New products and drinks are a great way to keep your customers coming back to see what is new. Changing or adding drink options to your menu can be a big boost in customer retention, satisfaction and loyalty. 
Having a structured approach while encouraging creativity among your staff will make this activity easy, fun and more profitable for you. As you begin, keep in mind your store or shop’s brand image. Are you known for healthy offerings? Do you use fresh ingredients? Are speed and service a big factor? Are your drinks consumed in your shop, or do you offer drinks to go? How much customization do you offer your customers?
Getting Started
Don’t be afraid to experiment. Combinations of ingredients that do not seem to work naturally together can be fun. For example, I would not have thought of blending Earl Grey, vanilla and textured milk, but the London Fog is a popular drink in many coffee and tea shops.
Listen to your staff and your customers. They often have great ideas, and blend drinks not on the menu for their own enjoyment. When you do come up with a new idea, ask your staff to try it. Next, you can solicit the opinion of customers in the shop. I find they are more than willing to try something new. You can usually tell in an instant from the look on their face what they think of the drink.
As you experiment, write down what works and what doesn’t. Also record the steps as you go. That way, you can duplicate it or change it before you have a final recipe. Train your staff on preparation, especially any critical steps and have a reference guide available in case they don’t remember how to do new drinks. In our stores, we have a pop up message on our POS each time a customer orders showing instructions for new and seasonal drinks.
Be selective as you choose ingredients. Start with those you have in the shop, or those readily available in small batches. Try not to add too many ingredients that you don’t have, or cannot incorporate into other drinks. Watch your costs as well. Some ingredients can get expensive. Others might have a limited shelf life and can spoil before you go through them if used in low volume drinks.
As you add drinks, don’t always look for the next big thing. You may not discover another Bubble Tea, but you can find drinks that have great appeal when offered seasonally or for a limited time. You know you have a hit when customers start asking when a particular drink will be brought back.
Change is Good
Finally, change your drinks with the seasons. While you will always have a core menu of popular offerings, tastes change with the weather, and so should your drink menu.
Adding and changing drinks gives your customers plenty of reasons to keep coming back to your shop. Encourage them to bring their friends in for new drinks. Have fun, and remember: It’s a Big World…Drink it Up!
