Is your cafe part of your audience strategy?
- Paul Baker
- Apr 16
- 5 min read
At Heritage Thinking Differently, we’re pouring another coffee, ordering dessert, and turning our attention to a subject that’s often overlooked in strategic conversations: the humble museum or heritage café. While the quality and character of cafés vary as widely as the sites themselves, most serve more than just refreshments - they underpin everything from visitor experience to income generation. This blog explores the roles, realities, and overlooked potential of these spaces.
Let’s begin with the most obvious function: sustenance. For larger or more remote sites, a good café is essential. If visitors are forced off-site in search of food, there’s a high chance they won’t return - particularly if options nearby are limited. Keeping people on-site longer doesn’t just improve their experience; it increases dwell time, boosts secondary spend on events or retail, and enhances the likelihood of deeper engagement. In other words, food equals retention. Just as important is setting the expectation. If visitors know in advance they can grab lunch, the barrier to visiting disappears.
Next course: the offer. What’s on the menu says a great deal about your site - and your audience. Volunteer-run cafés at smaller independents often keep things simple: homemade cakes, filter coffee, a few sandwich options. These can be endearing and full of charm, often reflecting the ethos of the site. But for those with a catering budget, the menu becomes an exercise in audience insight. Sites popular with families might prioritise speed, value, and child-friendly choices. Others may invest in quality or provenance, recognising that for many visitors, the café is as much a destination as the gallery or garden.
Indeed, some museum cafés are not merely convenient - they’re renowned. A recent article in The Guardian listed the 50 best museum cafés in the UK, celebrating those that have become destinations in their own right. I was especially proud to see one site I previously managed included - a testament to a team who’ve developed something meaningful, sustainable, and loved. In that case, the café didn’t just feed visitors - it built a community, fostered loyalty, and earned its own reputation.
For many heritage visitors, especially weekend day-trippers, the food offering is part of the decision-making process. This is particularly true in the arts sector, where galleries have long understood the value of a well-curated café. The Hepworth Gallery in Yorkshire, is a textbook example: it knows its customer, curates its offer accordingly, and delivers a quality experience that supports commercial success. Sites with this kind of offer don't just see one-off visits - they attract repeat diners who become repeat visitors.
And the value isn’t limited to weekends. A high-quality café can drive midweek traffic too. In a recent blog I made reference to a popular cafe which lacks a traditional heritage attraction but offers a well-curated shop and dining offer. It’s consistently busy, especially with mother-daughter duos enjoying lunch. If that kind of regular, all-weather, local market can be tapped by a site with no formal collection, imagine the potential for museums and heritage attractions with richer stories to tell. Once visitors cross the threshold - even just for food - they’re within reach of your exhibitions, tours, events, and retail. They’re primed, and they’re listening.
Of course, there’s an important caveat: paywalls. Where cafés sit behind ticketed entry—as in open-air museums - their function shifts slightly. Here, the café’s primary role is to support the on-site experience. In these settings, speed and convenience matter most. That said, even within the paywall, catering can be distinctive. Think of heritage railways that offer dining cars and fine meals as part of the journey - the café becomes the experience, not just a support act.
Increasingly, cafés are also vehicles for values. Sites are recognising the power of locally sourced, sustainable produce to tell a wider story. Supporting local makers, showcasing regional delicacies, and offering seasonal menus isn’t just good ethics - it’s smart business. Visitors respond to authenticity and quality. A quirky jam or a local cheese can elevate a meal and tie the dining experience directly to place and heritage. Every bite becomes a cultural experience in its own right.
And for, dessert...
I’ve saved the income conversation for last - not because it’s unimportant, but because it’s best considered in the context of the whole meal. Yes, cafés can and should generate revenue. But too often, especially in cash-strapped sites, the emphasis is solely on cost-cutting. The danger here is that by trimming too much, we limit quality, alienate visitors, and lose repeat custom. An uninspiring café may save you money in the short term - but it also forfeits long-term gains.
And it’s not always about what’s on the menu. Sometimes, success is a matter of scale. Are you turning away trade at peak times? Could a retractable awning expand your seating capacity and attract cyclists, dog-walkers or walkers who prefer to dine outdoors? Might weekend overflow be better accommodated with temporary structures or pop-up solutions? Often, it’s not just about improving quality - it’s about expanding capacity.
Outsourcing is another consideration. Many sites turn to concessions to manage their cafés—someone else assumes the risk, invests in equipment, and runs the business. This can work, but it also means they keep the profits and set the priorities. Their interest lies in selling food, not enhancing your visitor experience or promoting your events. If their café succeeds, will your site benefit? It’s a delicate balance and one that requires thoughtful negotiation. A well run cafe should be a tidy income generator, but restricting it to this role is to misunderstand its potential. Don't underestimate the value of a quirky cafe, the ambience, scenic views or architecture.
Ultimately, catering shouldn’t be an afterthought. It’s not a side dish - it’s part of the main course. The strongest sites understand how food, place, and storytelling intersect. If your café is underperforming, there may be untapped potential sitting right under your nose. A review of your commercial strategy - looking holistically at how food, space, and programming interact - might be the key to unlocking growth.
If this resonates, you might find my blog on destination-focused commercial offers of interest. It explores how we define our audiences, what our real goals are, and whether our assumptions are serving us well. I’ll link it at the end of this piece.
And if you’re thinking about how your own café might better support your mission—whether you need a fresh strategy, a commercial review, or a more holistic rethink—please do get in touch. A new approach might just be the ingredient you’re missing.
Paul Baker
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