Rereturning

The common question that gets asked in business is, ‘why?’ That’s a good question, but an equally valid question is, ‘why not?’ -Jeffrey Bezos

As I walk into my coffee shop of choice (Rolling Out on 28th and Taraval), I sit down and start to brainstorm. Why do I keep coming back to this coffee shop? Why do I "rereturn" to this specific cafe? Let's list them below and talk through it.

1. It's close to me.
Yes, proximity is clearly a factor. It isn't the biggest factor as I would prefer to walk a few more blocks up the street if I didn't enjoy coming into this coffee shop. But of course, this is why people always say "location location location" is the number one factor in a successful business. My future location is 2 blocks from the beach, less than 10 minutes away from multiple high schools (Lowell, Lincoln, St. Ignatius just to name a few) as well as multiple colleges (SF State, City College of SF), with major bus lines running right past the cafe (the L train and 18 bus) in a location with few true competitors.

2. It has quality drinks and food.
I enjoy coming here and having a drink, whether that be a chai latte or a steaming cup of hot chocolate on a chilly SF day. I have sampled a few of their pastries including the sweet potato tart and the cinnamon roll which are delicious sweet treats. In order to have repeat customers at a place that serves food/drink, you must have some quality items that people will have to "rereturn" for. Hopefully some of the items that I will have on the menu such as the dessert rolls, "stoner tots", and specialty drinks will keep my customers coming back for more.

3. It serves a purpose.
What is the reason I come into the coffee shop? It is a nice, quiet and friendly environment where I can sip on my coffee and use the wifi to write some blog posts and do some research. In my case, the purpose of my dessert cafe is supposed to be a hangout location for high school and college kids. It needs to be comfortable enough that they will want to come chill, which also leads into the next topic.

4. It has a nice atmosphere.
The cafe I currently am "working in" has a pleasant atmosphere. The temperature is just right with a fresh cool San Francisco breeze that blows throughout the place. The music is light and pleasant, the noise level is average. The seating is comfortable and the place looks nice overall. In my case, the atmosphere is going to be different of course, because my cafe serves a different purpose. If I want it to be a hangout spot, I will have a few TVs around, showing Giants games and other things that young people want to watch. There's going to be a few "loungey" chairs and sofas in the middle to relax in (i.e. Central Perk). I'm going to loan out decks of playing cards and other games to invite them to stay.

5. It has great service.
Finally, the coffee shop I frequent has an excellent owner who knows about good service. Whenever he is here, we will chat for a little bit and he'll either upgrade my drink to a larger size or let me sample a new pastry he is baking. He'll remember what we talked about last time and by that, he makes a connection. He knows that by making a strong bond with your customers, it encourages them to keep coming back and be LOYAL. Loyal customers are always going to be your best customers. They are the ones that will tip better, that will keep coming back, and most importantly, TELL THEIR FRIENDS about it. Would I go about telling everyone that I go to this coffee shop called Rolling Out (on Taraval and 28th) if I didn't enjoy coming here? I definitely would not. In one of my future blog posts, I will talk about customer service and how I feel this affects customer loyalty and "rereturn".

-Wilson