How to Drive Large Party Orders at Your Coffee Shop: 6 Proven Strategies

TLDR

Most coffee shops focus on steady day-to-day sales: regulars grabbing their morning latte, a quick pastry to go, or a cold brew for the commute. That business is reliable, but it has limits. What many shops overlook is the chance to serve bigger groups. Only about 20 to 30 percent of cafés offer catering or large party ordering, which means those who do gain a clear advantage. Offices need coffee for meetings, families want easy breakfast spreads, and community groups look for simple solutions that take the stress out of feeding a crowd. If your shop is the one that provides it, you instantly stand out.

Why Coffee Shops Should Offer Large Party Orders

Large party orders bring in more than a quick sale at the counter. A single office order can equal dozens of individual purchases, without the extra foot traffic. Families planning gatherings, schools hosting events, and businesses stocking up for team meetings are all looking for someone to make their jobs easier. If your café can fill that role, the rewards add up fast.

The value goes beyond immediate revenue. Adding catering services can increase a coffee shop’s Average Order Value (AOV) by 25 percent, which is a meaningful lift for any small business. Many of these orders also repeat on a weekly or monthly basis, creating a predictable income that helps stabilize cash flow.

There is also a visibility benefit. Every time your coffee and food show up at a company breakfast or a community event, new people discover your shop for the first time. Some of them will return as individual customers, building a steady flow of regulars.

In a competitive market, offering catering sets you apart. While most cafés limit themselves to walk-ins, being the local shop that can confidently handle group orders builds credibility and a reputation for reliability.

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How Coffee Shops Can Drive Large Party Orders

Designing Group-Friendly Menus

Bundle Options That Remove Friction

When someone orders for ten or twenty people, they do not want to spend time piecing together every drink and pastry. Simple bundles take the pressure off. A package like “Coffee for 10 with assorted pastries” or “Cold brew growlers with breakfast sandwiches” makes it easy for the buyer and easier for you to prepare. It also gives you predictable pricing and portions, which helps avoid mistakes.

Showcasing Offers Online

Most group orders are planned outside of shop hours, often by office managers or busy parents. If your bundles are clearly displayed on your website and app, they can place the order in minutes without calling or coming in. This convenience is a big deal for them, and it ensures you capture the sale before they look elsewhere.

With all this, you need to protect the team’s workflow too. Large party orders can overwhelm your team if they come in during peak times. Using order pacing and pre-order features makes sure your staff knows what is coming and when. These features allow you to set prep times, spread out orders, and maintain the regular flow of service. 

Per Diem includes these workflow tools as part of the subscription, enabling coffee shops to handle volume smoothly without incurring extra fees or last-minute stress.

Making Convenience Your Competitive Edge

Pre-Orders and Pacing Tools

When groups choose a provider, reliability and convenience outweigh almost everything else. Offices, in particular, cannot risk delays. Pre-order functions let you schedule bulk orders for quieter parts of the day, while pacing tools keep your team from being overwhelmed. This way, you can fulfill large orders without slowing down service for your daily walk-ins.

Packaging and Timing Details

Small touches build trust. Drinks in sturdy carriers, clear labels, and orders ready at the promised time show customers you care. Owners or managers already know how to do this well in daily service; it is simply about scaling those habits for bigger requests. Adding a checklist for large orders or assigning one staff member to double-check before pickup or delivery can make the process smooth. One polished experience often turns into recurring business across teams and events.

Building Relationships That Drive Repeat Orders

Partnerships with Offices and Community Spaces

Steady catering growth often comes from direct outreach. Offices, schools, gyms, and co-working spaces all need food and drinks for their gatherings. Instead of waiting for them to find you, take the first step. Offer to sponsor coffee for a co-working space or provide a special package for a local business event. These small gestures can open the door to long-term accounts. Location and distance matter as well, so it helps to begin with groups close to your café, like the office building down the street, the gym around the corner, or the co-working hub a few blocks away. Proximity keeps delivery simple, reduces costs, and allows your staff to handle orders without stretching resources.

Turning One-Off Events into Regular Accounts

A single successful delivery can turn into a weekly commitment. For example, an office that tries your Friday morning package once may decide to make it a routine. Stay proactive: follow up after the first order, thank them, and suggest recurring options. Consistency turns a one-time catering job into a reliable revenue stream.

Delivery and Logistics That Work at Scale

Using Third-Party Services

Large party orders are rarely picked up in person. Most require delivery, and if your café does not offer it, you risk losing out on these sales. A practical first step is to use third-party services like DoorDash or Uber Eats. They already have drivers and systems in place, which lets you start offering delivery without a major setup.

Hybrid Delivery for More Control

Relying fully on outside platforms can eat into your margins. A hybrid approach gives you more control. With Per Diem, orders can come through your own app while still using third-party drivers to handle the drop-off. This way, you keep the customer relationship, delivery commissions, and branding in your hands while outsourcing the logistics when needed.

In-House Delivery Options

Some cafés eventually bring delivery completely in-house. Partnering with a local courier service or hiring part-time drivers can protect your profit margins and allow you to set your own standards. One bakery that uses Per Diem, Choc O Pain, runs its own delivery system to keep full control over quality. For many shops, a local-first model makes sense, especially when serving offices or events that are only a short drive away.

Protecting Quality on the Road

Quality needs special attention with larger orders. Drinks must stay at the right temperature, pastries should arrive intact, and packaging must feel as professional as the in-store experience. Insulated carriers, tamper-proof seals, and clear instructions for drivers make a big difference in how customers perceive your café. A reliable delivery process builds trust and can turn occasional group orders into steady repeat business.

Check CBC for more equipment.

Smart Operations and Planning

Advance Notice Policies

Taking large party orders without notice can disrupt your workflow and overwhelm your team. Setting clear cutoffs, such as requiring orders to be placed at least 24 to 48 hours in advance, protects your daily operations. Customers understand these boundaries, and most offices or event planners already plan ahead, so it rarely costs you sales.

Batch Production Systems

Preparing items in bulk saves time and effort. Brewing in airpots, filling growlers, or boxing pastries in larger sets reduces the strain on your staff and keeps orders consistent. This approach also lowers mistakes and creates a smoother handoff at pickup or delivery.

Tech Integration for Forecasting

Connecting catering orders with your POS and inventory system helps you plan better. If a corporate client orders 10 gallons of cold brew every Friday, your system should anticipate that and adjust purchasing automatically. This reduces waste and ensures you never scramble to fill a recurring order.

Retention and Growth Strategies

Group Loyalty Rewards

Once you secure a group order, the goal is to keep it coming back. Offering group-focused loyalty rewards is a smart way to encourage repeat business. Instead of individual punch cards, think collective rewards based on the overall spend of an office or family. For example, after five large orders, the next one could include a complimentary box of pastries. This approach gives decision-makers a reason to choose your café again.

Subscription and Recurring Orders

Consistency is key for offices and organizations. Many want the convenience of not having to place the same order week after week. By offering subscription models or recurring order options, you create predictable revenue while saving customers the effort of reordering. An office that commits to a weekly coffee delivery at a set rate gives you stable income and them peace of mind.

Promotions That Encourage Volume

Special offers can also help drive larger sales. Group packages, such as coffee and pastry combos or tasting boxes, give buyers a deal while boosting your Average Order Value. Promotions like “buy one, get one free” on large pastry boxes or discounted packages for offices ordering multiple gallons of cold brew are effective in nudging customers to place bigger orders than they originally planned.

Ready to Get Started?

With Per Diem, cafés can easily offer BOGO deals, subscription packages, and manage large orders while keeping everything synced with their POS. Sign up today and make group ordering a seamless part of your business.

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Final Thoughts

Large party orders represent one of the most underused opportunities for coffee shops today. While only a fraction of cafés actively promote catering, those that do often see higher Average Order Values, more predictable income, and stronger community visibility. From creating simple bundles to building office partnerships, and from managing delivery logistics to setting clear policies, the path is not complicated — it just requires intention. With the right systems in place, a single order can equal a day’s worth of individual sales, and satisfied groups will spread the word faster than any marketing campaign.

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