Providing your customers with a memorable experience in your establishment is the greatest gift that you can give them—and your coffee is just part of that gift. Your delicious brew starts their day off with the boost of energy they need and the warm, happy feeling they crave. Meanwhile, your shop is the place where they join up with friends, meet a new client, or relax for a bit. Your customers’ gift back to you is returning to your business over and over again.
A good coffee shop can be hard to find, and people find themselves drawn again and again to their favorite once they find it. If your customers feel valued, relaxed, and at home, your coffee shop can quickly become that place for them. Take a look at these 10 ways that custom coffee mugs for coffee shops can inspire this coveted kind of customer loyalty.
1. Complement Your Overall Décor and Design
When customers walk through your door, you want to communicate the mood of your coffee shop to them through a variety of avenues. Your décor, your furniture, your music, and your lighting all tell a unique story. Custom coffee mugs can be an element of that story.
Specially made mugs for coffee shops will attract patrons who are sure to notice how nicely the color, shape, and style of the mugs you serve drinks in enhance the overall design of your coffee shop. You should think of selecting mugs for your shop as just as important as putting together your seasonal menu.
By selecting a style of mug that fits in with your branding, you’ll show that your entire coffee shop was created thoughtfully and with care. The right mug will accent the selections on your menu, helping to communicate what you’re all about to your potential customers. If you choose to have unique mugs created for your shop, you’ll find a wide variety of glazes, colors, and styles out there—meaning that you’ll be able to put together a combination that complements your brand perfectly.
2. Contribute to Brand Recognition
When a customer decides to walk into your coffee shop, you have an opportunity to thoughtfully and subtly present your brand when you serve your coffee—and you should take that opportunity. Studies show that a customer needs to see a brand three or more times before it makes an imprint. Seize the opportunity to serve your coffee drinks in custom coffee mugs emblazoned tastefully with your logo.
A custom mug places your brand squarely in front of customers, right where they are sure to see it as they enjoy the coffee they so love to drink. You may even notice some customers taking selfies and posting on social media while spending time in your coffee shop as well. Having your brand front and center (and maybe even encouraging customers to tag your social media accounts) will broaden your digital reach and put your brand in front of a larger audience. The more opportunities customers have to see and touch your custom coffee mugs, the more likely they are to remember your brand and to associate the feeling of familiarity and relaxation with your coffee shop.
3. Match Your Mugs to Your Menu
Many coffee shop customers are repeat customers. Coffee is, after all, something that many people drink every single day. Some customers will have already picked out their favorite item on your menu, and they’ll order it every time they come in. Generally, people like to feel like their favorite coffee shop is their place—like they’re a regular. When someone comes in and orders a café au lait every morning to get their day started, or grabs some lunch between appointments, they’ll love knowing it will be served in a custom, handmade stoneware soup mug or an elegant bistro mug every time.
4. Add Value With Durable Materials
Stoneware mugs are not only attractive and the perfect vessel for coffee drinks of all kinds; they’re also extremely durable. Stoneware resists the chipping and breaking that comes with regular use, and it can be washed easily with soap and safely stored until it’s ready to hold a drink again. This durability means you won’t be replacing stoneware mugs often.
Mugs made with lower-quality materials might have proven to be a less-than-stellar investment in the past, but stoneware will stand up to more use and stay as beautiful as when you first took it out of the box and put it on your shelves. Ordering custom stoneware mugs is easier than you think, and some companies offer minimum order sizes small enough to make ordering a shipment practical for even small businesses. Upload your logo art here and fill out our contact form if you find yourself in need of solid mugs, and we’ll be in touch!
5. Provide Inspiration for Socialization
Let’s face it—the frenetic pace of modern society practically demands that people carve out a moment of calm in some small pocket of their day. People may look for opportunities to combine business meetings with socializing or to linger after a meeting and wait for a friend to join them. Offering a great cup of coffee in a substantial custom coffee mug encourages people to think of your coffee shop as a place to stop and to take a moment the way a paper cup or a generic restaurant supply cup might not. Encourage your customers to sit back and enjoy themselves—and maybe get a refill.
6. Keep Your Regulars Regularly Coming Back
Custom coffee mugs can be one of the ways you create a group of regulars—a group “in the know” about a great place to get some coffee and spend some time. The first time you receive a compliment on the classic stoneware mug you serve coffee in, you’ll know you have a repeat customer who enjoys both the lattes and the unique mug.
7. Familiarity Breeds Satisfaction
The world is getting more and more hectic, and many people go to a coffee shop to meet a friend or to steal a few minutes for themselves. Customers who feel familiar with your brand will begin to feel comfortable at your coffee shop. One of the ways to keep your company’s name and brand integrated into the experience they crave when visiting a coffee shop is with custom mugs featuring your logo. Your customers will stroll in ready to get cozy at their favorite table and sip a favorite drink from your familiar stoneware mugs.
8. Establish a Reputation for Quality
Customers who come into your coffee shop will appreciate the permanence of a custom mug, from the standpoints of both sustainability and craftsmanship. They’ll recognize that you’ve passed over the paper cups and cardboard insulators and opted instead for handcrafted mugs so they can spend a few moments in quiet indulgence. A stoneware mug invites the customer to sit, get comfortable, and stay awhile the way a paper cup simply doesn’t. Many customers will recognize and reward the effort you’ve made to think a little greener by taking the time to invest in custom coffee mugs that are not disposable.
9. Differentiate Your Coffee Shop From Other Establishments
There are a lot of places your customers can go to get coffee in a paper cup or a restaurant supply-issue mug. Sending your coffee out into your shop, onto your tables in a handmade, stoneware coffee mug featuring your logo says that you are not like all of those grab-and-go, indistinguishable shops. This is part of what sets your business apart.
10. Coffee Out Is an Occasional Treat
Most people who drink coffee have a means of preparing coffee for themselves at home. They come to a coffee shop to get their morning coffee because these shops offer something beyond just caffeine. Customers venture out of their own kitchen for really good coffee or a handcrafted drink, friendly faces, or a moment of peace on a busy day. Your customers are looking for a little indulgence served in a real piece of substantial stoneware, a custom mug that puts the name of your coffee shop right in their hand.
The type of coffee mug you chose for your coffee shop has the power to turn something people can do in their own kitchen into a reason they want to come into your coffee shop. Learn more about our artist-crafted stoneware today, and contact us to find out just how easy it is to order custom mugs.