Bang on social media is a huge boost for any modern café, but these days the digital realm of running a café is so much more than a steaming coffee shot. With apps now available by the millions, with less time than ever to sort the crème from the instants, we’ve put together this impressive list…
1. LOCATION / REVIEWS – Beanhunter
For coffee obsessed cafes and connoisseurs alike
Beanhunter is the gear. If you want people from the other side of town, from out of town, or from the other side of the stratosphere to want your specialty brew then
Beanhunter is your app. In addition to reviews and location maps, as an added bonus it has recently partnered with
Uber so app users can simply tap ‘get there with Uber’ – gold!
This is this beautifully designed POS system that does a heck of a lot to help keep cafés in the know. Simply load it up on your tablet to process orders (it even works with most of your existing printers, scanners and cash drawers), run reports on what is selling, keep track of stock and even integrates with accounting software. It’s simple, stylish and definitely worth checking out. Plus
Square Register is free to setup.
3. PRE-ORDERING / PAYING – Hey You
Previously known as Beat the Q,
Hey You is the next generation in ordering and paying from the highly successful Australian start-up duo Rebekah Campbell and Adam Theobald. It basically helps customers avoid queuing for food and drinks ‘to increase efficiency and sales during busy periods’. The app is geared to boost loyalty and also allows customers to search for nearby cafés and pay using credit card or PayPal. It’s plenty useful and definitely worth a go.
Rewarding loyal customers with free coffees, discounts, you name it, has well and truly graduated from its crumpled, smudged cardboard ancestors with
Stamp Me. Brainchild of Australian company Stamp Media,
Stamp Me is a worldwide loyalty tool allowing cafes to know who their loyal customers are, what they like to order, and contact them directly through push notifications. Cafés can also attract new customers through offers and promotions. It’s a winner.
So whether you’re starting a café or just giving yours a digital kick up the rear, we recommend you start by checking out these apps specifically designed to boost loyalty and improve convenience.
