There are over 210 million coffee drinkers in the United States today. Coffee is expected to be a $238 billion dollar industry by 2025. Opening a coffee shop business is guaranteed to be needed since it is the second most popular beverage on earth after water.
Don't be fooled though, starting a coffee shop business is no walk in the park. Even if you brew the most delicious coffee in the world there is much more to a business. Below you'll find the most important factors to consider when opening your new coffee shop.
The Beans
You will have many supplier relationships to manage, but your most important one will be your bean supplier. This guide provides useful insights on what to consider when sourcing your beans.
Your beans will be what create your signature drink, so they need to be something special to bring customers back to your shop. It is important to note that as a business, all your suppliers should be wholesalers, not retailers, for the best deals.
Business Model
You can create a coffee shop from the ground up, pun intended. If you have more of a managerial and less of an entrepreneurial spirit, you can buy an existing coffee shop and manage it. Another option is to open a coffee shop franchise.
Service Model
A coffee business has infinite service model choices. Some can be completely online. Others can be in person or a hybrid.
The service model you choose will depend on what you want to offer to customers and what already exists in the market. One thing to consider is who your ideal customer is.
There are grab-and-go coffee shops. Other service models focus on an experience. These coffee shops will have waiters and ornate details on each cup.
A great way to help you determine what kind of coffee service you want to offer is to shop. Go to different coffee shops around your city, or even globally, and determine what aspects you like of each to culminate your shop.
Ambiance
Most consumers have favorite coffee shops for two reasons, the product, and the ambiance. The decor, background noise or lack thereof, barista uniform, branding, serve ware, and more will all come together to create your ambiance.
Equipment
The equipment you choose will depend a lot on the type of coffee you choose to specialize in. If you're specializing in French press, drip, or espresso, you'll need a specific machine for each.
Certain manufacturers or your retail location might already come with equipment. Determine the kind of coffee you'll offer then figure out if you already have access to the specialty equipment or will need to purchase it from a commercial coffee equipment vendor.
Starting Your Coffee Shop Business
This is a quick guide to help you start brainstorming what you want your coffee shop business to look like. There are still many other logistics to consider such as geographic location, financing, and staff. The most important thing is to just get started and all the other pieces will fall into place.
Continue reading our blog for more tips and coffee facts!
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