Café owners love nothing more than to see tables filled with happy customers, especially repeat sippers and diners. But how do you bring new customers in? One approach you can take is that of hosting small-group events; book clubs fulfill that strategy since they can turn into repeat gatherings. Dog-ear this page of tips for creating a successful book club presence in your café.
Clean Your Interior
Your first order of business should include assessing your space. Over time you can begin to overlook your café’s appearance. Donning your objective hat, step through the front door as if you are doing so for the first time, just as your guests will do. You should see a room that is bright, clean and uncluttered. Tables and chairs should not look sticky and grimy. Your floor can appear polished or classically worn, but it should not show stains and gunk. Finally, your store fixtures should be well-lit and fully-stocked with organically-displayed edibles.
Give a Shoutout
When looking for your audience, first reach out to local book clubs that have pages on social media platforms. Next, visit neighborhood independent bookstores and public libraries to inquire about book clubs that are already underway. You can offer to promote these businesses and institutions in your café in exchange for their directing a club to your café.
Library Connection
You can use the library as a resource in another way, one that will benefit your new book club, your café and the library itself: Ask the library to supply books for meetings going forward. This move will satisfy club members who want to save money, motivate the club to return to your supportive café and enhance important library circulation statistics. At the same time, you could ask an independent bookstore to sell books to the club at a discount for members who want to own their copy.
Play Host
When the day comes, make the club members welcome. You can start by reserving a cozy nook for the members to meet. Next, decorate the café in whatever theme relates to the book on tap, putting up displays, creating table signs or hanging posters. Finally, put together a plate of small pastries so that the readers can sample your goods — while you mention all the foods available in the display cases.
While you have worked hard to make your café a success, you know you must always be on the lookout for new ways to add life to the space. By creating a venue for book clubs to hold discussions, you can ensure one more element of growth in your business-model plot.
