Periodically I find myself doing business further north in the Palm Beach area. This past August, I stopped by the Town Center in Boca Raton, Florida. Since my next meeting was at 7:00 PM and it was around 5:30 in the afternoon, I knew there was time for me to chill and answer a few emails on my laptop.

After ordering a cup of cappuccino the guy at the register automatically gave me a discount. This was a kind gesture since I did not need to flash any rewards cards or do a song and dance number.

I saw a beautiful woman grabbing coffee and thought, I do not need to run all over the mall looking to find Starbucks, this place will do. The Bonaccio Café has been open for a few years and has a great reputation in the area. After ordering a cup of cappuccino the guy at the register automatically gave me a discount. This was a kind gesture because I did not need to flash any rewards cards or do a song and dance number.

The space was in the more relaxed side of the mall, which provided me with a quiet moment to read emails in peace. Sometimes, when you visit the more popular cafés or coffee shops there seems to be more activity that is unrelated to just enjoying a cup of Joe. All in all, I will surely visit again and bring a friend along with me.

Here are my tips to running a great local café:

• Make sure there are enough two tops in the restaurant.
• Have a clear glass case full of fresh or recently delivered pastries.
• Keep your customer loyalty program flexible;
• In the case of Bonnaccio, sometimes giving a discount to a one-time customer is valuable.