Coffee Shop & Café Setup Guide

Complete guide to setting up Store Check-In for coffee shops, cafés, and specialty food businesses

Store Check-In for Coffee Shops & Cafés

Transform your café into a hub of customer engagement and recurring revenue with Store Check-In’s customer check-ins and subscription-friendly kiosk system.

Why Coffee Shops Love Store Check-In

The Challenge

  • Limited Counter Space - Can’t display your full online inventory
  • Subscription Confusion - Hard to sign up customers for coffee subscriptions in-store
  • Loyalty Tracking - Difficult to track customer visits and preferences
  • Peak Hour Efficiency - Need faster service during busy periods

The Solution

Store Check-In creates a seamless bridge between your physical café and online store, enabling subscription sales, loyalty check-ins, and full catalog access.

Real-World Scenario: Morning Rush Made Easy

The Situation: It’s 8 AM at Brew & Beans Coffee. The line is 10 people deep, but they’re serving more than just coffee.

Without Store Check-In:

  • Customers can only see 20 products on display
  • Subscription sign-ups require staff explanation during busy times
  • No easy way to track loyal customers
  • Seasonal items aren’t visible in-store

With Store Check-In:

  1. Customer Check-In: Regular customer Sarah scans QR code at entrance
  2. Staff Recognition: Barista sees “Sarah - Loyal Customer, Prefers Oat Milk” in POS
  3. Kiosk Browsing: While waiting, Sarah explores subscription options on tablet
  4. Subscription Sign-up: Finds “Monthly Blend Discovery” subscription, adds to cart
  5. Mobile Checkout: Scans QR, pays on phone, subscription starts immediately
  6. Personalized Service: Barista prepares her usual oat milk latte without asking

Result: Faster service, subscription sale, and enhanced customer experience.

Phase 1: Customer Check-In System

QR Code Placement:

  • Entrance: “Check-in for faster service”
  • Ordering Counter: “Scan to join our rewards”
  • Tables: “Discover our coffee subscriptions”

Customer Tags Configuration:

Visit Tags:
- CAFÉ_REGULAR (5+ visits)
- MORNING_CUSTOMER (7-11 AM visits)
- SUBSCRIPTION_MEMBER
- OAT_MILK_PREFERENCE
- LARGE_ORDERS (3+ items)

Phase 2: Kiosk Product Configuration

Recommended Tab Structure:

  1. ☕ Today’s Featured - Daily specials and seasonal drinks
  2. 🔄 Coffee Subscriptions - All subscription options
  3. 🥐 Food & Pastries - Fresh items and packaged goods
  4. 🏠 Beans & Retail - Take-home products
  5. 🎁 Gift Cards - Perfect for impulse purchases

Product Collection Mapping:

  • Map “Today’s Featured” to a dynamic collection you update daily
  • Create a “Coffee Subscriptions” collection with all recurring products
  • Include seasonal items that aren’t always in physical display

Phase 3: Subscription Optimization

Subscription Product Setup:

  • Monthly Coffee Box - $29.99/month, 2 bags delivered
  • Weekly Fresh Roast - $15.99/week, single origin
  • Café Starter Kit - $45 one-time, includes grinder and starter beans
  • Seasonal Specials - Holiday blends and limited releases

Kiosk Subscription Benefits:

  • Visual product browsing with detailed descriptions
  • Easy variant selection (roast level, grind type)
  • Immediate subscription activation
  • Gift subscription options for holidays

Implementation Timeline

Week 1: Basic Setup

  • Install Store Check-In app
  • Create QR codes for entrance and counter
  • Set up one kiosk device for testing
  • Train staff on customer check-in recognition

Week 2: Product Configuration

  • Organize products into collections
  • Set up kiosk tabs and product display
  • Configure subscription products
  • Test complete customer journey

Week 3: Advanced Features

  • Add POS integration to show checked-in customers
  • Implement customer tagging system
  • Set up analytics tracking
  • Create staff training materials

Week 4: Launch & Optimization

  • Soft launch with regular customers
  • Gather feedback and adjust configurations
  • Monitor usage analytics
  • Full launch with promotional campaign

Success Metrics for Coffee Shops

Customer Engagement

  • Check-in Rate: Target 30% of customers checking in within 3 months
  • Repeat Check-ins: 60% of check-in customers return within 2 weeks
  • Kiosk Usage: 15% of customers browse kiosk during visits

Revenue Impact

  • Subscription Conversions: 5-10% increase in subscription sign-ups
  • Average Order Value: 15-25% increase through kiosk upsells
  • Inventory Turnover: Improved sales of seasonal/specialty items

Operational Efficiency

  • Service Speed: 10% faster service during peak hours
  • Staff Productivity: Reduced time explaining subscriptions
  • Customer Recognition: Staff know customer preferences automatically

Common Coffee Shop Use Cases

Loyalty Program Enhancement

Before: Punch cards, manual tracking After: Automatic visit tracking, digital loyalty, personalized offers

Seasonal Product Promotion

Before: Limited display space for seasonal items After: Full seasonal collection visible on kiosk year-round

Subscription Upselling

Before: Staff explains subscriptions during busy periods After: Customers explore and sign up independently via kiosk

Corporate Catering Orders

Before: Phone orders, email coordination After: QR code for catering menu, instant quotes and ordering

Advanced Coffee Shop Features

Integration with Existing Systems

  • POS Integration: Show customer preferences in Shopify POS
  • Email Marketing: Tag customers for targeted campaigns
  • Inventory Management: Real-time sync with Shopify inventory

Seasonal Campaigns

  • Holiday Specials: Limited-time collections for kiosk display
  • Summer Cold Brew: Promote seasonal drinks via check-in messages
  • Valentine’s Gifts: Push gift subscriptions through kiosk

Multi-Location Scaling

  • Chain Management: Consistent experience across locations
  • Local Preferences: Location-specific product customization
  • Regional Promotions: Target campaigns by geographic area

Getting Started

Ready to transform your coffee shop? Start with our Quick Setup Checklist or dive into the Complete Setup Guide.

Next Steps

  1. Install the App - Add Store Check-In to your Shopify store
  2. Device Setup - Configure your first kiosk tablet
  3. Subscription Configuration - Set up recurring revenue streams

Questions? Email us at support@storecheckin.com - we love helping coffee shops succeed!