I see so many people and have spoken to many who want to start a coffee shop business. Some also want to get into coffee bean roasting. I have spoken to roasters as well. Some have chosen the coffee business as a lifestyle decision. Others have felt the pressure of the stultifying, artificial environment of corporate life in South Africa and have longed to get out of it.
One man I met is running such a successful roastery business that he is exporting most of his products. He opened a small coffee shop nearby his roastery to give his son a business. This is significant in itself because in a country such as this, certain people are excluded from corporate work. There are no opportunities for people based on their cultural group. This is the reality that you won’t find on Google or Facebook or any other social media. The mainstream media ignore this as if it doesn’t exist.
But anyway, to get back to the dream business of coffee shops, those who have started their own coffee shop business say they enjoy dealing with real people rather than the artificial types in corporate life. For example, Andrew may come in every morning at eight o’clock for his coffee and have a chat with the owner. So the owner of this business deals with real people all day long.
Of course, it’s a different experience to go sit in a coffee shop and enjoy yourself or get some work done in an environment that is stimulating. When you run your own coffee shop business, how often will you be sitting and relaxing at one of your tables? Perhaps it might be when friends or family or acquaintances come to visit or when you meet with suppliers.
I’m not going to go into how to start and run a coffee shop business in this post. There’s plenty of information available on the Internet, and even some business books deal with the topic. You could also talk to coffee shop owners in non-competitive areas and ask them what got them started and how to go about starting a coffee shop business. What attracts many people to the coffee shop business is the profits. The actual raw materials to make a cup of coffee are very low, and you can make, some say, a 90% profit, but there is an investment in coffee machines, training, and rental of premises.
More and more people who want a lifestyle business are going for coffee shops. It frees you from the corporate world, and in many cases keeps you within your neighborhood so that you don’t have to travel too far to work. It’s a business that deals with humans, real people. It’s not for everyone, but for those who long for a dream business, it may be something to look into.
All of this reminds me of that original book “Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow: Discovering Your Right Livelihood” by Marsha Sinetar. The book was published in 1987 and now days a whole industry has sprung up around this theme. All I would like to say is that doing what you love gives you energy and helps your spirit flow. ???
Disclaimer:
I am not a coffee shop owner nor a coffee business consultant. The information in this post is not intended as advice on starting or running a coffee shop business. If you are interested in exploring business opportunities in the coffee industry, I strongly recommend consulting with coffee shop owners firsthand, as well as seeking guidance from industry experts, accountants, and lawyers. They can provide you with the specific insights and professional advice needed to navigate this field successfully.
Here is a speciality where I can advise:
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