Coffee grown worldwide can trace its heritage back centuries to the ancient coffee forests on the Ethiopian plateau. There, legend says the goat herder Kaldi first discovered the potential of these beloved beans.
The story goes that that Kaldi discovered coffee after he noticed that after eating the berries from a certain tree, his goats became so energetic that they did not want to sleep at night.
As word moved east and coffee reached the Arabian peninsula, it began a journey which would bring these beans across the globe.
As demand for the beverage continued to spread, there was fierce competition to cultivate coffee outside of Arabia.
The Dutch finally got seedlings in the latter half of the 17th century. Their first attempts to plant them in India failed, but they were successful with their efforts in Batavia, on the island of Java in what is now Indonesia.
The plants thrived and soon the Dutch had a productive and growing trade in coffee. They then expanded the cultivation of coffee trees to the islands of Sumatra and Celebes.
Worldwide, experts estimate that people drink about 2.5 billion cups of coffee a day. Sales in the ready-to-drink market—which includes coffee shops—are forecast to grow by 67 percent between now and 2022. Additionally, coffee and other ready-to-drink shops show incredible resilience in volatile markets, helping to eliminate some of the uncertainty associated with small business ownership. If you’ve been thinking of combining your love of coffee with your entrepreneurial spirit, it may be time to try your hand at opening a coffee shop.
Aside from a love of that sweet java, you’ll want to get a few things in order to get your shop up and running. To help with this, Jack Wilson, owner of Radio Coffee in Austin, Texas, and Marc Renson, New York, stepped away from brewing and serving to offer 13 tips to prospective owners. Here’s what they recommend you consider when starting a coffee shop:
1.Write a business plan
2.Find the right location
3.Develop a floor plan
4.Hire an accountant
5.Find local funding options
6.Save money for your personal expenses
7.Compare prices and quality on everything
8.Network with lenders and other coffee makers
9.Develop your marketing plan
10.Focus on the Exterior
11.Remain positive
12.Hire slowly
13.Set high standards
Every coffee lover has a go-to brand. For some, it’s the time-tested grocery store stock. For others, a boutique roaster you can only order online. But since we drink coffee once (maybe three times) a day, it's easy to get burnt out sipping the same old cup of joe. Luckily, the coffee world is vast and varied, and another brand is always waiting to fill your cup.
To start every morning right, here are the best coffee brands to try.
Everyone has his or her own favorite brand. It is hard to recommend a certain brand. The best way is to try more, in order to discover the flavor and type you like most.
