A sporting club’s canteen is usually one of the strongest fundraising instruments they have. For entire seasons the canteen brings in a strong flow of funds each and every game day. All it takes is a handful of willing volunteers to staff the dim sim steamers, Chupa-Chup buckets and cash register – and a little organisation to keep things running.
One local club is offering a new take on the canteen, offering a little more than the traditional instant coffee in a Styrofoam cup. The Brunswick Zebras Football Club’s (BZFC) canteen – which it prefers to call a coffee shop – includes real, café-quality coffee.
The Funding Centre spoke to the President of the BZFC Carlo Carli, who said the club’s coffee shop was kicking fundraising goals.
FC: Tell us a little about the coffee shop. Has it been profitable?
CC: Coffee is our biggest fundraiser.
We have two grounds and operate two machines: a four-cup Gaggia at Sumner Park in Brunswick, and a six-cup San Marco at Ryder Reserve, Royal Park.
They are both reconditioned machines. The San Marco cost us $1800 this year. We had a smaller borrowed machine from Vittoria Coffee previously.
Coffees are sold at $3.50. Since our coffee is supplied by a sponsor it is all profit.
To run it effectively you need someone to set up the machines properly and people need to be trained to make a good coffee.
Our club has a reputation for providing good coffees. That involves a good machine that is well maintained, having a good coffee blend and having people that can make a good coffee.
FC: Was it expensive to set up and operate the coffee machines?
CC: We have been fortunate over the last few years to have Vittoria Coffee sponsor the club. This has involved them supplying coffee beans, cups and sugar.
The machines are old-fashioned, but very good machines. If we had to buy a San Marco new it would probably be about $7000. However the coffee suppliers will often supply the machines if you can sell enough coffees.
This year we had to rewire both clubrooms to cope with a higher amperage.
FC: What factors are important to be successful when selling coffee?
CC: The heritage of our club is Italian so coffee is very important, and it has to be good coffee. There is quite a lot of expertise about the club in both setting up and running the machines.
Being inner-city and having an Italian feel in the club helps. It also helps that we play over a cold winter.
I know another club that has a machine and they rarely use it. It is a domestic model and they just don't have the knack to make a decent coffee.
FC: Do you have advice for other groups who would like to try the same thing?
CC: My view is that you need to know your market. If you have coffee drinkers like we do being based in Brunswick, then you need to invest and set up a good coffee-making operation. You need to talk to the coffee suppliers and see what deal they could do for you.
You don't need a new $7000 machine. A reconditioned one will do, but for a club it can still be quite an investment. For us it was $1800 installed plus the cost of rewiring for the higher amperage. It was a good deal but you need to sell a lot of coffee to pay it off.
FC: Are you able to put an exact number on how much you make from coffee sales?
CC: I am not sure exactly what we make on coffee, but we might sell between 60 and maybe 200 coffees a weekend – depending on the games being played. If we sell 200 we make $700. Our season is between April and September, and obviously the sales fluctuate.
However, coffee also improves the ambiance of the club and provides a sense of place. It is very much part of our club as a social hub.
Number crunch: By the Funding Centre’s estimates, the BZFC can make roughly $180 - $700 each weekend. In a 22-game season that equates to anywhere between $3960 and $15,400.
In this interview Mr Carli provided a few lessons for groups hoping to raise funds with coffee:
The market needs to be right – The BZFC’s inner-city, mostly Italian customers enjoy good coffee, particularly during the cold winter season. A cricket club might be hesitant to purchase a coffee machine during the hot summer season.
One of the first steps to take before purchasing a coffee machine for your group or club will be to think about your customer base: Are they coffee drinkers? Will there be enough demand for good coffee to justify moving ahead with a plan?
The coffee needs to be good – A major part of the BZFC’s success comes from their determination to make high quality coffee. While you might have limited success selling the usual instant coffee or something from a cheap percolator, higher quality coffee made with an espresso machine will be a major draw for customers to hand over their money.
This will involve an espresso machine and person who has experience as a barista. Many young adults have spent time working in cafes – ask around and see if any will donate their time on game day to make and serve coffees – if no volunteers can be found, send a willing volunteer off to a one-day barista course (a quick internet search will find plenty of courses).
Find a sponsor – The BZFC’s success with its coffee fundraising comes predominantly from their sponsor providing beans, sugar and cups.
Search for coffee companies – preferably local – and contact them with a request for a sponsorship.
Advertising is important – while Mr Carli didn’t mention anything about advertising, the Funding Centre never would have found out about their coffee shop without the great sign at the front of their club.
As with any fundraiser, advertising is vital. If nobody knows about your coffee, nobody will ask for one.
Try something different? – An espresso machine, commercial or otherwise, is not cheap. If your club wants to offer a good coffee, but save on the expense, look into the newer ‘coffee pod’ machines. They are popular and relatively inexpensive.
Although, as the BZFC’s mostly inner-city, Italian heritage customers would say, there’s no substitute for a good, real coffee.
Some used coffee machines can be found at machines4u.com.au, or through an internet search. Machines can also be sourced from coffee companies and homeware stores.
If fundraising with coffee sounds like a great idea but too pricey for your group, try contacting local companies who hire out portable coffee carts and baristas, and discuss a sponsorship/partnership. Some companies, such as 92 Degree Espresso, offer to come along to your event, sell their coffees, and share profits at the end of the day. It’s a win-win situation; you get to share in their profits without really doing anything, and they get to make some money, earn some exposure and do their part for a local community group – which will also result in plenty of goodwill for their company.
