For many people, coffee is life. And for the true coffee aficionados out there it can be difficult to get a quality cup of coffee in the average QSR or fast-casual restaurant. The truth is, coffee just isn't a big part of the profit mix for most restaurants. Because of this, they simply don’t invest in the products or the equipment to support quality coffee.

Take a look at the menu of your favorite restaurant. Chances are, they don’t have much more than “coffee” listed. No mention of brand, percolation method, 

coffee source or anything else that may help a true coffee lover pick the right cup for their taste buds. And sometimes that’s ok. There are some restaurants and diners that are known locally for their drip-brewed coffee. Nobody knows the brand, but they all know it’s top-notch.

But for the rest of us we’re pretty much left to suffer with unknown coffee of unknown origin and unknown brewing method - but it’s likely drip-brewed. So what can a restaurant do to up it’s coffee game without upping its cost?

Switch to a single-serving brewing method. K-cups offer a great solution for many reasons. First, the machine takes up very little space - about the same as a regular drip-brew machine. Second, there are a ton of coffee options that can be purchased and offered to customers. Third, the cost difference is negligible so there would be little-to-no impact on profits.

Switch to a better-quality coffee. There are plenty of high quality coffees out there that come at a reasonable cost to restaurant operators. Restaurant suppliers know the ones that are popular and the ones that are. And if a restaurant has trouble finding one, they can always ask local coffee lovers what brands or brews they prefer.

Switch both. Just about every decent commercial coffee brand is available in a single brew cup these days. Keeping a “coffee menu” is easy to do and it offers a great addition to a dessert menu. Many people who finish a mean and don’t want dessert may want coffee, so make a coffee menu, leave it on the table next to the dessert menu and let customers choose. A coffee menu can be a great conversation starter, a great marketing tool and (best of all) a coffee menu can bring an easy upscale element that can result in some added profit if you do it right.

When a restaurant raises its coffee game, even just a little, it can make a huge difference in loyalty and brand appeal. It may seem like something small and unimportant, but to coffer lovers, it can be an act that spawns real loyalty for something many consider to be unimportant.

Got a favorite place to get your coffee fix? Let us know in the comments!