There’s no denying that Americans love to drink coffee. As a boon for the food industry at a time when other drinks such as soda and bottled water are in decline, coffee has come roaring back in popularity since a decline in the mid 90s. Forty six percent of American workers say coffee helps them stay productive at work and more than half of Americans older than 18 drink coffee every day. About 150 Americans drink espresso, lattes, cappucino and iced/hot drinks.
If you’re passionate about coffee, a great way to share that passion is by opening a coffee shop. While you can offer great flavors and blends of coffee you can also become a one-stop shop that offers coffee, sandwiches, hot soup and baked goods. Coffee shops do billions of dollars of business every year and there are many benefits to opening a coffee shop.
- Freedom: If you’re considering opening a one-stop coffee shop in the near future, doing so can give you a tremendous sense of freedom. It gives you the flexibility to turn your business vision into a reality. You can set your own hours, create your own menu, design your business the way you want. Ultimately it’s your project and you get to be your own boss.
- Making Money: There’s nothing wrong with pursuing your passion and doing what you love, but the most important goal of most businesses is to make money. If you’re good at it, you can make a lot of money. The retail value of the U.S. coffee market is estimated to be at $48 billion with specialty coffee comprising approximately 55 percent value share. Additionally, independent coffee shops have about $12 billion in sales.
There’s no sure-fire way to turn huge profits. If there was, many coffee shops would have the same market share as places like Starbucks and McDonalds. You don’t have to be on the level of giants like that, but with an effective business plan you can still make money. - Making A Difference: Every day, countless Americans stop into their local coffee shop, pick up a newspaper, grab a paper cup full of joe and a pastry and catch up on the latest news. Simply put, local coffee shops are a happening places, especially in small towns and people opening coffee shops can do so with the knowledge that they can make an impact in their community.
A coffee shop is a place to socialize, a place to meet, a place to relax. From the sweets smells of java to the warm, welcoming environment, coffee shops are very inviting and a coffee shop can quickly become a community staple. - Sharing A Passion: Do you take coffee black? Do you prefer to add cream? Do you use a wooden stir to mix your coffee just right?
No matter how you take it, what blend you prefer or how you drink it, there’s no doubt scores of people love coffee. In fact, 65 percent of all coffee is consumed during breakfast hours, but the remaining 35 percent can also be consumed between meals or with other meals.
If you love coffee, opening a coffee shop is a great chance to share your passion with your customers and create a shop the way you want. From the décor down to equipment, you will be able to bring out your creativity and hopefully pass that passion on to your customers.
On the equipment side, you’ll have a choice over everything from the type of wooden stir spoon used to the blends of coffee offered to machinery used, you are the boss. Maybe you want colored wooden stir spoons. Maybe you want small paper cups with lids. Perhaps you want paper coffee cups with the name of your business to help it stand out.
When it comes to opening a coffee shop, the sky is the limit. Armed with a good business plan, plenty of passion and loads of creativity, an average coffee shop into the hot spot to be in your town. With Americans consuming nearly 400 million cups of coffee a day, if you’ve got a great product to offer, people will grab their favorite blend and a wooden stir and drink up.
