothie
This is one of my favorite smoothie creations as it provides a unique, refreshing warm weather refreshment. This recipe will make a 16oz. Smoothie.
Ingredients:
Minute Maid Strawberry Smoothie mix or your preferred strawberry mix, sprite, peppermint syrup, crushed ice.
Directions:
Step 1- Using a measuring cup pour 5 oz. of Minute Maid Strawberry puree and pour in the blender.
Step 2- Using the same cup pour 2 oz. of Sprite (7-Up will work too) in the blender.
Step 3- Add 1 oz. of peppermint syrup and 8 oz. of crushed ice
Step 4- Start the blender and watch the goodness happen.
Step 5- Pour in a 16 oz. cup and serve
*Note- You can also purchase syrups and Big Train coffee products from Espresso Southeast, one of our partner organizations. Minute Maid Smoothie Mixes can be purchased from Sysco Foods or US Foods.
3. Featured Desserts
Finally, desserts are a staple of the holidays. Be sure to try different things to see what your customers will latch onto. Make sure that you bring in seasonal favorites like Red Velvet Cake, Pumpkin Pie and sugar cookies while being mindful of any regional or local items that would fit your area.
One other thing to take into account is where you live. If you are in a tropical climate like Florida, Southern California or other area adapt to your location. Go with colors, décor and items that ring true in your community.
Gustare!
David McIntyre
