One such success story is that of Al Dente, a hip café located in Bathurst’s bustling Keppel Street, along with another four cafés fighting to secure repeat clients. Scott Taylor, Al Dente’s owner, started serving Bite Size biscuits with his coffees when a customer recommended it to him after tasting the biscuits at The Bathurst Easter Show. Three years later, Scott now serves over 3,500 biscuits a week. “I was skeptical to start with; I had never considered it … a customer suggested it, but I’m glad and would never consider stopping,” he admits.

Looking at this small “no menu” Espresso Bar, you would never imagine that it handles the amount of passing trade that it does. The orange and white walls see over 3,500 coffees made within 5½ days. The simplicity of it all is brilliant. Al Dente’s mouth-watering deli-style display is bursting with ever-changing dishes made from wholesome local produce; the scent of freshly ground coffee wafts out to greet you as you wait in the queue to receive the best coffee Bathurst has to offer, and you’re bound to have a great chat while you’re waiting, because there truly is nothing like small town hospitality.

At the point that BS was introduced to Al Dente, the café had been open for four years, with a regular coffee trade of 50 kilos a week. Last week the café went through 85 kilos of coffee, sitting most weeks at 80 kilos. “No coffee shops have closed, nothing has changed on the street, but we’ve grown by 30 kg,” comments Scott. “My coffee sales have definitely picked up due to it.” And 95% of those kilos exit in take-away cups, because there is only enough space for a handful of tables outside this boutique espresso bar.

Like most café owners, Scott struggled to adjust to the cost of a weekly biscuit order. “There was a period three years ago when I said I don’t have enough money to pay for these.” He liked the concept, but couldn’t justify the payment, so he went to see his accountant for some advice.

“He said to me, ‘Right! Stop giving your customers free food.’ But my attitude was customers make comments when it’s not there; when it’s not there I have a coffee like any other coffee in the street.”

Luckily, it didn’t take long to see things start to grow. “I didn’t notice that we were picking up extra clients; I just noticed that when we ran out of biscuits, clients were making a comment.” Scott began to see new faces each week, faces that soon became familiar. Word had gotten around that this compact little coffee haven was serving free gourmet biscuits to its clients.

“With the coffee increase and our growth, the question of how much the biscuits are isn’t a question anymore,” explains Scott. The cost of giving something away disappears amongst the increase in food, drink and cake sales.

Cake sales, admits Jeremy, are the number one concern of most new clients: “You’d be amazed how many clients think that this little biscuit could possibly deter someone from ordering a cake.” When asked, Scott laughs at the question.”It hasn’t affected cake sales; it hasn’t affected biscuit sales … we still sell biscuits, even though we put a biscuit on top!”

If you ask Scott what makes his café so special, he’d tell you that it’s the small differences – the sincerity, the care, the added extras – that are to thank for the line-up of people each morning. “If I can serve a good cup of coffee and the biscuit with it, it’s instilled in customers’ minds there’s nowhere else.”

Felici Espresso Bar

Location: Adelaide, SA.
Been with Bite Size: 1 year 9 months.
Coffee kg/wk pre BS: 30.
Coffee kg/wk now: 40.
Manager’s thoughts on BS:
“I personally like the touch, and I’d always recommend it – especially to somewhere new, somewhere competitive …”

Felici Espresso Bar on Adelaide’s cutthroat Rundle St has also seen success using the BS method. Chief Operations Manager, David Bilusich, sought out a sample after seeing BS advertised in Cafe Culture Magazine. After one taste, David admits to being hooked. Nearly two years later, biscuits continue to be served alongside Felici’s award-winning coffee.

David saw the concept of complimentary giving fitting nicely with the warm café culture Felici had worked hard to create; he wanted to reward his regulars and offer a point of difference to any newbies wandering down the street, but the customers’ reactions surpassed his expectations. “At first people weren’t expecting a biscuit – they were surprised – it was a nice touch. (Now) regulars are like, ‘Where’s my biscuit?’’ he laughs. “It wouldn’t be a good idea to move it away from here …”

Felici has been making a fair bit of noise since opening in 2008; they’ve been called Adelaide’s Best Coffee on more than one occasion. The café is just as well known for its fresh and funky menu, being one of the few places in Adelaide where one can find the northern Italian sensation, Piadina. When BS was introduced in 2010, the café was trading about 30 kilos of coffee per week. “We’re now doing 40 kilos. Is it because of the biscuits? Sure. I definitely think this has helped us.”

David thinks that integral to this success is the BS semi-exclusivity promise, which assures that when you join the BS family, the area surrounding your business is zoned off, irrespective of whether your competitors also enquire into the products. “They can’t go across the road and get the same thing … being such a good product, they’re going to come back.”

Complimentary giving is a consolidation tool, according to David. A great way to “lock down the regulars quicker, get them back to you sooner… especially for somewhere new, somewhere competitive.” When asked what advice he would give to other café owners considering using BS, he answers quickly, “I personally like the (BS) touch, and I’d always recommend it. It doesn’t cost too much… and it might make all the difference.”

I’m about to thank David for his time, when I notice a passionfruit friand pass behind his head. As if reading my mind, he smiles. “Cake sales have not been affected at all. Cake sales are separate,” he explains. “If they want dessert, they’re getting dessert.” I know that the man speaks the truth.

I order a coffee once our interview is over, wanting to see for myself what this reputation is all about. While I wait for it to arrive, I look around at Felici’s customers, people like me, who are trying to steal a moment of indulgence in an otherwise hectic day. I watch as they take their first sips from steaming cups; their eyes set on the creamy liquid in anticipation of the flavour hit. I see them smile as they notice their biscuit on the side, just as I smile when I find my hidden treat. Hmm … hazelnut.

When asked for his take on the success experienced by Felici and Al Dente, Jeremy says that growth can vary from client to client.

“Some only pick up 3 – 4 kilos a week, whereas others double their sales. There are a lot of contributing factors – location, size, competition – that affect the results; however, one thing is for sure: every café that has endorsed the BS concept has felt a positive influence on their business.”