Remember the adage “when a door closes, another one opens”? Bars and restaurants around the country are in fact taking the adage to heart and opening their own doors to the newest pop culture trend: Pink Slip Parties.

“A Pink Slip Party is a social phenomenon that gathers together hundreds of professional workers and sympathizers to honor the passing of the many companies that have shut their doors or have down-sized throughout this market meltdown.”  It also creates a chance to co-mingle with one another, share thoughts, ideas, and support. 

Bars and restaurants have found ways to capitalize on these parties by hosting them in their venues. Independent coffeehouses, which have been bastions of socialization for centuries should take heed of such gatherings. 

This presents a wonderful opportunity for coffee houses to fill in slow hours, days or evening by hosting similar events and taking the lead at again becoming a gathering ground for society.  

Understanding that the darkness of the night always makes way for the light of a new dawn, coffeehouses and cafes are in a unique position to host “Networking Parties”, resume building seminars, life coaching sessions, and an assortment of other meaningful ways to become a hub in many people’s lives. 

When incomes are limited, purchasing a $1.50 cup of coffee certainly makes more sense than a $7.00 martini and the coffee won’t leave you feeling worse the next morning.

Simple things can go along way and will be greatly appreciated:

• Carry all the local and regional newspapers forindividuals to peruse through for job listings.
• Make sure you have Wi-Fi for customers to use their laptop computers and then promote that it is FREE.
• Set up an area with computers for customers to use to review job postings online.
• Maybe you have employers who are customers that are looking to hire… set up a mini job fair.
• Create a job posting board or resume board
• Set up a special day where customers can get chair massages… Who doesn’t feel better after a massage?

 As the plan comes together, the next step is to promote your location as “THE PLACE” to go.  Leave no stone unturned, get the word out to all available sources  

• Get newspaper coverage – an event like this should gain FREE coverage
• Word of Mouth
• Post it on the coffeehouse website
• Send out e-mail notification through a service like Constant Contact.
• Promote it in town flyers, town forums or free local weekly papers
• Let the Chamber of Commerce know about it
• Contact head-hunters, recruiters and Human Resource Directors in your area
• Update local Career Centers or colleges
• Try out a new website called Meet-up.com to post your event

Will all the above require one to roll-up their shirt sleeves and do some hardwork and incur some expense… Sure! 

But creating an atmosphere of caring, helpfulness, community participation and hope along with getting more people in your door… to coin the phrase “Priceless.”

For more helpful ideas at increasing business for your coffeehouse or cafe visit www.improveyourprofits.com and for the nation’s largest selection of fresh-roasted specialty coffee check out www.KMOcoffee.com.  Please feel free to contact me directly at robert@KMOcoffee.com or 800.652-5282.

In yesterday’s Gourmet Retailer e-newsletter there was an informative article on why consumers are selecting Kosher foods and beverages.

This article is important to Kaffe Magnum Opus because all of our coffees, straights through flavored selections are and have been KSA certified for years.  It is another level of assurance that we provide for our customers.  We are also Fair-Trade Certified, Organic Certified and Smithsonian Bird-Friendly Certified.

These certifications provide our customers the selling edge, the absolute advantage within their marketplace to say to their customers “The Consumer” that the product they are purchasing is of the highest quality and have no reservations about making that statement.  To learn more about gaining the absolute advantage within your marketplace contact robert@kmocoffee.com.

This particular article depicts the importance that consumers place on the factors that motivate them to allocate spending on food and beverage products.

The research stated that “The market for kosher food is strong and growing in the United States, reports Mintel. Sales of kosher foods totaled $12.5 billion in 2008, a 64 percent increase since 2003.”

Mintel, the Chicago-based research firm found that the No. 1 reason people buy kosher is for food quality (62 percent).

“General healthfulness” (51 percent) was cited as the second most common reason people purchase kosher food, while food safety rated third among 34 percent of respondents, in sharp contrast to the 14 percent of respondents who say they purchase kosher food because they follow kosher religious rules. Full Story…