Why we are the fastest in the business (and yes, I’ll put money on it).
If time is a precious commodity for you at events and waiting for a coffee in a line isn’t at the top of your priorities then read on. In this post I look at the key differentiators between ordering a coffee at a cafe, and how it should look at an event.
We’ve all been to a cafe, stood in line, approached the counter, verbalised our order to a cashier/front of house person (FOH) and told them our name. That’s the norm, right? Or if it’s your regular they’ll probably already know your name and it’s a case of just handing over the $3.50 for your coffee and joining the waiting triage for your name to be called.
Recently I attended a conference as a delegate in South Melbourne. There were approximately 900+ delegates all rolling in over the course of 60 minutes. In the venue they had 2 mobile coffee carts with one cashier/FOH person and one barista working on each coffee cart. Naturally as a black coffee addict I had to try this coffee (and my competition). My coffee took over 20 minutes to get to my hand and I was less than satisfied with what was in my cup, not to mention the overall experience. Copying the system that orders are taken and processed in a cafe and then pasting that into an events environment simply doesn’t work. Especially when there’s a queue forming.
Here’s a few things that I’ve learnt over the years that contribute to what I’d term “optimal performance” and how we combat this challenge on a day to day basis.
1. Equipment
Ensure that you have the most appropriate machinery to the job. If you are looking for high volume, ensure that the machinery being spec’d in is capable (grinders and coffee machines). Electronic grinders are a must, you can read more about the types of grinders we use here.
Big output means big power. In a standard power environment 10 amp power (like the power you get at home) is fine. Well, it’s good for about 90 cups an hour. When you require volume in a hotel, conference centre or convention centre, having access to 15 or 20amp power is much more desirable. For larger coffee machines, they’ll require this as a standard to get them going.
More power = more steam = higher output = faster moving line = quicker time to get a cup.
2. Positioning
This is absolutely critical. Depending on the delegate numbers (PAX), people flow, space to queue, amount of people to be served at any one given time and the amount of coffee carts these are all factors that affect positioning. The configuration of the flow of people and positioning of coffee carts needs to be considered. In some events we’ve run at the MCEC (Melbourne Convention Exhibition Centre) having machines side by side with two queues has proven to be highly efficient.
3. Rhythm
As a basic rule of thumb we know that we can output (with two baristas) 180 cups/hour. At most conferences we cater to, we know that 70% of delegates typically want a coffee before lunch (on arrival or as morning tea). Knowing the rhythm around what your expected outputs are will help you decide on how to match budget with your desired output.
4. Systems
Above all else this is the most critical.
Systems save time, money, and heartache. Think about McDonalds, they’re able to systematise and produce the same product day in and out across their stores wherever you visit them.
The system we use has been developed to hit the 180 cups/hour with the assistance of having the right equipment and positioning, all whilst maintaining a high standard of quality—each shot is still weighed. Each customer still gets their exact order and the line keeps moving. The difference is that both of our team members are both making coffee and serving at the same time.
How?
Simple. When customers are in the queue facing us, one of our baristas is already pouring the espresso shots of the people 2-4 deep in the queue whilst the other is matching the milk order of 2-4 people simultaneously. For the delegate the net result is a wait time of around 15-25 seconds from placing an order to having your cup of coffee. No waiting times. Instant service.
If you know of another company that can achieve 180 cups/hour with a high quality product, go hire them.