Our world seems to be moving at hyper speed. Chatbots are writing articles (but not this one), cars are starting to drive themselves, and we’re drinking cold brew from cans. It wasn’t long ago that Third Wave Coffee hit the scene, and words like “artisan,” “craft,” and “pour over” made their way into the mainstream population’s vocabulary. Now, one global pandemic and a new generation of coffee drinkers later, where does that leave us? Coffee shop culture and trends continue to evolve.
Have you ever heard of the 4 P’s of marketing? Popularized in the 1950s by a Harvard professor, the 4 P’s outline the most important parts of a business’s marketing strategy: product, price, place, and promotion. And they can help define how to think about your 2023 coffee shop marketing plan.
In your case as a coffee shop owner, the physical product is coffee. It should be great tasting and approachable specialty coffee that delights customers with every cup.
If you’re an entrepreneur living in a small town who wants to open a coffee shop, the answer is yes—you can successfully launch a coffee business! Take it from Coffeepreneur® Dorrie Pilot. As she shared with us, “I had a fear that people in small towns would not appreciate specialty coffee… and what I have been pleasantly surprised by is that my small town residents are hungry for good coffee.”
When Coffeepreneurs® Dorrie and Jeff Pilot bought an eight-acre property in the country, they had big dreams of what they’d do with it. The vision began with two existing buildings the duo planned to turn into a brewery. But what about the tiny building—a former 1980s two-pump gas station—that stood by the entrance to the property? Could they try using the space to open a coffee shop in a small town?
Learn a new skill. Travel somewhere new. Cook more. Spend less. Studies show that 41% of Americans will make New Year’s resolutions, but only 9% will keep them. If you’re a resolution person, why not go big and start making that coffee shop dream happen? The best way to achieve your goal—and not become a statistic—is by writing a coffee shop business plan.