What Developers Can Learn About Strategy from Café Culture

I’ve often written about real estate development, strategy, and building “dream teams.” But no matter the industry — whether it’s developing a residential project or launching a café — clients come back not only for the product but for the experience and service.

In HoReCa, as in real estate, the customer experience is what defines success.
Good food or coffee is just the baseline. What makes a place unforgettable is how it treats people and the details that matter.
There are no small things in service:

• how guests are welcomed,
• how issues are resolved,
• how fast and thoughtfully requests are handled.

The same is true for development: buyers choose not just square meters but the team they trust.

• Product is essential, but service and presentation close the deal.

In cafés, it’s the plating and ambiance. In real estate, it’s the brand, visual identity, and communication.

• A strong team creates strong results.

Regardless of industry, the right people, processes, and culture matter more than marketing spend.

• Customer experience is long-term capital.

People recommend not just projects or restaurants — they recommend the emotions they experienced.

Over the past years, I’ve seen how service culture in Bali and Asia shapes how businesses treat their customers. HoReCa is a fast-paced industry — it instantly shows what works and what doesn’t. That agility can and should be applied to “slower” industries like development, consulting, and services.

The business of the future isn’t built only on products. It’s built on feelings, trust, and experiences that clients carry with them.