Over the last two years, United Coffee has worked closely with leading contract caterer Elior UK to develop a bespoke coffee offer at its three library café sites at Kingston University.
The library cafés were created to offer students a convenient, accessible place to eat and drink whilst studying. The café concepts have been a massive success, increasing coffee sales by 15% in the last two years with the sites consistently achieving an average of 140% above budget.
Delivering the latest in coffee shop trends and equipment solutions
“It was important for Kingston University to date with the latest coffee shop trends, if it was to keep its urban minded students on site,” says Stephen Brecher, key account manager, United Coffee UK and Ireland.
“It's managed to achieve this by embracing the third-wave movement to develop an artisanal style coffee offer that focuses on flavour, finish and craftsmanship.”
“We wanted to create a London deli look for the cafés, every bit as good as you'd find on the high street,” explains Kath Yardley-Turpin, group manager Elior UK. “We wanted to offer the students hand-crafted, high-quality coffee, served by skilled baristas using traditional machines. United Coffee provided us with the perfect equipment solution; Adonis, from leading Italian manufacturer Victoria Arduino, together with coffee and full barista training for our staff. The students love the sense of theatre in the cafés and know they'll be served an authentic, tasty cup of coffee every time they visit.”
Putting bestselling coffee products and styles on the menu
Stephen advised Elior UK to offer a selection of speciality coffees if it was to be a serious contender against its high-street counterparts. “Cappuccinos and lattes remain the bestsellers among students but they are an art to get right. The secret lies in the milk texturing, our training arms the university's baristas with the essential skills required to deliver rich, creamy dense foam to create their own versions of these popular drinks,” says Stephen.
He also recommended that the university introduced flavoured coffees to keep the offer fresh.
“United Coffee supplies us with a selection of syrups which we've used to create a range of bespoke drinks – our Vanilla Latte is a particular hit,” says Kath.
Taking an ethical stance
Like many universities, Kingston has worked hard to achieve Fairtrade status, which means the hot beverages it serves must be fully accredited.
However, as Stephen warned, ethical credentials alone are not enough to create a successful offer; the flavour must be good to keep students coming back for more.
“Following a tasting session, Kingston University opted for our Grand Café Triple Certified coffee. It's slow roasted for depth of flavour and carries Fairtrade, Rainforest Alliance and Organic accreditation so it really ticks all the boxes,” says Stephen.
Maximising all-day trading
Sales at Kingston University peak first thing in the morning, then again at 10.30am after first lectures followed by another busy period around 3pm. Evenings have also taken off well with the cafés selling lots of coffee between 7pm and 8pm, particularly near assignment deadlines when students are looking for that caffeine hit to keep them alert, according to Kath.
“Students spend hours on end working in the library, giving us an opportunity to capitalise on all-day trading. The cafés open from 8am to midnight,” says Kath.
“Meal deals, such as the coffee and cake combo we've created, offer a new meal occasion and drives sales in busy trading times.”
Student engagement
“Customer engagement plays a huge role in maximising sales,” advised Stephen. “Our ongoing training ensures the staff at Kingston are really knowledgeable about the coffee they're serving and that passion and understanding comes across to the students. Greeting customers with a friendly smile and getting to know the regulars' orders enhances the overall café experience and helps with up-selling.”
The KU Brand
United Coffee's in-house design team developed the bespoke KU Coffee brand. “The hip, urban design has helped to make the library cafés ‘coffee destinations' in their own right,” says Stephen.
The ingredients for success
“When students take time out for a cup of coffee they're looking for five minutes relaxation time away from their studies. Kingston University has managed to create a loyal fan base because it's focused on the full customer experience. The great tasting coffee, personal service, fresh constantly evolving offer and the ambience of the venues are the key ingredients to its success,” concludes Stephen
