Coffee aficionados may turn up their noses at flavored coffee, but it’s a menu item that attracts a healthy following at any café or bistro. Buy flavored coffee bean mixtures and flavored coffee cream that will appeal to your clientele, and you'll soon find that this minimal investment will bring in more customers with a nose for java.

Before you fork over big bucks for gourmet flavored coffee beans, consider the following simple details that could cater to the coffee set without big changes to your business:

1. Coffee-flavoring syrup can help you create flavored coffees without a change to your actual brew, and it's available in sugar-free varieties.

2. Add flavored coffee stirrers and flavored coffee cream to your condiment offerings for do-it-yourselfers.

3. Create a signature mix of flavored coffee and add-ins to serve as your house specialty brew.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Target the eco-sensible consumer with organic flavored coffee beans

You've seen that everyone is 'going green,' so why not join in? If your clientele is well educated and affluent, they'll demand organically grown beans and simple, all-natural flavorings. Nature's Flavors sells whole-bean flavored coffee, roasted daily, but also offers its natural coffee-flavoring oils. If you'd rather buy from a local source, buy unflavored and add your flavorings to fresh-roasted beans.

I recommend: Buy organic flavored coffee beans from Nature's Flavors or Flying Bean, which sell only fair trade beans flavored with natural ingredients.

Try gourmet flavored coffee beans before you buy

Even if you don't upgrade your coffee-making equipment and send your employees to barista school, adding flavored coffees to your menu still requires an investment. Request samples from the roasters you like, and try them out on your customers. Tally the votes, and buy the brew your patrons like best.

I recommend: Sample a vanilla flavored coffee blend, a hazelnut flavored coffee, and the signature Fair Trade Rainforest Nut blend in the Green Mountain Coffee Roasters flavored sampler. The pack doesn't include flavored decaf coffee, though, so sample decaf and anything else your heart desires with Boca Java one-pot samplers.

Offer daily specials on flavored coffees and pairings

Wine lovers know well the art of pairing wine and food, but coffee adds its own distinct layer of flavor to foods, especially desserts. If your business includes a line of desserts, find out which flavored coffees best complement those desserts and offer daily specials to showcase your menu's best assets.

I recommend: Use Food Network's coffee pairing chart to develop your new menu, or create new desserts to complement your selection of flavored coffees using the All Recipes pairing suggestions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Buy flavored coffee beans from companies that roast fresh daily, vacuum-pack their whole beans and ship the same day. Freeze whole beans until you're ready to grind and brew, to maintain the ultimate gourmet coffee flavor, and never serve coffee that's been brewed longer than one hour.