Coffee shops love to say they want to “educate customers.” It sounds noble, but it is one of the fastest ways to lose people. Customers are not looking for a classroom when they walk into your café. They are looking for connection, comfort, and discovery. If your marketing centers on education, you risk putting yourself in the role of teacher and your customer in the role of student. That creates distance, not loyalty.
This is where many cafés misunderstand the story they are telling. Donald Miller’s StoryBrand framework points out that in every story there is a hero and a guide. The hero is the one with the problem. The guide is the one who helps them succeed. When you say you are here to “educate,” you cast yourself as the hero, the one with all the knowledge. Your customer is pushed into the background. But customers are not searching for another hero. They are looking for a guide.
Why “education” drives customers away
Think about your own life. How often do you want to be taught by a stranger? When you step into a café, you want to feel seen, not schooled. You want a coffee that fits your mood, a space where you belong, a moment of clarity in your day. That makes you the hero of your story. If the café insists on being the teacher, the story becomes one-sided.
The best coffee marketing strategies rest on empathy and authority. Empathy says, “We get you. We know what your mornings feel like.” Authority says, “We can help you find a coffee that matches that need.” Together, they invite the customer to be the hero, while the café takes the role of the trusted guide.
How to replace “education” with guidance
There are simple shifts any café can make.
Instagram bios
Typical: “Award-winning roaster educating customers since 2011.”
Better: “Helping coffee lovers discover better coffee every day.”
The first is about you. The second is about them.
Menu descriptions
Typical: “Our baristas will educate you on single origins.”
Better: “Taste coffees that highlight unique regions and flavors, without the jargon.”
One assumes the customer needs lessons. The other invites them into discovery.
Websites
Typical: “Our mission is to educate the public about coffee.”
Better: “Find coffee you love, with no guesswork.”
The second headline puts the customer’s need first.
A quick exercise for café owners
Print out your Instagram bio, your menu, and your homepage. Circle every time you see the word “educate” or any phrase that makes you the teacher. Then rewrite those lines with your customer as the focus. If your language positions you as the hero, it is time to flip the story.
What to remember
“Education” sounds positive, but it sets the wrong frame. It places the café above the customer instead of beside them. Your customer does not need a lecture. They need a guide who helps them discover new tastes, new rituals, and new moments of joy.
The cafés that grow are the ones that stop teaching and start guiding.
Call to action
Look at your website, your menu, and your social media today. Where are you trying to educate? Rewrite those lines. Let your customer be the hero. Your job is to be the guide.
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