How to make your café more efficient

Riverina Fresh on how cafés can navigate the many moving parts within the supply chain.

Riverina Fresh has become a trusted partner for many cafés across Australia. The long-standing dairy producer has built this bond through its high-quality products and practical solutions that help cafés manage stock and inventory more efficiently, keeping things running smoothly day to day.

The company understands the nuances of running cafés and is well versed on what drives success – and what creates obstacles – behind the scenes. The team know it’s the ideal blend of quality and efficiency that helps coffee businesses thrive.

And when it comes to inefficiencies, Asher Davies, General Manager of Riverina Fresh, says one of the biggest challenges cafés face is simply being time-poor. He says café owners and staff are often stretched thin and have to juggle multiple tasks throughout the day.

“This time crunch can affect various aspects of operations, from placing orders to managing payments,” he says.

“Many cafés still rely on manual processes, such as reviewing and approving invoices one by one, which can take up valuable time.”

For small businesses, he says this extra time spent managing invoices or ensuring bills are paid on time can add up quickly, creating inefficiencies that may spill into profitability.

Beyond this, he notes cafés often struggle with ongoing staff shortages and high turnover rates, which impacts both service quality and operational efficiency.

“Ultimately, many of these inefficiencies are driven by a lack of time and resources. Café owners often find themselves managing these tasks personally, which can detract from their ability to focus on growing the business or improving customer service,” says Asher.

He says Riverina Fresh offers several services aimed at alleviating operational inefficiencies, enabling café owners to focus on what matters most. This includes solutions like online ordering systems and consolidating suppliers. Cafés are increasingly seeking partners that can provide a broader range of products rather than managing multiple vendors and reducing logistical complexities.

“One of the key solutions we offer is our broad product range, which allows cafés to reduce the number of suppliers they work with. By sourcing everything they need from a smaller number of trusted suppliers, cafés can streamline their procurement processes saving both time and effort,” he says.

The company also collaborates with online ordering platform Ordermentum, making life easier for café owners by allowing them to set up standing orders and automatically receiving the same stock on a regular basis to streamline the ordering process.

“This eliminates the need for cafés to manually place orders each week and helps them stay on top of inventory without added effort,” says Asher.

What’s more, Ordermentum enables cafés to set up automatic payments via credit card or direct debit, ensuring invoices are paid on time without needing to dedicate precious minutes to manually processing each payment.

“This combination of product consolidation and automation helps reduce the administrative burden on café owners, freeing them up to focus more on running the business and customer service,” says Asher.

He adds that automating or streamlining orders can also help manage cash flow more effectively. With standing orders and automated payments, café owners can avoid unexpected costs or delays in receiving essential supplies, allowing them to plan and budget more accurately.

“It also reduces the human error factor as streamlined ordering minimises mistakes that can come from manually managing multiple suppliers, manually entering orders, or miscommunication between staff members. Fewer mistakes mean fewer disruptions to operations,” says Asher.

The system also integrates with accounting platforms, ensuring all financial data is automatically synced. This not only simplifies day-to-day operations but also makes year-end tax preparation or financial reporting much easier.

“Café owners don’t need to worry about sifting through piles of paperwork or entering data manually. Everything is already organised, ready to be accessed, and synced for tax time or any other financial reporting needs,” says Asher.

This level of automation significantly reduces administrative workload, minimises errors, and ensures café owners can focus on running their business rather than managing back-office tasks.

Asher says many cafés enjoy the streamlined and user-friendly nature of Riverina’s online ordering platform. And, unlike older systems where they would have to rely on trust and follow-up calls or emails to confirm orders, they can now see their order status in real time.

“Many of them appreciate the ease of being able to browse our full product range online. This gives them clear visibility of everything we offer, making it quick and simple to order exactly what they need,” says Asher.

“But one of the standout features they love is our real-time delivery tracking, which provides transparency and reassurance with each of their orders”

Real-time tracking allows customers to follow their order’s progress throughout the day. After placing the order, they receive a link with the estimated time of arrival and can follow the delivery truck’s location to the minute.

“This feature adds a layer of reliability and convenience that significantly reduces any uncertainty about when their order will arrive, so it enables them to plan accordingly,” says Asher. 

Beyond streamlining orders and being a one-stop shop, Riverina Fresh helps cafés boost efficiency with its consistent product quality.

“Cafés know they can count on our milk to perform consistently – stretching smoothly and reliably to create the high-quality cup of coffee their customers expect,” says Asher.

“This consistency reduces any guesswork or extra effort for baristas, allowing them to focus on crafting great coffee rather than troubleshooting issues with inconsistent ingredients.”

Asher says while the company’s milk products may be priced a little higher due to their premium nature, the overall savings from fewer deliveries, reduced administrative burden, and better product consistency can make a significant difference in a café’s bottom line.

By consolidating their orders with fewer suppliers, cafés can save on delivery costs  since they only need one or two shipments instead of multiple deliveries from different providers.

“We take a holistic approach to cost savings for our café customers,” says Asher, “with the overall value coming from efficiency, reliability, and reducing the number of moving parts in a café’s supply chain.” 

For more information, visit riverinafresh.com.au