It’s true. Australians love coffee. Everyone has a favourite blend or coffee roast, a preferred cafe with a friendly barista.

In fact, the passion for a caffeine hit is so strong that there is no question of giving up the daily brew, even when times are tough. 

So it makes sense to consider the cafe market if you are looking to invest in a retail business. 

But there are so many elements to consider if you want to start up a coffee shop: creating the brand, sourcing the beans, finding the location, marketing, setting standards for baristas, ensuring quality of service…

It’s a challenge to gain a competitive edge in this market but that shouldn’t be a deterrent for anyone who has the dream of running their own coffee shop.  The key to success is to understand exactly what it is that coffee consumers want – and then deliver it.

So what is it that drives consumer choice?

Market analysis firm IbisWorld points to convenience as a deciding factor for so many customer purchases. And that’s very clear in the food sector. What we see today is a blurring of the lines between distinct food retail operations: cafe operators have seen the value in the fast food offer – first of all with takeaway products for consumers on-the-run, and now the drive-thru option.

Australian owned and operated, Zarraffa’s Coffee is one specialty coffee business which has spotted the trend for ultra-convenience and moved into the drive-thru sector, serving premium, barista-made coffee to time-poor customers.

And it makes sense. Why spend time searching for a parking space, walking to a coffee shop and then standing in a queue when the whole transaction can be easily achieved from the comfort of your car?

Customer convenience is of course paramount to any retailer today. But it is the structure and support behind-the-scenes that builds any successful business model:  a strong brand, ongoing training, systems and operations management, marketing initiatives.

That’s what is on offer with a good quality franchise chain. Add to this a premium coffee product and you have an unbeatable business package. 

Franchisees love Zarraffa’s: the number of multi-unit franchisees who continually reinvest in the brand stands testament to that.

Zarraffa’s has maintained steady and consistent growth across its network. Celebrating 18 years of business this year, the Gold Coast based company began as a roasting house. Now it has more than 70 stores in Queensland and Western Australia and is ready to serve up its coffee convenience further across its heartland, the Sunshine State with locations already available in regional and south-west Queensland.

Want to find out more? Discover just what is driving the drive-thru trend, and what makes Zarraffa’s Coffee such an appealing investment – click here to download the whitepaper.