Coffee Shop Economics: Cost per Cup, Throughput, Staffing & Break-even
Cost every drink from grams, millilitres and the cup, price to a target cost %, read the sales mix and pastry attach rate, size the bar for the morning peak, cost the rota, measure milk and pastry waste, find break-even drinks per day and test loyalty, subscription and seasonal menus: 8 graded labs on a fictional café.
The first lesson is free — no account needed.
About this course
A coffee shop economics course that runs the numbers of one fictional café, Larkspur Coffee, in a spreadsheet, for café owners and managers, people planning to open a coffee shop, hospitality students and analysts. You cost eight drinks from grams of coffee, millilitres of milk and the cup and lid, strip sales tax out of menu prices and price to a target cost % in 25-cent steps, read the sales mix, average ticket and pastry attach rate from the till, compare hourly demand with bar throughput and size the team for the morning peak, cost the rota with on-costs and measure labour cost %, measure milk waste and set the pastry order with the newsvendor rule, turn rent and fixed costs into break-even drinks per day, and compare loyalty card, subscription and seasonal menu scenarios in a chart. Fictional café, illustrative prices and costs. The first lab is free.
Lessons
- Cost per Cup: Beans, Milk, Cup & LidFree
- Pricing and Contribution Margin by Drink Pro
- Sales Mix, Average Ticket and the Pastry Attach Rate Pro
- Hourly Demand vs Bar Throughput: the Morning Peak Pro
- Staffing the Rota and Labour Cost % Pro
- Waste: Milk Spoilage, Unsold Pastries and the Daily Order Pro
- Rent, Fixed Costs and Break-even Drinks per Day Pro
- Loyalty Card, Subscription and Seasonal Menu Scenarios Pro