Atlanta Athletic Club Executive Chef Peter Smithing
Coffee is the favorite hot beverage for members—and it’s getting hotter.
Coffee may not be the deciding factor in a member’s dining decision, but a great cup has the power to make a lasting impression. In response, clubs are upgrading their offerings and finding clever ways to meet new demand.
“There are two main challenges with coffee,” says Peter Smithing, Executive Chef of Atlanta Athletic Club (AAC) in Johns Creek, Ga., which is home to 1,900 members, and does $5.8 million in annual F&B. “The first is consistency and quality across an entire operation, and the second is in finding ways to monetize it.”
At AAC, Smithing—a self-described “coffee snob” who has been with the club for nearly three years—estimates that 90% of the coffee served on property is free.
“Coffee is ubiquitous here; it’s in the locker rooms, at the halfway house and it’s out for meetings and events,” says Smithing. “Our staff is always brewing a fresh pot and switching it out at least every 30 minutes.”
This helps to keep the quality up to Smithing’s standards and always guarantees members get a fresh cup, no matter where they are on property.
The club serves its coffee in AAC-branded pots and airpots, too.
“It might not seem like much, but a great cup of coffee can add to the reasons members choose to dine here,” says Smithing.
The next challenge for AAC, when so much of the club’s coffee service is complimentary, has been in finding appropriate ways to monetize it and elevate the experience.
Just down the street from AAC is a national coffeehouse chain that charges customers upwards of $4 or $5 for lattes, cappuccinos and other complicated coffee drinks. AAC members and guests frequently purchase drinks there and then come to the club.
“There should be absolutely no reason our members can’t get a good coffee drink here,” says Smithing.
To compete with the street, the club purchased a couple of portable espresso and cappuccino machines, which can be offered as an upgrade to a traditional coffee service for events. They also offer accouterment alternatives like almond milk, soymilk or sugar substitutes.
AAC also recently opened a new coffeehouse/dining operation, dubbed the Center Court Café, near the tennis courts that serves artisan fast-casual fare like paninis, salads and sandwiches, as well as a menu of lattes, cappuccinos and other espresso and coffee drinks.
“It’s only been open for a few weeks, but it’s always packed,” says Smithing. “The best part is that we’re seeing a lot of members over there who aren’t here for tennis.”
