Young Returnees Crowd Coffee Shops! How to Open and Manage a Café in Small Cities, Counties, and Towns

The Rise of Small Town Coffee Culture

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Discerning vision, understanding the extraordinary—Martell Cordon Bleu? No, county town coffee shops.

Looking back ten years ago when returning to small towns, let alone drinking coffee, even finding other beverages required a long search... and what existed might have styles that people would easily misunderstand... (not quite)

Those small towns, once criticized by young people as entertainment deserts, have in recent years sprouted fresh buds on century-old trees. In recent years, many young people who couldn't handle the intense competition in big cities have returned to their hometowns to start their entrepreneurial lives.

Specialty coffee shops, exquisite dessert coffee shops, multi-functional book café coffee shops, various internet-famous coffee shops... stores that could continue the fashionable lifestyle of big cities naturally became popular projects.

When this group of young people made these decisions, they were often advised by those around them: "Opening a coffee shop in a small town, with each cup costing ten or twenty yuan—do people there really have such consumer demand?"

Indeed, a few years ago, not many people in small towns had the demand for coffee consumption. However, many young people who made this decision expressed that they believed many young people like themselves would return to small towns to live in the future. Although it's not easy now, they need to start laying the groundwork from today.

Their choice can truly be called having discerning vision! In the past two years, many large chain brands have begun opening stores in small towns, and more and more young people have returned to live in small towns.

These young people are not only the main consumers; they also encourage their family and friends to taste and understand coffee. Some brands have also shown through action that drinking coffee is not a luxury consumption, and coffee prices can be very affordable.

As brands have driven the coffee market to penetrate deeper into smaller areas, independent coffee shops have also been increasingly in demand. This year when returning home, my biggest impression is that previously, I had to take a half-hour bus ride to drink a cup of coffee, but now I can see several well-decorated coffee shops within a 10-minute walk.

During Chinese New Year this year, these coffee shops were truly packed in every location! It was so exaggerated that as long as they were open, a day's business was equivalent to a full month's regular business.

My colleague mentioned that there's a coffee shop near their home that launched a New Year menu during the Spring Festival, with each cup priced 20 yuan higher than usual, yet it was still very crowded! Extremely crowded.

A coffee shop owner I know revealed that their daily business revenue was usually over a thousand yuan, but starting from the 27th day of the lunar month, daily revenue could reach several thousand, and during the New Year period, the highest daily revenue exceeded ten thousand yuan. Many coffee shop owners in small towns also shared online their orders during the New Year period, with the order printing machine saying: Wait! I'm "spitting up," but I can continue!

This phenomenon can be attributed to several factors: first, the relaxation of policies this year meant everyone returned home for New Year celebrations, but due to limited entertainment options, well-decorated coffee shops became the best places to meet with three or five friends for conversation. Second, coffee prices have gradually become more affordable, and coffee culture has permeated daily life in different ways. Third, coffee has become a daily necessity for many people working in cities and has also become a ritual to start a new day.

Should You Open a Coffee Shop in a Small Town?

Seeing how popular coffee shops in small towns have become, many netizens have left comments in the background, asking, "Is it really viable to open a coffee shop in a small town? My friends are all encouraging me to open one." The answer is yes, but it's not as beautiful as everyone sees.

It's true that coffee shop business is good during the New Year period, but that's only for a few days. When the holiday ends and most people return to work in cities, everything returns to quiet. Although many people will choose to stay and develop here, how to make these people become repeat customers becomes extremely important.

Another colleague mentioned that there are several coffee shops in their area, and during the New Year period, every shop was very crowded, but some of the products were truly difficult to swallow.

Due to increased orders, many coffee shops lose control over product quality, which is a very common phenomenon. Although orders continue to flow in, when the New Year excitement subsides, this situation cannot cultivate a loyal customer base for the coffee shop.

If you're considering opening a coffee shop in a small town now, you might have to wait until short holidays like Labor Day to possibly see a brief period of popularity. However, the current situation is that there are several similar coffee shops in one small town, and how to gain market share among these limited coffee consumers is also something to consider.

Key Considerations for Small Town Coffee Shops

Is it really easier to make money by opening a coffee shop in a small town? Are there really that many people who need coffee in these areas? These two questions must be carefully considered. Although shop rent seems cheaper, people's consumption levels in small towns may not be as high as you imagine—at least when it comes to coffee consumption, very few people are willing to regularly spend twenty to thirty yuan on a cup of coffee.

Is shop rent cheap in small towns? That's just an illusion created by comparison with big city rents... Many shop rents are based on foot traffic, and in small cities, places with high foot traffic have equally expensive rents, sometimes even more expensive than big cities. Therefore, you can't simply measure cheapness or expensiveness by comparing rents across different regions; instead, you need to consider local people's consumption levels and how much you need to price your beverages to find a balance between cost and profit.

Secondly, we need to consider the demand for coffee beverages in these areas. Some specialty coffee drinks that are particularly popular in big cities may not have much demand in small towns due to high pricing. In small towns, people need products that are stable, tasty, and cost-effective. Therefore, sweet milk-based coffee products with stable quality are what we need to focus on.

Another crucial point is to serve with heart and cultivate customer loyalty. Don't think that because customers don't understand coffee, you can lower your standards of professionalism and service. Only by treating every customer with heart and a professional attitude will they feel a sense of belonging, increase their satisfaction with the coffee shop, and subsequently become loyal customers.

Regardless of what type of shop you open, don't impulsively follow short-term trends. By the time everyone realizes what's happening, everything has already returned to normal.

If you still want to open a coffee shop in a small town, I hope you can calm down and consider the following 8 questions carefully (in order!):

1. Why do you want to open a coffee shop?
2. What do you mainly want to sell to customers?
3. When will you open the shop?
4. What kind of customers do you hope will visit?
5. Who will operate this coffee shop?
6. Where will you open the shop?
7. What style will you adopt?
8. How much startup capital do you have?

Calm down, think clearly before starting, no rush~

Image source: Internet

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