117. What Your Menu Prices Should Actually Be Doing

SUMMARY: 

In this episode of Coffee Experts Club, Aaron Hovivian and Ben Clatterbuck break down how coffee shop owners should think about drink pricing and profitability beyond simply covering costs. Drawing from Ben's experience scaling a multi-location coffee brand, they explain why knowing your numbers, setting a clear profit benchmark, and pricing with intention are critical to running a sustainable business.

The conversation covers practical strategies like using a 3x cost-of-goods baseline, leveraging loss leaders, managing high-margin items, and handling add-ons like alternative milks. They also discuss how to raise prices gradually, account for rising costs, and avoid customer sticker shock, giving operators a clear, realistic approach to protecting margins without hurting demand.

Minute by Minute: 

00:00 Introduction to Coffee Business Dynamics
03:07 Understanding Profitability in Coffee Shops
06:01 Pricing Strategies and Market Competition
08:55 The Role of Loss Leaders in Attracting Customers
11:48 Managing Alternative Milk Costs
14:42 Incremental Price Increases and Consumer Perception
17:27 Navigating Rising Costs and Market Trends