Small businesses are a vital part of the American economy. In fact, 99.9% of all U.S. businesses are considered small businesses, according to Forbes. Small businesses also employ nearly half of American employees! If you’re a small business owner of any type of brick-and-mortar store—from salons to retailers to repair shops—it might be worth considering how a coffee shop can add revenue to your existing business. We call this type of business/coffee shop a hybrid model.
In the process of opening your coffee shop, you’ll face hundreds of business decisions. You may have already thought about some of the major decisions that will form your coffee shop’s identity: the location, the name, or the menu.
However, every experienced entrepreneur knows that decision-making can become much more granular. How do you choose a contractor? Who will supply your specialty coffee? What will your baristas wear? Which cups should you order?
Many of us have heard contractor and buildout horror stories told by people who started a small restaurant or coffee shop business. There are often unexpected setbacks, major unforeseen expenses, and long delays from not passing inspections the first time. But what if it doesn’t have to be this way? What if it’s possible to choose high quality contractors to build out your coffee shop?
We teach students in our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class how to navigate a buildout smoothly and cost-effectively.
We meet Coffeepreneurs® with all kinds of backgrounds. Very few, it turns out, have spent their entire careers in specialty coffee. We’ve worked with teachers, nurses, veterans, artists, attorneys, and more to help them launch a new career aligned to their passions, goals, and unique talents. No matter your background, you’ve likely acquired skills along the way that will transfer to your career as an entrepreneur and coffee shop owner. (We can fill in the rest of the skills you need in our 3-Day Coffee Business Master Class.) Here are some common careers from our former students,
As we kick off a new year, we’re forecasting consumer trends that are shaping the future for coffee shops. As Gen Z becomes a bigger market influence, the shape of the specialty coffee industry is changing. There is evidence of this transformation not only in drink menus at local coffee shops, but in bold moves by giants like McDonalds and Chobani or in the success of drive-thru chains like Dutch Bros, or 7 Brew. In this article,