How to Get Started with your Coffee Shop Signage

Whether you’ve recently opened your coffee shop, or you’ve been running it for years, it always a good idea to reassess how you’re currently using signage and determine if there’s any room for improvement. Gaining and maintaining loyal customers is a big challenge, but using the right signage will make this a lot easier.

Before you can begin to invest in signage, you need to first think about a number of things:

• What is the purpose of each sign?
• How much do you want to invest in signage?
• Where will each sign go once purchased?

Creating a detailed list for each point above will help you to be clearer about your overall strategy and then you can determine which of these options will suit your situation best:

Wall signs (indoors)

Indoor wall signs have a variety of purposes, including allowing your customers to see what the menu is, what the specials are and what discounts you currently have on offer.

This means that indoor signage is just as important as outdoor signage and will work harder in maintaining loyal customers than enticing them in. But it’s not as simple as picking the cheapest option, indoor signage needs to closely align with your brand, the atmosphere of your coffee shop and your overall design.

Wall sign (outdoors)

Similarly to investing in indoor wall signage, you may want to think about external wall signage. This could range from flat, wall-mounted chalkboards to perpendicular signs. Many businesses have perpendicular signs for customers to easily identify them as they walk down the street, but you need to ensure that whatever sign you choose seamlessly fits with your brand.

Menu sign (indoors)

Investing in menu signs is a rudimentary tactic for coffee shops, but one that proves it works time and time again. Providing smaller menus for each table allows customers the freedom to peruse the menu without feeling like they are under scrutiny from a member of staff – especially if you have an order-at-the-counter service.

Alternatively, if you provide table service, then it is imperative that you provide menus in some way and specifically designed menu holders are ideal for preserving the quality of your menus.

Menu sign (outdoors)

That doesn’t mean all of your menus need to be displayed indoors, in fact, many businesses benefit from externally displaying their menus and so this is something to take into consideration.

An external, illuminated menu case could be the ideal solution and can also help to add to the overall brand image. Akin to having a website, allowing people to view your menu out of hours could lead to new customers.

Pavement sign

Whether you want a chalkboard a-frame or something more low cost, investing in a pavement sign is a great way to advertise your business and display your latest discounts. This can also go a long way to enticing new customers in and allowing you to get ahead of your competition.