There are so many online guides for being successful as an independent coffee shop. You should do your research into starting a business, bookkeeping, local regulations and the like, those elements of running a business aren’t always going to make your coffee shop a success.
Running a successful coffee shop is hard but if you have the dedication to open an independent coffee shop, we know you can succeed.
There are a few key things you should do as an independent coffee shop to appeal to your customers. From the shape of your coffee cups to the story you tell about your coffee beans, we’re giving you some of the most surprising things that coffee consumers keep coming back for that you might not find elsewhere.
1. Buy the right coffee cups
The shape and colour of the coffee cup make a huge difference to flavour perception. Crazy, right? But true nonetheless.
Scientists found that the standard straight-edged cup makes coffee taste worse, while a tulip-shaped coffee cup makes coffee taste better. The tulip shape makes the coffee smell stronger, and the straight-edged cup makes the same coffee taste more acidic.
Even the colour of the cup changes everything. Scientists have shown that coffee served in differently coloured cups tastes significantly different. In general, people associate red and pink with sweetness, yellow and green with acidity, and black with bitterness. Serving coffee in a white cup leads people to say the flavour is more intense.
2. Offer different brewing methods
Most standard coffee shops only offer one brewing method: the standard espresso machine. But this isn’t to everyone’s tastes.
Actually, studies suggest that most people prefer the taste of filtered coffee. The scientists tested Chemex and V60, two manual drip filter coffee methods — one ceramic, the other glass. The coffee drinkers rated these methods as equally good, while espresso machine and French press coffee were rated significantly lower.
These are untrained coffee drinkers, not experts, by the way. But these “untrained” coffee drinkers will be the majority of your consumers.
3. Share your story
People love a good story, and whoever has the best coffee-origin story to tell will win the customer. Studies even prove that the story behind the coffee is as important – if not more – than the coffee itself. Consumers are willing to pay much more for a cuppa when they know the story behind how their coffee got to their cup.
Your story needs to prove that the coffee was sustainably produced. As the owner of an independent coffee shop, you must know where your coffee beans have come from, how the farmers got paid, and whether the production was linked to deforestation, or other climate change activities.
4. Buy speciality single-origin coffee beans
Your best option is to buy sustainably produced single-origin coffee beans and ensure your baristas know the story of the entire supply chain. Sharing personal stories about the farmers and roasters will do wonders for your customer’s satisfaction and profits. The first step is serving speciality coffee.
Independent coffee shop success
Opening and running an independent coffee shop is hard work; many fail in the first year. Knowing what customers want is critical to your success.
Firstly, choose your favourite speciality coffee beans from an independent roaster. Make sure you learn about the farm it comes from. Practice the story and share it with your customers. Make sure to offer speciality filter coffee methods. And finally, serve your coffee in white, tulip-shaped cups.
Wholesale Coffee
Find out more about our single-origin Brazilian wholesale coffee here.