Opening a coffee shop can take a lot of work, but opening up a coffee franchise has numerous benefits to it. You’ll have the power of the franchise branding and name, you’ll get corporate-level support in establishing your location, and people should automatically recognize you. Still, there are other things you need to open a coffee franchise.
Can You Afford the Franchise Fees?
Opening up any coffee location can cost as much as several hundred thousand dollars just on its own. However, franchise fees can be another expense that you need to account for in your budget, too.
Who Is Franchising?
There are many companies that franchise their coffee locations. You’ll need to find out which ones are open to a new location in your market before you can choose the best one to align yourself with.
How Much Creative Control Do You Want Over Your Coffee Shop?
Some franchise opportunities let owner-operators and franchisees have a lot of control over how they run their coffee shop, whereas others might be very strict about controlling their brand. Decide in advance how much wiggle room you want or whether you’d like the simplicity of just matching the set formula provided to you. Depending on the franchise, you may have an indoor seating area or just a drive-thru.
Who Will Run It
Do you plan on running the daily operations yourself? Or would you prefer to just be the franchise owner and have someone else manage things for you? If you do it yourself, you need to be ready to be a manager. If not, you at least have to know how to find a manager. It may be best to take charge for the first months or years of starting your own business, to ensure things are run the way you want them, but also to learn the best ways to do things. At this point, you can easily train someone to take over while you work on your next investment.
Location
One of the biggest decisions you’ll have to make is where to put your new investment. Obviously, you want a location where you can afford the lease or building purchase and property costs. However, you also need it to be someplace highly visible and easily accessible to a lot of people, be it foot traffic, vehicle traffic, or both. A great option is to talk to the owner or higher-ups of a store and get permission to place a mobile shop to get things started. Once enough revenue has been established it will be easier to move into a building.
Brew Something Special
Opening up a coffee franchise can mean creating a place where regular smiling faces show up on a daily basis, but it can also result in an underperforming business that costs you a lot of time, money, and stress. Knowing what you need to open a coffee franchise helps you get started out on the right foot.
Bio: Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009221637700
