Coffee Shop in a Bank

Grand Island, Nebraska, has a Home Federal branch bank with a coffee shop on the premises to create a casual, friendly atmosphere for its customers. I’ve seen coffee shops in book stores, in apartment buildings, in libraries, in supermarkets, in medical complexes and in churches, but this is the first story I’ve seen about banks using the model to build relationships.

“If you think Home Federal is in the coffee shop business, think again. The cafe is a well-planned part of a new focus, a new way to deliver banking services.

"We used to be order takers," [V.P. Orv] Qualsett said. "Now we want to reach out to people who come to our bank."

The cafe concept fits that like hot coffee on a cold morning.”