BARISTA

Q: You have been brewing coffee for 20 years in Sri Lanka and stepping into a new decade in 2023. How has the journey been so far?

A: Barista has come a long way since its humble beginnings to become the largest and most popular cafe chain in Sri Lanka with 18 locations serving over 75,000 customers monthly and selling over 1,500 cups of coffee daily.

We make the best possible business deci-sions at every significant juncture when something challenging is brewing, and have successfully devised profitable business strategies that keep us close to our clients and ahead of the curve.

Barista is resilient and persistent, adjusting to new circumstances no matter how they may unfold. We see challenges not as a hindrance but as an opportunity to grow.

Q: What is your organisation’s approach to customer service?

A: Since providing excellent customer service is one of Barista’s core values, we have built it into the very fabric of the company through open communication, regular training programmes, use of state-of-the-art technology and a dedication to learning more about our customers.

At Barista, we have a collective responsibility to uphold the brand and safeguard the company’s reputation. The involvement of top-level management is essential for reaching customers’ service expectations and designing service standards to match them.

Since our success is due to our dedication to our patrons, we provide extensive training and autonomy to our Outlet Managers and Brew Masters so that they may provide an unforgettable brand experience for every single person who enters a Barista cafe.

Q: How does your organisation add value to the overall customer experience?

A: Our greatest value proposition is the premium quality coffee we brew and our exceptional service to our customers. And this will continue into the future as well.

We know that every interaction with our customers, whether it’s over the phone or in person, online or offline, via our website, e-store, mobile app, roadside sign or the assistance of our security guards in parking a customer’s car is essential, and we strive to make each one count.

Furthermore, when adding value to the customer experience, we focus on critical business areas such as consumer research, employee training, responsive and open communication, the effective use of technology to serve patrons more efficiently, and gathering helpful consumer insights that will all lead to improving the ‘Barista Branded Customer Experience.’

Q: What are the challenges faced by your business?

A: Cafes like any other business, have been severely impacted by the current economic downturn. Some of these factors include the devaluation of the rupee, limits on imports, fuel and electricity shortages, a lack of raw materials and packaging products, and salary and benefits pressure among workers.

We see a dramatic shift in consumer behaviour due to these changes with people being more careful with their money, and attentive to both quality and value. The average Sri Lankan coffee drinker now has higher expectations of the coffee and the service they experience at a cafe.

Barista has been very conservative in its critical inventory management policies. We try to keep as much raw materials and packaging items in our procession to ensure business continuity and product quality, and have invested in alternative power sources as well.

The company has also begun reengineering the menu to use more locally sourced and easily accessible raw materials, and is meticulously maintaining the machines.

Furthermore, we have spent significant time, effort and investment in training our Outlet Managers and Brew Masters to provide a flawless coffee experience to Barista coffee aficionados.

Q: What are the organisation’s future plans?

A: Barista is now the largest cafe chain in Sri Lanka with outlets in 18 locations. We continued to grow even during the pandemic and opened 10 new cafes including four Barista Express locations over the past two and a half years.

Our growth strategy is focussed on the transformational agenda that we have been following since 2018. The company works on six principles: to claim the undisputed coffee authority in Sri Lanka; to be the best value generator for coffee; engage and inspire our employees; ignite emotional attachment with our customers; expand our presence and create innovatively growing platforms for our business.

We aim to become the undisputed coffee industry leader and will not freeze our expansion plans because the environment is challenging. It will continue with more outlets being opened in strategic locations.

The company is confident that the economic environment will improve and people will keep drinking coffee, Barista’s brand equity and relevance will increase, and the growth of the organisation will be greater than ever. To meet the challenges ahead, we have assembled a formidable team that shares a common vision of becoming the undisputed leader in the Sri Lankan coffee industry.

“We aim to become the undisputed coffee industry leader and will not freeze our expansion plans because the environment is challenging”

Telephone 0715 579469  |  Email dilupa@barista.lk  |  Website www.barista.lk