If you are a typical coffee shop owner you probably put your heart and soul into your beans, recipes, syrups, and creamers. This makes sense as coffee is your primary offering and source of revenue, but did you know you might be missing out on tea sales?

In recent years, tea has picked up steam and quickly gained ground on coffee. Many of our happy coffee shop clients report that tea makes up much more of their total sales than they originally anticipated. What a nice surprise! The extra sales go a long way in a rough economy to keep the ship afloat! So, what do we see these most successful shop owners doing that we notice others do not? Here are a few keys to tea sales success in a coffee shop:

1. Menu – We are listing this first because while it should be a no-brainer, this truly gets missed by so many coffee shops. List your teas with as much detail as possible. Too often we see coffee lovingly listed, by origin, roast level, etc., but the menu simply says “black tea” or “green tea” when listed on the same menu and lumped in with the other ancillary menu items. Not very enticing. For all they know it could be standard fanning grade teabag fare – yuck! Example: Listing the tea by name or even “Sri Lankan Full-Leaf Black Tea” is a much more enticing menu item. Give tea its due, and it will take care of you.

2. Tea Selection – You don’t need a lot of teas to make an impression on a tea drinker, but a few standards that indicate your seriousness about tea will let them know that you put some thought into your tea offering. Suggestions: Earl Grey, Irish/English/Scottish Breakfast, Masala Chai, a hibiscus-based herbal such as Wild Strawberry, Matcha (for lattes) and/or a minty green tea, something that sounds exotic yet approachable like Peach Oolong, and a rooibos or honeybush based caffeine-free herbal like Honeybush Banana Nut for cozy comfort. Be sure to note which are caffeine free on your menu!

3. Offer iced tea – Most of the tea consumed in the US is iced tea. Don’t miss on these sales! Most of the teas already on your menu probably iced very well! Either get an iced tea machine or simply make cold or hot brewed iced tea concentrates to dilute with cold water and iced. It’s easy and we can advise!

4. Offer tea lattes – Tea lattes are popular! Classics like chai latte, London Fog (Earl Grey Latte) and matcha lattes have all earned their way to hot beverage fame and could be spurring sales for you! Plus, you can create your own unique lattes with other teas such as Butterscotch , Chocolate Chai, or even Almond Cardamom Cake rooibos. SO DIVINE and so enticing for your tea drinking customer.

5. Talk about freshness – The last thing a tea customer wants is stale, old, flavorless tea! Ensure that your tea storage is airtight, and away from light, heat, and moisture, and mention that your tea is FRESH, steeped to order or that your iced tea is made fresh daily. These small details matter and will assure quality, trust, and build sales.

6. Lastly, don’t be afraid to package and sell fresh leaves. Passive sales of loose-leaf tea are a lovely way to garner additional sales but also can create a different relationship between you and your tea customer. You will be their resource for their cherished tea, and they will return when they need more leaves and are likely to purchase a chai or matcha latte while there.

Try these tips and your bottom line will thank you!