9 tips to save time when running a café
Puqpress tamp espresso for you
In a hurry, it can happen that the barista doesn't tamp the coffee evenly and under the same pressure, but that's no longer an obstacle with Puqpress. Puqpress is an automatic tamper that tamp the coffee for you, just set the desired pressure on it. This eliminates variations and imperfections in tamping technique, while giving you the space to focus on other important aspects of coffee making.
After trying Puqpress, you won't want to tamp any other way. See Puqpress in action.
You'll especially appreciate Puqpress when working in a larger coffee shop where multiple baristas rotate throughout the day . That way, at the start of the day, all you have to do is set up the grinder and it doesn't matter if the coffee is being tamped by a burly, stronger barista or a more petite barista. The lever only needs to be inserted into the Puqpress. Based on the load, the tamper presses itself.
Coffee accessory placement
One of the other tips that can make your job a lot easier is to position the grinder, coffee maker, tamping station or Puqpress and the decapper.
It's best to keep everything close by and preferably in the order in which you use the accessories. That way you won't have to constantly be behind the bar spinning and possibly messing with others.
A place to prepare filter coffee, whether it's abatch brew or a hand brew, would be better placed in the other part of the bar. This way, one barista can prepare espresso drinks and the other can prepare filter coffee.
It is also important to have a milk fridge handy, as well as clean cups.
Save time with the built-in knock-off machine
This tip may seem like a small thing at first glance, but it's not. Abuilt-in knocker will save you a lot of time. The bottom of the built-in decapper is not closed, so you apply a basket or containerunderneath the decapper and dump out the coffee buds after your shift. Unlike the drip trays or boxes that you have to empty regularly.
Printing the café logo on paper cups
You're still going the old way, or stamping paper cupsby hand . How about the manufactory printing or marking in the form of stickers.
This has several advantages:
- You save your employees time.
- The cups won't be so sticky, which might be a hygiene issue for some.
- What's more, all the cups will have the logo straight and in the same place.
- The logo will be more legible.
Are you out of coffee, milk or paper cups? Set up automatic ordering. Yourdatacan help you know when and how much of each item needs to be ordered .
Did you know that people drink the most of these beverages (like Pumpkin Spice Latte or cold brew) during certain months and go out for desserts more on the weekend? Take advantage of this!
Coffee machine on/off timer and sleep mode
Want to come to work and have your coffee maker on and warmed up? That's no longer a problem nowadays, thanks to the on/off timer or time drawer.
Use the timer to connect to the coffee machine and then control it via your mobile phone from anywhere. You can set the coffee machine to turn on at certain times and days, and likewise to turn off at certain times.
However, timers aren't compatible with all coffee makers, so make sure they're compatible with yours before you buy. Also, the need to turn on the coffee maker via a digital button can be an obstacle to using a timer.
The second option you may encounter is the "sleep mode" This is especially appreciated by coffee shops that have a very small gap between closing and opening times. Sleep mode works on the principle ofusing roughly half the power. It then does not have to use as much energy when heating up. So it saves money and time.
The feature is mainly available inlarger lever coffee makers with a digital display. You will have to calculate whether using this feature is worthwhile for you, depending on the energy used.
Quick and efficient cleaning of milk jugs
Another gadget that should not be missed, especially in larger coffee shops, is the glass and milk jug washer. You can choose from either a surround or built-in washer. The latter are particularly useful if you want to save space on the bar top.
Cold brew for the café
Reach for cold brewinstead of iced drips. It will save you a lot of time in the preparation. During the summer months, you'll appreciate theToddycold brew system . There are several sizes on offer, and with the largest you can brew up to 76 litres of cold filter coffee at a time. Simply grind and pour cold water over the coffee in the afternoon and serve it the next day.
Balanced coffee down to the last gram
Thebarista scale is a must-have for every barista for filter coffee and espresso. If you want to make your preparation even easier, look for professional grinders with built-in scales.
In addition to the grinder, coffee machines also offer built-in weighing. If you look for coffee makers with this feature, look for gravimetrics.
How to increase sales?
This point doesn't quite belong with the previous ones, but I think it can come in handy. Place things around the bar that you know sell frequently. What is it in your case? Is it accessories, desserts or coffee packets? Bring these things to people's eyes.