How SumUp Helped Refinery Succeed in the Coffee Business
Refinery, located by the Spree Canal in Berlin, was founded two years ago by Tansel and her husband. Before starting a café in Berlin, she was employed at the Federal Employment Agency. For five years, she worked as a career consultant for commercial jobs. However, she was educated in business management and always aimed to become self-employed—with a desire to work with coffee specifically.
“When it comes to coffee, I believe it’s like a journey full of discoveries via smell, taste, and stories from crop to cup. Coffee drinking is a ritual that inspires people to learn and explore more, just like travelling. I got very inspired while travelling in the USA and UK recently.”
Starting a café in Berlin
Tansel named the café “Refinery” because it refers to the process of perfecting something. It could be likened to the stages a rough diamond goes through to create a sparkling gem. The café itself looks polished. It has marble countertops, brass planter pots, glossy black brick detailing, and large industrial lights. All this is the work of an interior decorating team based out of Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Running a coffee business is not without its challenges. According to Tansel, finding the right staff can be especially difficult. This is because working with high-end coffee requires a rare combination of warm personality traits and specific expertise. Good baristas, motivated to work in gastronomy are essential. Punctuality is vital for the morning rush, along with fast, friendly, and helpful customer service. Though it took effort to find the right employees, she now has a team with these winning qualities.
"Coffee is a people business, and that’s why it's important to surround yourself with employees who have the qualities to fulfil the needs of the customers. I am thrilled to say—we made it!”
Finding the right coffee beans posed another challenge. Luckily, Bonanza Coffee Roasters (a local roastery and café) served as a valuable ally. They provided Tansel and her husband with advice as well as samples for testing. This enabled them to personally choose which notes they preferred between fruity, classic, nutty, etc. Refinery also prides itself on its excellent sandwiches and cakes.
Inspiration for running a coffee business
“Our truly inspirational coffee journey started in 2015 with a broad range of high-quality cakes—the best cheesecake and carrot cake as well as American-style cakes. Right now, we experiment and introduce creative approaches to gastro—the customers love it.”
What appeals to Tansel the most about being her own boss is the freedom, especially in terms of being creative. While she, of course, takes her customers into account, Refinery is indeed a reflection of her own tastes. This includes everything from the food and drinks served to the décor.
“I do what I love, and I feel free.” Tansel offers other entrepreneurs these coffee shop owner tips: “One of the most important qualities is trust, you have to believe in people to run a business. I have my team that can work on their own, and I don’t have to monitor them all the time. Giving someone freedom in their work and watching them develop is success for me.”
For Tansel, it’s important for entrepreneurs to have passion for what they want to do: “It’s not enough to be convinced yourself, but you also need to convince others.” Additionally, you need to be good at developing products, as well as the business and sales side of the company.
SumUp allows cashless payments in coffee shops
When Tansel bought SumUp to use at the café, she was pleasantly surprised:
“It’s compact and fast. The handling is also very easy. We only have positive feedback—we’re happy we chose SumUp.”
Tansel said her customers are happy they can even pay for smaller orders, like a €3 coffee, using their cards for cashless payment in coffee shops.
“Sometimes, customers immediately ask where they can find the next ATM, and I reply that they can pay by card. They’re amazed. It’s a good first experience, and when customers know that they can pay by card, they’re more relaxed. It’s helpful for making sales.”
How POS technology can help owners running a coffee business
Point of Sale (POS) systems allow businesses like Refinery to process payments and manage orders all in one place. They combine software and hardware technology to streamline cashless payments in coffee shops.
POS systems help make paying for coffee much more efficient for both customers and staff. In addition, they help automate certain tasks such as tracking orders, streamlining the sales process, and providing valuable data for marketing purposes.
SumUp offers a selection of POS systems designed to make cashless payments in coffee shops quick and efficient. Whether paying by card or by phone, SumUp's gastro solutions use expert hardware and software to ensure reliable transactions every time.
SumUp offers Free, Lite and Pro versions of their POS systems designed to work with both small and large businesses across multiple sectors. Consider a POS system from SumUp if you are in the process of running a business.
