If you love drinking coffee and have dreamed of opening your own independent coffee house for years, but are still unsure, this is for you.
Most people who open a coffee shop love drinking coffee. That’s a given, right? It's the number one reason why people open a coffee shop and we should know.
But loving coffee is not enough to start up your own business and make it thrive. At Souter Bros, we know that launching an independent coffee business takes a lot of hard work. You might not make a profit for a while. Yet, it is an incredibly rewarding experience and we want to see as many independent businesses succeed with great coffee
So, what are good reasons to take the plunge and make your coffee shop dream a reality? Here are our top three reasons you should take action on that coffee business idea you've got.
Speciality coffee shops are hugely popular
Huge chain coffee shops are losing fans among ethically-minded young coffee lovers. And it’s easy to see why. Chains like Costa (now owned by CocaCola) and Caffe Nero are rated as “very poor” on the ethical scale by Ethical Consumer. Caffe Nero has avoided paying corporation tax in the UK since 2007 despite making huge profits.
On average, people buy one cup of coffee outside the home every week and independent traders make up about a third of those sales. Research by Statista found that branded chains only account for 5% more coffee purchases than their independent rivals.
This means your customers want to buy local and they want to buy ethical, which brings us to the next reason why you should launch that coffee business.
You’re enthusiastic about ethically sourced coffee
Do you know whether your coffee is shade-grown or sun-grown? Bird-friendly? No? That might be a problem.
It’s not enough to be generally enthusiastic about coffee nowadays. What consumers love about independent coffee houses is the speciality coffee. That means coffee that’s been ethically sourced with a fully transparent supply chain.
Consumers are willing to go out of their way and pay more for a latte at a specialist coffee house when they know that:
- The farmers get paid directly.
- The coffee is grown using sustainable farming practices.
- The coffee is good quality and tastes great.
In fact, studies show that consumers are willing to pay more when their coffee is served with any information about its sustainable production. That means they expect indie coffee shops to tell stories about where their coffee has come from and how it was grown. So it's good to know the exact origins of your coffee.
The good news is that if you buy wholesale from Souter Bros, you have a fully trackable supply chain from crop to cup.
You know your coffee trends
You already love scrolling social media for the latest coffee trends — and are ready to offer them in your coffee shop.
Making cold-brew coffee, for example, can take more time but consumers expect their favourite independent coffee house to put in that extra effort. The good news is that you enjoy digging deep into coffee trends.
And what about the newest barista plant-based milk alternative hitting the market?
Knowing the best milk for your coffee is crucial to getting the tastiest cup to serve your customers.
Opening a coffee shop — reality check
So, have you got what it takes to open an independent coffee house? If you understand the above three criteria, we think you have. Don’t worry — we’ll support you along the way.
Souter Bros is a speciality coffee roaster run by two brothers who know a lot about starting a small coffee business, so we’re here to help.
As we cut out the middle man and deal directly with the farmers, we can offer a better price on our wholesale coffee for independent coffee shops. It means you have a transparent supply chain and we even offer smaller wholesale order for those of you just starting out.