You may have noticed that in recent years, the milk tea industry has been booming. Just like any other business, setting up a milk tea shop also requires planning and dedication from the entrepreneur. At RMJE Construction Services Corporation, we have dealt with a lot of milk tea shop owners and had been part of their business plans and success.
So in this article, we will share a few tips how to set up a milk tea shop, the details of this type of venture, how to choose the location for your future business and how to design and construct it. With these, we hope we can help you on your journey to a successful milk tea shop of your own.
Location. Location. Location
This will be the most important factor of your success in setting up a milk tea shop. You may have the best coffe or milk tea in the world, but if potential customers can’t find it, or your access is not easy or convenient, your chances of success in setting up a milk tea shop will be greatly reduced.
Ideally, this type of venture, your milk tea shop should be located in a place of great movement.The places most likely to succeed in setting up a milk tea shop are:
– Near the universities
– Large shopping centers
– Office buildings
– Near residential with good concentration of people per square meter
– Busy avenues
– Heavy tourist traffic areas
– Airports and major medical centers
– Shopping malls
If you have found one, do not forget to check with the city hall if it is allowed to set up a milk tea shop in your desired location.
Know Your Product
When setting up a milk tea shop, it is also essential for the business owner to understand the product that will be offered – in this case, the milk tea. It will be necessary to study the subject and to be aware of the combination of aromas and flavors, how to prepare and use the tea leaves and beans.
To this end, it is interesting that you and, as far as possible, your future employees take a barista course. Through this training, it will be possible to understand the steps for the preparation of a good milk tea, the appropriate ingredients, what may or may not be combined, the opportunities for creating new drinks and others.
After learning about the entire production process, the time has come to make a good business plan. This way you can check the feasibility of setting up the milk tea shop. A good business plan needs to establish the following information:
– Which products will be part of the menu;
– Providers;
– Target Audience;
– Location of the establishment;
– Milk tea shop design and construction
– Prerequisites for hiring employees
– Investment costs;
– Earnings forecast.
In addition, it is necessary to pay attention to all the necessary records to make the company legal. Generally, registration requires payment of fees, and these costs need to be entered into the business investment plan.
The Menu
It is not enough to have a menu with common coffees and milk teas on it which can be found in all cafes, or worse, that we can make at home!
You need to have something different! Only this will make your business a success.
So have a menu with numerous milk tea options. Create new flavors, and import beans and tea leaves from other countries. Finally, do whatever you need to do so that the customer looks at your menu and says to himself:
“I don’t even know which one to choose!”
It is equally important that the menu be simple and make sense for new customers. If a product name is different or unfamiliar, be careful to enter a brief explanation about it. Otherwise, the customer will eventually order the most well-known item, “ordinary milk tea”, and you will not be able to develop a customer base that appreciates various types of milk tea drinks.
Also remember to put good milk tea accompaniments on your menu. Cakes, snacks, pies, and other products that match the main drink. Also offer options for those who are not fans of the milk tea products but would like to frequent the space. Natural juices, coffee based drinks and chocolate drinks are usually a good choice.
Golden Tip: Never let the ingredients for a milk tea run out. There is nothing more unpleasant than having a milk tea on the menu and not having the ingredients to do so when asked.
Milk Tea Shop Machineries
The required investment value for the business varies, depending on the size of the company, the types of drinks offered, the added products and more. A medium-sized milk tea shop may require an initial investment of 1 million pesos, both for the purchase of machinery and for the ambiance of the space.
Speaking of machinery, a milk tea shop usually needs to rely on
Tea and coffee grinder
Tea and coffee brewer
Tea blender and extractor
Tea or coffee blender or ice crusher
Tea or coffee shaker
Sealer machines
Sugar and Fructose dispensers
Gas stove or electric cooker for tapioca pearls
Commercial refrigerators
Microwaves
Milk Tea Shop Design and Construction
When opening a milk tea shop, you will need to invest in your milk tea shop design and construction. You need a beautiful place where people can enjoy and relax.
Do you want your milk tea shop to be the most sought after in the whole area? You need to focus on the details, everything needs to be spotless. Let RMJE help you. We are experienced in milk tea shop design and construction. You can call us today to discuss your plans.
When setting up a milk tea shop, you will find that people of different ages, styles and gender will frequent your establishment. In any case, however, you will have an audience, the one that will yield you the most, and which will become more frequent.
Consequently, you need to prepare your entire structure, marketing and service for these particular people. You can hardly create an environment that can appeal to all audiences. So aim to please your target audience. The others will be accessories!
If your goal is to reach a younger audience, more cheerful and lively colors need to be used both indoors and out. Milk tea shop design should be more flashy and need to have something different and catchy.
Is your milk tea shop “luxury”? Is the cost high? If so, your audience will include individuals aged 28 and over. After all, young people usually do not have the “appreciation” of different and expensive flavors. Now, you want more “seasoned” people in your establishment who have money to spend, invest in the harmony of internal colors in the environment.
In these cases, when setting up a milk tea shop, prefer neutral colors, dimmer lights and a more rustic style. Good service is treated as crucial for this audience, so avoid taking too long to serve them.
It is also a good idea to invest in a thematic space. You can, for example, adhere to the 80’s style, and decorate the environment in this way. For younger audiences, it may be more beneficial to choose a decoration that addresses pop culture, whether from music or movies, series and games. By being able to insert your customer into a “new reality”, you set yourself apart from the competition and attract the attention of consumers.
When choosing a theme, remember to also insert it in the uniform of your employees and especially in the menu. Names that address the theme become emblematic and a trademark of your business.
Regardless of your audience, invest in good Wi-Fi. Today, people of all ages like to stay connected all the time. If you allow them that, and for free, you can be loyal to them for the “extra care” offered.
In addition to an attractive milk tea shop design, your milk tea station and kitchen should also be designed for speed and service efficiency. So your customers won’t have to endure a long wait.
Setting up a slow, sloppy, time-consuming cafe can reduce the number of drinks you will sell in a given period of time, directly reflecting on your revenues. Delay can also irritate your customers, which will also affect your profit.
Staffs Matters
Last but not the least is your staffs. Choosing the right number and the right experienced staff is crucial for your business success.
The number and type of staff required for a milk tea shop depend greatly on structure and demand. For an average location, however, it’s interesting to have about 4 employees, plus the owner. Especially because, in addition to milk tea, the place should also offer side dishes such as salty, cake and juices. You must have people who can manage all these products.
