“Usual” customers at coffee shops.

[caulkheaded]

If you go into chair coffee shops, is there a “usual” customer? I’m waiting for my car at the garage and it made me think about who I often see in each cafe.

I’m in Caffè Nero. The majority of tables are middle aged men, sitting alone.

A few days ago I went to costa and it was mostly women aged under 30ish sitting in pairs.

Local Starbucks is often couples and teens.

What’s it like where you are? None of these are in the village I live in so I tend to only go in sporadically.

Well, brands appeal to different audiences. It's not an accident. They use market segmentation to analyse potential customers and appeal to a certain target. That's how they find their strongest place in the market and why the same company (e.g. Unilever) has lots of different brands for very similar products.

Uhm. I'm a regular at my local small town Costa in that I don't even have to tell them my order .
We have a real mix of regulars. Weekday mornings are usually people in businesses clothes or older retired groups. Mid-morning we usually get the post-gym crowd. Friday mornings is mummy meetup, so there are pushchairs everywhere. Weekends lots of families.

Hmmm I just go into whichever one is nearest usually! But now you mention it, yes Starbucks does seem to have younger customers.

DP works at a fancy schmancy coffee roastery and he deffo has regulars, knows their orders, gives them a free cup every now and again. His place is mostly working, middle aged people or mums cos of its location (S London).

We met because I was his customer at his old place

I used to go to Cafe Nero before work - lots of other coffee shops available but I chose CN because the background music was classical. Interestingly they said they changed the music during the day as the customer profile changed. I was a typical customer for 8.00 am apparently (middle aged, alone, in dark obviously work suit).

This is interesting to me because in my neighbourhood we mainly have independents. I think the only chain is a Costa, which seems to attract a mix of people but possibly more men than women (this is very unscientific as I've only ever been in about three times; my observations are based on walking past it!).

I would think time of day influences the crowd, so there might not be one particular demographic who's more 'usual' than another. Our indies attract people alone, working or reading, on weekdays, and more families/couples/groups of friends at weekends.

I tend to go to independents but I think I am also the “usual” demographic for some at least (working on a laptop, certain drink etc). I used to work in one too and it’s was representative of the area it was in.

I hadn’t realised about the music changing but it makes sense.

My market town has a costa and around 7 independent cafes. I have one friend who loves costa so I will go in there with her but thats only every few months. I go to a lovely little place that serves everything on vintage china and has very quiet music. The demographic is often older and rarely a phone or laptop to be seen.

Location dictates for me. My usual chain is opposite work so is full is my colleagues. Business people grabbing coffee or lunch.

Well I’m probably going to flamed first this —

My local coffee shop is an independent one and it’s really pricey. I call in there in the mornings on the way to work. It’s full of the same mums eating breakfast and having coffee whilst their kids are running round the tables.

It’s actually quite a poor estate with really high unemployment and it boggles my mind that they can actually afford it so regularly!

I live very close to both a Costa and a niace independent coffee shop.

The Costa is the bigger of the two and near two secondary schools, during school hours it’s the preserve of studying sixth formers, mums with buggies and lone lap top workers. Come 3.45 it’s full of teens buying drinks with a weeks worth of sugar in them to fuel them for their journey home.

The independent coffee shop is too small for buggies, but it’s popular with the exercise gear wearing SAHM with school age children stopping off for caffeine between boot camp in the park and yoga in the church hall.

Better to spend your money on coffee than cigarettes. Anyone remember that song by Jarvis Cocker?

Most of the ones in nearby places are independent. There seem to be a lot of middle-aged and older couples. Sometimes groups of mothers. Not many students as there are not many in this rural area.

We have a Costa, a couple connected to a local bakery chain and the rest are independents.

Costa tends to attract visitors to the town because they know the name. The local bakery ones are usually full of older, 'traditional' locals and the rest of us use the independents.

We choose between the independents on the basis of knowing their menus and choosing the one that serves whatever lunch we fancy that day. OR which selection of cakes we prefer. (My current fave is the one that serves stem ginger scones with clotted cream )

The music thing is interesting. I used to frequent a cafe on purpose because of the music - motown /60s Northern soul. They used to play some crackers

We have a dearth of independent coffee shops in my town - we basically have a Costa, and a Starbucks. I'm old(ish) and I use Starbucks not for any coffee preference but because it has far more sitting space and room in general - I can take my shopping trolley in without running anyone over I use Costa if I'm catching a train because it is near the station. I never buy food in any of these places because it is so expensive.
I'd say the Starbucks in our town tends to be older people, women with young children and a buggy, people who use wheelchair or other mobility aid - and it is all (I presume) related to the fact that it is a large open spaced shop.

I won't go to Starbucks any more following their recent 'campaign.'

My children prefer Costa because they like routine and dependability.

I like a good indie as long as it doesn’t have ridiculously loud music.

I very very rarely go into coffee shops. I don’t drink coffee, and don’t have much disposable income. One of my children works in Starbucks but I haven’t been in her branch.

Anyway a few weeks ago I went into a Starbucks with my mum (early 70s) and 21 year old daughter. Mum and I were by far the oldest customers, and almost every table was just one young girl, about my daughters age, and they nearly all had MacBooks. I’m presuming they were students (not a uni town though), and wondered how they can afford expensive laptops and coffee. In my student days we had to make a tea bag last for three cups. Another thing that made this strange was this Starbucks was part of a Sainsbury’s, although I’m not sure if that’s the only coffee shop there. Not in walking distance of anywhere, although it is on a bus route. Do all students have cars nowadays?From outward appearances only, it looked like their clientele was affluent students. If I sound jealous, it’s because I am a bit!

I don't like Costa. The coffee always tastes burnt. I never go to Starfucks. Much prefer Cafe Nero. Anyway, looking around at my local coffee shops (which includes these 3) they are normally a mixture of lone men and women complete with their laptops/phones/whatever, whole gangs of mums and babies complete with a number of pushchairs and 'trendy types'. Oh and me!

I’m presuming they were students (not a uni town though), and wondered how they can afford expensive laptops and coffee. In my student days we had to make a tea bag last for three cups.

^

Here we go..

Mostly proximity but my favourite us a very small one in a park. Just the right feel, music, warmth and good coffee - some can’t froth almond milk, they can. I actually didn’t know it was there for about a year and it’s been a game changer. We go there at least once a week.

People are a type, young children, dog owners, joggers, all appreciative I reckon. It was closed once and we had a chat about how needed it was.

We also go to a Starbucks attacked time Sainsbury’s. Not glam to look out the windows but very busy and nice vibe. Very mixed people.

Not as keen on Costa or Caffè Nero

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The best thing about that is the nice servers

Café Nero does coffee that tastes of coffee and can comprehend that wanting non dairy milk is not intended to piss them off. In the absence of old fashioned Italian coffee shops, it's the best of a bad bunch.