Phase 1: Establish

Coffee Shop Concept Evaluation & Development

This service will include our team personally working with you one-on-one to strategically evaluate or develop + refine your coffee business concept using our unique “Defining Your Business Concept” exercise. This process is designed to help you clearly define/refine your purpose/mission, company values, target audience, products and services, market and location needs, what makes your business different and special, overall company concept, brand personality, and a company name that is in line with your concept/purpose/core values. This will get you well on your way toward completing most of the critical sections of your business plan as well as ensuring all key aspects of your company are on strategy, on message, and on mission/values. Texas Coffee School will also provide feedback on areas of opportunity you may not have thought of for purpose of maximizing profitability and business efficiency.

Coffee Shop Financial Plan

An important factor to a coffee business’s success is making sure it is in a location that serves it best. Don’t trust a gut feeling when it comes to selecting the right location for your business! This is how many coffee shops go out of business. When considering a location for a coffee shop business, there are specific data points we evaluate to project the business’s financial viability, total start-up investment (and budget), operating budget, rent, gross sales, net profit, return on investment timeline, 5 year growth, and more. When we are finished you will have your coffee shop financial plan spreadsheet in hand so you can make more informed decisions and you can complete the financial section of your coffee shop business plan more easily and professionally. (Note: A printed sample of this coffee shop financial plan spreadsheet and many other resources of this caliber are included with detailed instruction in our 3-Day Coffee Business Class)

Coffee Bar Design and Workflow

Now we’ve got a concept, a location, and a menu nailed down. At this point we draft a coffee shop bar design and recommended equipment list based on concept, menu, and workflow. We use our specialized expertise to maximize streamlined ergonomic workflow, and labor efficiency. While many architects boast experience designing coffee houses and cafes, the vast majority have never worked in a coffee shop to know how many steps it takes to do a barista’s job, or where to place equipment to maximize on labor efficiency and minimize collisions and wasted transaction time.

Coffee Roaster Recommendation

Our consulting team will make a thoughtful recommendation regarding which specialty coffee roaster to do business with, as well as what coffees in particular are the best fit for the target audience and concept.

Phase 3: Refine

Ongoing consulting and support

The only way to ensure long-term success of your coffee business is to continually fine-tune your process, and your people. Once your doors are open, we provide an ongoing support system with checkups, milestones, and ongoing barista training to aid you in this critical aspect of owning and operating your specialty coffee business.

Personal Growth

Our consulting team is genuinely invested in your success as a whole. There’s a reason you started this journey in the first place. As you walk this path there will be days when anyone would question their sanity. We’re here for you. We will constantly be assessing not only your business, but ways we can help you be your best. We will provide you thoughtful and truthful guidance with support and encouragement along your journey. We keep it human. We don’t think of ourselves as coffee business consultants. We’re mentors who truly want to help you grow as an entrepreneur.

Business Evaluation

Our coffee consulting services start with an on-site “big picture” evaluation of your coffee business for strengths and weaknesses, offering insights and ways to improve for future growth.

Operations Evaluation

Our coffee consultants will spend time on site observing your coffee business’ operational processes, customer flow, ergonomics, equipment, retail sales area, customer experience, service, beverage/food quality, execution standards, transaction efficiency, and workplace culture. We will provide a report with suggestions and insight for areas of improvement.

BRAND REVIEW

We will review and provide feedback on current brand presence along with any areas of opportunity for improvement. If desired, following our brand review, our in-house brand strategist and award-winning design team can create the natural evolution of your brand so your visual messaging is on point, relevant, and authoritative.

STAFF TRAINING

This includes personalized private training for your staff and/or management team at Texas Coffee School, or on-site at your coffee shop.

Employee Operations Manual

Includes development of a custom coffee program employee operations manual that outlines program philosophy, culture, employee expectations, customer service standards, daily responsibilities, efficiency expectations and menu execution.

Cafe Design

Create a custom store design for your chain or individual store, taking into consideration location, customer experience, menu, traffic flow, efficiency, equipment, and more.

Merchandising

We will help you select, design and implement merchandise and merchandising materials, point of purchase displays, apparel, bag labels, cups, add-ons and more.

Funding Advising

We will participate in funding meetings with venture capital firms and investors. Having specialty coffee professionals at the table can add considerable credibility to your project.

Coffee Product or Service Evaluation & Critique

Our consulting team will test and evaluate your coffee product or service and provide a detailed report with strengths, weaknesses, areas of opportunity, and insight for improvement (if necessary).

FOCUS GROUPS

We can develop, host, and administer specialized focus groups assembled of
coffee professionals and home coffee enthusiasts for purpose of learning more about perception of your brand and refining products & services before launch.

Architect Consulting

While many architects have experience designing coffee houses and cafes, the vast majority have never worked for a coffee business or understand the many nuances of a barista workflow. In our experience, most architects have no idea where to place equipment for maximum labor efficiency and minimized collisions and transaction times. Put our experience to work on your next project to ensure your coffee business client is getting the absolute best possible cafe design.

Funding Advising

We will participate in funding meetings with venture capital firms and angel investors. Having specialty coffee professionals at the table can add considerable credibility to your project.

BRAND REVIEW

We will review and provide feedback on current brand presence along with any areas of opportunity for improvement. If desired, following our brand review, our in-house brand strategist and award winning design team can create the natural evolution of your brand so your visual messaging is on point, relevant, and authoritative.