Chilled Coffee coming your way...This summer! - Sriram Erramilli (FT13479)

Gloria Jean's Coffee....A brightly lit board over a kiosk with the tantalizing smell of coffee all around and a sumptuous spread of desserts invited me as I walked into Express Avenue Mall, Chennai on Thursday afternoon.  It was difficult not to admire the well maintained food space, the lighting, the use of colors and the prompt, pleasant employees at Gloria Jean’s.  The refreshingly different ambience made me explore Gloria Jean’s further.

Gloria Jean’s coffee was started in the USA by two Australians - Gloria Jean and Ed Kvetko who built on the vision – “Gloria Jean's Coffees will be the most loved & respected coffee company worldwide”.  Today they expand over several countries and have open over a 1000 stores.

 The location of the shop in Express Avenue Mall was interesting to observe. As one enters the mall, it is Gloria Jean’s coffee that presents itself in the line of sight to the consumer first. From personal experience, I can vouch that it was irresistible to not go there and have a cold drink when getting indoors from one of the hottest days recorded in Chennai this year. On either side of the kiosk were shops such as Lifestyle and French connection. People (in particular women who were shopping for probably hours now) found themselves coming over to grab a quick bite and drink. It clearly reflected the strategic positioning of the shop to attract customers – Location!  I spoke to one of the women sitting at Gloria Jeans and enquired what had drawn her to the kiosk. She mentioned that the previous day she was waiting for a friend and decided to have a coffee since it was near the entrance. She ended up coming back the next day, decided to come over to relax there and read a book post her shopping. Customer retention achieved through quality service, positioning and convenience!

The menu on the wall primarily displayed the drinks offered (although there were so many eatables)….the stance on the food was loud and clear to the consumer - WE SELL COFFEE! The eatables sell themselves off the shelves. I realized that it reflected on their primary vision of being a Coffee Shop.  I enquired from the cheerful cashier what their specialty is and he mentioned that their mocha shakes were the fastest selling.  The color schemes of the menu and the kiosk were coffee bean color…the perfect ambience to set the tone of coffee. The menu designs at Gloria Jean’s are changed every six months, the cashier mentioned. It keeps the menu ‘fresh’, he said as an afterthought.

Sipping on an iced mocha shake, I pondered over what makes a place like Gloria Jean’s sell. On a cursory glance, the place was just a coffee kiosk. Taking a closer look revealed the various ingredients of careful planning – a unique collection of food and beverages, with a sprinkle of creative juices into the design of the place and topped with great customer service and with the easy to locate factor build in. A truly perfect recipe for a nicely packaged hang out joint at any time of the day! 

(Source of Logo : http://www.gloriajeanscoffees.com/IN/home.aspx, Images : Self Clicked with permission from subjects and employees of Gloria Jeans)