Café Biz Brisbane – Panel Discussion: Getting the mix right

Sean Edwards is the café guru with more than 20 years experience in the industry. He has owned several successful regional café businesses in Australia, which developed his intense passion for and knowledge of world coffee. That thirst has Sean constantly on the move around the globe uncovering the latest trends and emerging markets, but we’ve snagged him for this year’s Café Talks where he’ll be speaking about getting the mix right in your business.

Sean has seen business after business fail by not doing the simplest thing well. “This is a complex business but there is a formula to getting it right.” And it’s even easier than most people might think. “Once you break it down, it’s simple. Essentially it comes down to serving high-quality coffee, delivered with passion. When you have that, you’ll find that people will come and they’ll bring the atmosphere with them.”

Great coffee is essential but so are fantastic food and atmosphere. However Sean agrees with fellow Café Talks presenter Luke Shilling that location doesn’t have the same significance it once did. “A business builds that following online, people have smartphones on the go constantly and the business ends up filling up regularly.”

Now, Sean isn’t saying cafes aren’t hectic places to work and staff’s patience will be tested at times. But somehow the business owner must keep cool heads and show customers that everyone is passionate about the café. That’s the café that customers fall in love with and keep coming back to. “Remember, you are meeting and serving real people – have a real conversation with them, and you’ll be surprised at the difference it makes.”