Chris Tate here, I’m the Operations Manager at Pablo and Rusty’s Coffee Roaster. In my role I’ve seen many cafe trends come and go over the years. However, there’s a movement that’s commenced that’s going to fundamentally change the way customers enjoy their Take Away Coffee, reusable takeaway coffee cups.
With Governments bowing to pressure we’re seeing the banning of single use plastics across states in Australia. As a result we’re seeing a lot more venues and consumers choosing to use and adopt reusable coffee cups.
One brand helping support this positive shift is fellow B Corp Huskee. I recently sat down with Michael Mcfarlan, Head of Sales & Marketing to unpack some of the advantages of using reusable cups in cafes.
Michael, thanks for joining me. You're a former Head of Retail for a UK Coffee Roaster, you've seen firsthand the challenges and rewards of running successful coffee shops. Can you tell us why you believe reusable cups are so important for cafes?
Michael McFarlane: "Absolutely. As a business, we were always looking for ways to reduce our environmental impact and improve profitability. Reusable cups offer a fantastic solution to both of these challenges. By encouraging reusable cups and implementing a cup exchange system, cafes can significantly reduce their waste, reduce spend on single-use cups and drive retail sales, all while demonstrating their commitment to sustainability".
Can you elaborate on the environmental benefits of using reusable cups?
Michael McFarlane: "Reusable cups help to reduce the amount of waste that ends up in landfill. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), using reusable cups can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 90% compared to using single-use cups. This is because single-use cups often end up in landfills, where they decompose and release harmful gases. Not to mention, producing single-use cups requires significant energy and extraction of natural resources."
Okay let's shift things, from a business perspective, what are the benefits of using reusable cups?
Michael McFarlane: "Reusable coffee cups can offer significant cost savings for cafes. By reducing the need for single-use cups, cafes can lower their overall expenses while driving retail sales. Additionally, reusable cups can help attract environmentally conscious customers who are more likely to return and recommend the cafe to their friends and family."
So I’m assuming when you say “driving retail sales” you mean customers buying their reusable coffee cups in store?
Michael McFarlane: "Yes, exactly. You’ll know first hand how important it is for cafes to find ways to increase their average order value with additional retail spend.
Absolutely, increasing the average spend per customer, can really make the difference between a cafe surviving and thriving.
What are some of the challenges that cafes face when trying to implement reusable cup programs, both from a customer and staffing perspective?
Michael McFarlane: "Implementing any new system requires some heavy lifting initially. Customers are often time-poor and you only have a small window to capture their attention. Multiple touch points help with this: in-store signage, flyers, social posts, blog posts and well-versed staff succinctly communicating the What, How and Why of anything new.
To effectively onboard staff, you need to provide the training and get buy-in from them to make the ‘Why’ resonate with customers. And by buy-in, I mean it needs to matter to them, e.g. reducing waste, improving workflow and providing a better drinking experience for customers."
What advice would you give to cafes that are considering implementing a reusable cup exchange program?
Michael McFarlane: "Start small and gradually scale up. You don't need to go single-use-free overnight. Begin by offering a cup exchange program like HuskeeSwap, where customers who own a HuskeeCup can opt in and participate for free. Promote the program in-store and on social media. Make it easy for customers to remember to bring their reusable cups by providing a visible reminder at the counter. And most importantly, be patient. It may take some time for customers to adopt the habit of using reusable cups, but the benefits are well worth the effort."
Thanks Michael. We’re excited to see Huskee help support our cafes to make the transition to reusable cups and help create a better future for all of us.
