Coffee Consulting Services
Pete Licata, World Barista Champion
I work with a small number of hospitality businesses and coffee brands each year on programs that make a difference. My focus is on quality, differentiation, and meeting market need. Every project is scoped and focused on a measurable outcome.
Learn more about my background →
Here's how I can help you:
Caffeine Strategy Implementation
From $15,000 AUD · 3-6 weeks
TYPICAL CLIENTS
Hotels, wellness venues, boutique hospitality groups, and lifestyle brands who want to give guests genuine control over their caffeine experience, not just a choice between regular and decaf.
THE PROBLEM
Most coffee programs treat caffeine as a binary (full caffeine or decaf), or worse, ignore the caffeine entirely. That leaves a significant gap for customers who want coffee in the afternoon, who are sensitive to caffeine, who are pregnant, or who simply want to manage their energy more intentionally. They exist in every venue. Right now your program isn’t designed for them.
DELIVERABLES
A structured caffeine-level menu framework (Full / Moderate / Low / Decaf)
Product sourcing direction and blend recommendations
Staff language guide: how to present caffeine options without confusion
Customer-facing education material
Service flow integration and customisation
Full launch plan and 4 weeks of implementation support
THE OUTCOME
A coffee program with a genuine point of difference. Customers who previously avoided afternoon coffee become regular purchasers. Staff who can guide caffeine conversations with confidence. A story your venue can actually tell.
Coffee Program Build
From $18,000 AUD · 4-8 weeks
TYPICAL CLIENTS
New café concepts, restaurant groups adding a serious coffee identity, international brands entering the specialty market, or any venue whose coffee program exists but has never been properly designed.
THE PROBLEM
Opening a venue with good intentions and sourcing decent beans is not the same as having a coffee program. Without a clear identity (what your coffee stands for why your sourcing choices matter, how your service communicates quality) you're one of hundreds. This engagement creates the framework that makes your coffee worth talking about.
DELIVERABLES
Coffee concept and positioning (what makes your program distinctly yours)
Sourcing direction and blend or single origin strategy
Brew parameters and extraction standards
Service model and workflow design
Staff training framework and calibration system
Launch plan with quality benchmarks
THE OUTCOME
A coffee program built from the ground up with world-class thinking behind every decision, and a team that understands why each decision was made, so standards hold after I'm gone.
Coffee Program Audit & Profit Fix
From $10,000 AUD · 2-4 weeks
TYPICAL CLIENTS
Established venues or multi-site groups who know their coffee program could be better but can't pinpoint exactly where it's underperforming, or don't have the internal expertise to fix it.
THE PROBLEM
Most coffee programs have at least two or three significant leaks: extraction inconsistency, waste, poor workflow, undertrained staff, or a menu that doesn't match what customers actually want. Each one costs money quietly, every day. This engagement finds them and fixes them.
DELIVERABLES
Full audit of extraction quality, consistency, and waste
Margin and menu analysis
Workflow and staffing gap assessment
Written findings report with prioritised recommendations
Implementation support for agreed fixes
Follow-up review at 30 days
THE OUTCOME
A clear picture of where your coffee program is losing money, quality, or customer experience and a practical plan to fix it. Where losses are difficult to quantify, opportunity cost still matters. Most clients find the project pays for itself quickly.
Product Development Sprint
From $15,000 AUD · Fixed fee or retainer · timeline varies
TYPICAL CLIENTS
Coffee equipment brands, RTD and functional beverage companies, and roasters developing new product lines who need world-class sensory and technical input, fast.
DELIVERABLES
Concept development and product direction
Prototype evaluation and sensory calibration
Technical input on recipe parameters, product design, or equipment integration
Custom analysis or scoring systems to maintain QA over time
Ongoing advisory available as a follow-on retainer
PRIOR WORK
Product development collaborations with Hario, Mazzer, DYDO Drinkco, and Nomad Coffee Group. Details available on request.
Ongoing advisory
Some clients continue working with me on a monthly retainer after project delivery for ongoing program management, quality oversight, multi-site rollout, or staff coaching.
Retainers run from $3,000–$8,000/month AUD depending on scope, with a minimum 3-month term. I take on a maximum of three retainer clients at any time.
Retainer arrangements are offered at my discretion following a completed project. If you're interested in an ongoing relationship, please mention it in your enquiry.
How the Coffee Consulting Process Works
30 minute discovery call
You tell me about your business and what you're trying to achieve. I'll give you an assessment of whether I think I can help and which engagement makes sense.
Scoped proposal
If there's a fit, I send a written proposal within 5 business days: clear scope, specific deliverables, timeline, and fee structure.
Delivery
I work directly with you and your team. Most projects run 3–8 weeks. You receive documented systems and frameworks your team can use and build on after the engagement ends.
I work best with businesses that take their coffee seriously, whether that means a hotel group investing in a guest experience they can be proud of, a multi-site hospitality brand that wants to close the gap between their food program and their coffee program, or a product company that needs world-class technical input.
I'm based in Melbourne and take on projects across Australia and internationally.
Ready to talk about your coffee program?
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