Case Study:
Sip Maroochydore
How Coffee Ideology Improved Profitability for a High-Traffic Coastal Café
Sip Maroochydore approached Coffee Ideology with a common but serious challenge:
despite turning over strong weekly revenue, the business consistently struggled with cash flow and net profit. The owners felt the numbers “should have been better,” but couldn’t pinpoint where the money was leaking.
Coffee Ideology was engaged to conduct a full operational and financial review, with the goal of uncovering inefficiencies and building a path back to profitability.
Our Approach & Solutions
1. Financial Audit & Profitability Assessment
We began with a deep dive into the venue’s financials, focusing on Cost of Goods Sold (COGS), labour costs, and weekly trading performance.
Our analysis revealed that both COGS and labour were operating well above industry benchmarks — the primary reason strong turnover wasn’t converting to profit.
2. COGS Review & Menu Restructure
A detailed breakdown of the menu highlighted several low-margin items and unnecessary complexity in the kitchen.
We re-engineered the menu by recommending:
A reduction in underperforming dishes
Removal of labour-intensive, low-profit items
Ingredient cross-utilisation to reduce wastage
Strategic pricing adjustments
The result was a tighter, more profitable menu that supported faster service and reduced prep workload.
3. Labour Efficiency & Roster Realignment
We analysed wage spend against hourly sales patterns and discovered consistent overstaffing during slow periods.
With adjusted rosters and better alignment of labour to demand, Sip significantly reduced its weekly wage percentage while maintaining service quality.
4. Trading Hours Optimisation
Sales data revealed several trading periods that were unprofitable.
We recommended closing during these low-yield hours, improving efficiency and reducing unnecessary costs in wages, utilities, and food prep.
This immediately strengthened weekly profit.
5. Increasing Turnover Through Google Optimisation
To drive additional foot traffic and maximise revenue during profitable hours, we improved Sip’s Google Business Profile and keyword strategy.
This boosted their online visibility, increasing discovery searches, map views, and customer conversions.
The Outcome
Within weeks, Sip Maroochydore experienced:
Lower COGS through smarter menu design
Reduced labour cost percentage
Less wastage and faster service
Improved weekly profitability
Increased customer traffic driven by stronger Google visibility
The café now operates with a cleaner menu, leaner labour model, and a far more sustainable profit structure.
