Case Study : The Coffee Connoisseur

At A Glance...

The coffee connoisseur (tcc) is the leading purveyor of gourmet coffees in Singapore and soon, the region. They pride themselves in offering an extensive range of exclusive top-quality coffees, brewed to perfection using a variety of methods including syphon, ice coffee dripper and espresso techniques.

They provide a cosy, welcoming ambience where customers can fully appreciate the pleasure of savouring a truly excellent cup of coffee. Each of their art boutique caffè features a unique design and ambience to suit the local clientele. TCC's comprehensive menu of delicious starters, main courses and desserts will certainly gratify their customers' appetite.

The concept of TCC is young and fresh — conceived in mid 2003 and launched on December 18, 2003.Their first two art boutique caffès to open on that day were at Millenia Walk and Beach Centre. One month later, TCC Cineleisure, which has a shop-concept 'look and feel', was opened.

Their Vision

'To be the leading branded hospitality chain in Singapore and the region.'

Their Mission

'By innovation and consistency of our products and service quality , we will lead in the taste of Coffee and uphold our standing as The Coffee Connoisseur.'

All above information were taken from TCC's main web page. For more info, go to http://www.thecoffeeconnoisseur.com/.

Personal Experience:

My personal experience of going to TCC (Bugis Junction) is a unique one. Unique in a sense that it has a very defined style to it - Artistic, urban and stylish. The furnitures and design there are very simple looking, but yet they are able to create a very sleek style. The ambience is also very cosy, and overall a very good place to relax and have coffee. The unique selling point of TCC have to be their stylish boutiques, besides their coffee and food.

As I have mentioned before, TCC offers a very artistic and urban style ( Bugis junction Boutique) . But besides that, TCC also offers many different designs per boutique island wide. Each boutique has a unique ambience designed with their guests in mind. This is definitely a huge plus in the 'Experience' aspect of their design. Customers are introduced to a variety of designs to choose from ; to have the choice of going to the boutique which ambience suits them best.

Below are some of the examples of the different boutique designs.

TCC @ Centrepoint

TCC @ Bugis Junction (Atrium)

TCC @ MarinaBay



TCC @ Suntec City

Competitors:

Being a casual dining cafe, TCC definitely have competition around, with Starbucks and TheCoffeeBean being the top contenders. However, what set TCC apart from them is the unique designs of the boutiques and the food range. Both Starbucks and TheCoffeeBean only offers snacks and pasteries such as cheesecake and sandwhiches, but TCC offers a wider range of food including breakfast sets, soups, salads as well as savoury main courses and pasta which will satisfy almost all the needs of a hungry or picky customer! This is another huge plus in the overall experience aspect.

Evaluation Using P.O.E.M.S

People:

The people who goes there are usually the working class ; businessmen and office people who are having their office break or are just chilling out after work. However, there are also teenagers who goes to TCC to hang out with friends, using the laptop to do work, access internet etc.

Objects:

The furnitures are very stylish, and their designs all differ from different branches.

Environment:

Once again, the overall environment differs from different branches, since each branch have their own unique design. However, the overall ambience is aimed to be cosy and relaxed, in order to let customers enjoy their coffee and at the same time, feel at home. Most branches also have artworks or galleries displayed, since TCC's aim is to combine art and coffee together.

Messages:

Being artistic and professional. The tcc experience blends art and lifestyle to give their guests the space to indulge in their own time and to appreciate a fine cup of coffee, just as an art enthusiast may appreciate a great work of art.

Services:

Coffee exellence, flavoursome food, ambience, guests satisfaction, quality is everything.