How to Run a Coffee Shop After the Pandemic? Secrets to Café Business Success

For professional coffee knowledge exchange and more coffee bean information, please follow Coffee Workshop (WeChat public account: cafe_style)

For more specialty coffee beans, please add FrontStreet Coffee on WeChat (ID: qjcoffeex)

Many people probably have a dream of opening a shop, especially in a field they're interested in, where the motivation often stems from passion and hobby. Imagine sitting in your shop on a leisurely evening, sipping a specially prepared cappuccino, enjoying the gentle sunset and breeze, playing your favorite music, and immersing yourself in your hobby in a completely free space—while also making some money.

But reality isn't quite so beautiful. If you think that the lingering aroma of coffee in a café, the baristas' dedicated brewing, and the elegant music inside are what define the charm of a coffee shop, then you still have much to learn about what it takes to run one. Relying solely on these so-called "passions" is far from enough to open a successful coffee shop.

Running a coffee shop requires more than just passion—it demands knowledge of coffee itself. Solid foundational knowledge enables you to face constantly evolving coffee varieties with confidence. Secondly, as a business establishment, a coffee shop's primary focus must be commerce. Running a business means you can't treat it merely as a hobby—it needs to be profitable, since most of us aren't wealthy enough to "run on love alone."

Whether opening a coffee shop or any other business, thorough market research is essential beforehand. This is especially true for coffee shops, which aren't just places to drink coffee and listen to music. They involve complex business knowledge—coffee details, flavor profiles, coffee bean selection, shop layout and design, operational models, and more. Each area requires specialized study. Without professional guidance, blindly following trends will likely result in disastrous financial statements!

The Changing Coffee Landscape

Coffee has become a standard for many young people today. According to DATA100's "Coffee Market Trend Insight Report," the main consumers of domestic coffee are those born after 1985 (ages 30-34) and after 1990 (ages 20-29). Among potential coffee consumers, those aged 20-24 and 25-29 account for the largest proportions at 35% and 31% respectively. Over 70% of people aged 18-34 drink coffee daily, and they increasingly prefer to consume coffee in offices, libraries, or other social settings.

Coffee has quietly permeated every aspect of daily life. Fewer people now sit quietly in coffee shops enjoying their coffee leisurely, which has led to many traditional coffee shops known for their atmosphere and charm struggling to survive beyond a few years.

Modern Coffee Shop Strategies

As competition among coffee shops intensifies, more establishments are adopting newer marketing strategies. Internet-famous coffee shops that emphasize distinctive styles are also making their mark in this era. Various unique shop designs have emerged, including Harajuku style, Instagram style, industrial style, retro style, Syrian style, and more... These styles have promoted the development of coffee culture and allowed more people to understand and appreciate the charm of coffee.

There are also specialty coffee brand shops that select high-quality beans based on local consumer preferences and habits. The coffee they produce gains recognition from coffee enthusiasts. If internet-famous shops sell style, then specialty shops sell reputation. In their view, creating excellent products and earning customer praise are more important.

Balancing Passion with Business Reality

While passion is certainly important, it's not the only factor. Coffee shops must provide high-quality products and services to ensure customer satisfaction. This means having premium raw materials and professional equipment, along with offering unique, appealing products.

Additionally, coffee shops must pay attention to marketing. This requires developing a strong brand image and utilizing social media and other channels to attract new customers and increase customer loyalty.

In today's saturated coffee market, this business that combines ideals with human connection can no longer rely solely on passion. To successfully run a coffee shop, you must either focus on excellent products to establish a solid local reputation, or develop your unique style to break into broader markets. In this exploration of the contradiction between brand characteristics and mass appeal, relying on passion alone is unreliable.

Image source: Internet

Important Notice :

前街咖啡 FrontStreet Coffee has moved to new addredd:

FrontStreet Coffee Address: 315,Donghua East Road,GuangZhou

Tel:020 38364473