Summer has come and gone, and now we’re a matter of weeks away from the start of the fourth quarter. In the coffee industry, these last three months of the year are the busiest, most intense and in just about all cases, the most profitable. The weather starts to drop, students and workers return to their normal routine, and the holiday season is among us. These are just a few reasons why your business volume will be affected tremendously, and if you’re prepared, this quarter will be a successful one. At Stockton Graham & Co., we’ve created at fourth quarter/seasonal timeline to help you make sure you are on track to wrap up 2012 in a positive manner.
September/October
I. Pumpkin needs to be on your menu. Every year the crave for pumpkin begins earlier and earlier, and by mid-September, pumpkin flavoring is in full swing. Stockton Graham & Co. offers a variety of pumpkin products, in multiple brands, including the following:
- Pumpkin Syrup
- Pumpkin Sauce
- Pumpkin Frappe Powder
- Pumpkin Chai Powder
- Pumpkin Flavored Coffee
II. Chai is back in season! It may have been a slow mover throughout the spring and summer, but if you have not seen it already, the high demand for chai is just around the corner. Stockton Graham & Co. offers chai in both powder and liquid concentrate forms, with flavors ranging from the ever-so-popular spiced chai and vanilla chai, to seasonal flavors such as pumpkin chai and gingerbread chai.
III. Apple Cider is always a hit this time of the year. It can be served cold, right from the refrigerated container, or you can add hot water or steamed milk and serve it as a hot drink. We do not stock an apple cider, simply because it is more cost effective for you to swing by your local grocery store and grab it there. However, if you are having trouble finding some, let us know and we’ll be happy to special order some for you!
November
I. Keep it coming! Once October ends, it does not mean that its popular beverages do. Pumpkin inspired drinks, chai and cider all will continue to sell throughout November!
II. Seasonal Coffees are available at Stockton Graham & Co.! Our Autumn Harvest Blend and Thanksgiving Blend are always customer favorites this time of the year. As for flavored coffee, Apple Cobbler, Bourbon Pecan Pie and Toasted Almond are our most popular, year after year! Click here to see our list of seasonal blends and click here to see the great seasonal flavored coffee.
III. Seasonal syrups are abundant this time of the year! As mentioned earlier, the pumpkin flavoring will continue to sell, though other flavors such as maple spice, brown sugar cinnamon, spice berry and Monin’s pie series including pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie and blueberry pie (available on special order) are big time hits as well!
IV. Smoothies, believe it or not, will continue to sell even as the weather gets about as cold as the smoothie itself! And what better way to keep your smoothie sales up than promoting fall flavored smoothies? Dr. Smoothie offers a cherry-cranberry smoothie, as well as a northwest apple smoothie, both of which are very popular in the fourth quarter. Torani now offers a green apple smoothie, which goes great with a little caramel sauce to give it that caramel apple flavor that everyone loves!
December
I. Peppermint needs to be on your menu by now. This flavor will be as popular as pumpkin was in the earlier months of the quarter and will even continue to sell in January. Just like pumpkin, we will have a variety of peppermint products including:
- Peppermint Syrup
- Peppermint Mocha Frappe Powder
- Peppermint Flavored Coffee
II. Gingerbread is another extremely popular flavor this time of the year. Stockton Graham & Co. has you covered in this flavor department as well, including products such as:
- Gingerbread Syrup
- Gingerbread Chai
- Gingerbread Flavored Coffee
III. Retail Coffee is a must this time of the year. Due to the frigid weather, customers are more willing to buy your whole bean coffee, so they brew a cup right at home and don’t have to venture out into the cold in order to grab their favorite cup of coffee. Retail coffee also makes fantastic holiday gifts, and is also commonly used as stocking stuffers and in gift baskets. Stockton Graham & Co. has you covered in all of your holiday coffee favorites. Our most popular holiday blends include Winter’s Comfort and ‘Tis the Season, and when it comes to flavors, Winter Wonderland, Gingerbread Spice and Christmas Sugar Cookie are the front runners. Not only are we happy to prepackage these coffees in 12 or 16 ounce bags for you, but we can also add custom labels to each bag!
This is an exciting time to be a café owner, and whether this is your first fourth quarter experience or you are a veteran ready to take on the season yet again, the most important thing is that you are well prepared. It may seem early, but you will be surprised how fast the seasonal sales will sneak up on you. For help planning your fourth quarter agenda, give us a call today at 800.835.5943. As long as you stay ahead of the game and are ready for the season, success will naturally come your way, because after all, it is the most wonderful time of the year!
