When we’d emptied all of our boxes and found some order in the Barn, we treated ourselves to a trip out at the end of last week. We’ve been visiting the Apple Pie Cafe and Bakery in Ambleside for many, many years, and thought it an ideal venue for a treat after the move.

Over the years we’ve watched the business develop from a small bakery with a few tables to a multi-channel enterprise, with rooms and self catering accommodation, on-line sales and ever-growing numbers of tables and outdoor eating options.

As with most of the hospitality industry, the Apple Pie was badly hit by Covid, but they’ve made lots of changes that have helped them get going again. Obviously it helps that they have an extremely good location in a tourist hot-spot, but they’ve never rested on their laurels, and we spotted several small tweaks that will probably be helping.

This is one…

This addition to the menu caught my eye, as being very clever!

Not the Tuna Savoury, though it sounds nice, but the dog treats.

When we were having our toasted bath buns (they’re amazing!), there were four occupied tables close to us, and three of those four had a dog with them. I heard at least two of them ask for one or other treat.

Why is this so clever?

There are several reasons:

1 Dog-lovers love to spend on their pooches, so it’s really clever to give them an option to do so!

2 The profit amount available on small items like this isn’t likely to be huge, but it will add up, and the volume is key, and what will make a difference. This cafe is busy all day, every day, and there are going to be a LOT of dogs going through the doors. The majority of customers are on holiday, and an extra couple of pounds on the bill isn’t going to be an issue, but it will add to the bottom line for the business.

3 As an additional revenue stream, it’s different! Few people would consider adding dog treats to a cafe menu, but there’s no reason why you shouldn’t!

Is there an extra revenue stream in YOUR business?

It’s easy to get really focussed on our usual day – to – day, and look at prices for our usual services. Many people don’t consider adding a new stream entirely, but it can be both easy and profitable.

Based on what we saw while at the Apple Pie, it’s certainly something we’d recommend having a think about!

As ever, if you’d like to chat through your pricing, or additional revenue opportunities, do get in touch!