Coffee Shop Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting a coffee shop? If YES, here is a complete sample coffee shop business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE.

Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a coffee shop. We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample coffee shop marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for coffee shops. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.

Starting a coffee shop doesn’t sound a difficult task, however care have got to be taken so that one positions the business in a strategic place that is sure to attract an avalanche of coffee drinkers. Some true and fundamental factors have got to be considered in order to get it right.

One of this step is the putting together of a business plan. Writing a detailed business plan might not come easy. This is why it is important to get a template with which you will be able to draw yours up with. Care has to be taken to make sure that you dig and get the business plan that syncs with your type of business.

A Sample Coffee Shop Business Plan Template

1. Industry Overview

Coffee business is one of the businesses that any entrepreneur can successfully start in the corner of a busy street or in a mobile shop without breaking the bank for cash. At the same time, big – time investors can also leverage on the high demand for coffee to set up their own coffee shops in strategic locations.

Starbucks and Costa Coffee are some of the leading Coffee Business Companies in the world. For example; Costa Coffee™ operates about 1,755 coffee bars in the united kingdom alone and about 1,106 outlets in 30 countries of the world.

Costa Coffee™ could grow their business big because coffee business is indeed a rewarding business venture, irrespective of the scale one intends to start out from. In other words; there will always be an available market for you.

Coffee shops / bars can be located in any part of town, as long as there are people living or working there. Essentially, coffee shops / bars are located in airports, sea ports, shopping malls, hotel lobby, railway stations, bus station, campuses, hospital lobby, sport centers, as well as in any public facilities.

There are different types of coffee drinks that you can find in a coffee shop. Some of them are cappuccino, espresso, iced coffee, decaffeinated coffee, alcoholic coffee (Irish Coffee and Brandy Coffee et al), filtered coffee, cold brew coffee, Turkish coffee, coffee with milk, coffee or espresso with whipped cream, and flavored coffee et al.

Over and above, the turnover for an average coffee bar can be as high as 50% and above- that is why entrepreneurs who intend making good money from a business with less struggle open their own coffee shop by either starting their own coffee bar from the scratch or by buying franchise.

2. Executive Summary

Coffee4All® is a coffee bar that will be located on the ground floor of one of the busiest airport facilities in the united states of America – The Los Angeles International Airport, California. We have been able to secure a one-year lease of a vacant shop within the airport’s facility. We are fortunate to secure a facility with an option of renewal for 5 years at an agreed rate.

The facility we intend starting out our coffee shop from has the capacity to contain a minimum of 10 tables and 40 seats, plus sufficient space to accommodate our back office operations, storage rooms and kitchen. We will ensure that the coffee bar is designed and decorated to attract customers and to make them feel relaxed and enjoy their coffee.

The whole idea is to ensure that if you visited our coffee shop just once, you would look forward to visiting us again -any time you are traveling through Los Angeles Airport.

Coffee4Allis set to give coffee lovers the best of coffees they can get in the whole of Los Angeles, California. Aside from the point that we intend giving our customers the options to choose from a wide range of neatly brewed coffee in our shop, we have also perfected plans to deliver excellent customer service.

Coffee4All® is set to create an environment where customers can network with each other in a relaxed environment, whilst enjoying their brewed coffee or espresso and pastries. Our aim of starting coffee shop is to help our highly esteemed clients get a relief from the daily stress, whilst enjoying our well brewed coffee and espresso, coupled with the ambience they would experience in our coffee shop.

We aware that coffee bars easily attract intellectuals and business people and we also know that the airport is one of the places where one can easily tie down these set of people- especially when they have to wait for their flights. That is the reason why we have decided to start the first outlet of our coffee shop in Los Angeles International Airport, which happens to be the second busiest airport in the United States of America.

No doubt, we are not going to struggle to attract customers, but will continue to strive to build a loyal customer base by offering a great tasting coffee in a relaxed and conducive environment.

3. Our Products and Services

At Coffee4All®, we serve well brewed coffee in various forms to our highly respected customers. We are quite aware that people have the option of demanding the form in which they want their coffee to be served in, which is why we have taken time to research and learn the various ways coffee can be served, not just in the United States of America, but also in other parts of the world.

We do not intend to put any restriction to the types of coffee we will purchase from the open market. As a matter of fact, we have established relationships with suppliers of some of the finest Coffee Beans from Brazil, Turkey, Africa, and Europe. Here are some of the products that will be available in our coffee shop / bar;

Coffee Beverages served in different forms (cappuccino, espresso, iced coffee, decaffeinated coffee, alcoholic coffee (Irish Coffee and Brandy Coffee et al), filtered coffee, cold brew coffee, Turkish coffee, coffee with milk, coffee or espresso with whipped cream, and flavored coffee et al.
Coffee Beans
Pastries

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

Our vision is to build a coffee business that will serve as a stress reliever to our customers, and at the same meet their needs when it comes to coffee.
To establish a coffee business that will serve available assorted coffee drinks to our highly valued customers 24 hours and round the clock in a relaxed and conducive atmosphere.

Our Business Structure

When it comes to hiring of employees, we have plans to only hire the best of hands to work with us. This is necessary because part of our selling point is to ensure that our services are top notch at all times and our shop is welcoming and relaxing.

Since our coffee bar is going to be located in a rented facility with limited space for expansion, we have decided to engage the following key employees to help us drive the vision and mission of the organization. This is the structure we intend building our business on;

Chief Executive Officer (Owner)
Bar Manager
Bartender / Baristas
Accountants / Cashiers
Greeters / Customer Service Agent / Table Attendant
Cleaners

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

Responsible for providing direction for the business
Creating, communicating, and implementing the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
Responsible for recruitment
Responsible for payment of salaries
Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
Evaluates the success of the organization

Bar Manager:

Responsible for managing the daily activities in the restaurant
Ensures that the coffee facility is in tip top shape and conducive enough to welcome customers
Interfaces with third – party providers (vendors)
Reports to the Chief Executive Officer
Attends to Customers complaints and enquiries
Prepares budget and reports for the organization
Responsible for Training and Development in the organization
Responsible for procuring and distribution of beverages and pastries
Any other duty as assigned by the CEO

Bartender / Baristas:

Responsible for preparing different flavors and styles of coffee for customers
Make lists of supplies in conjunction with the outlet manager
Ensures that each cup of coffee that leaves the kitchen is tailor made and meets the request of each customer
Responsible for quality control
Any other duty as assigned by the Coffee shop Manager and CEO

Accountant / Cashier:

Receives payments on behalf of Coffee4All®
Issues receipt to customers
Prepare financial report at the end of every working week
Handles all financial transaction on behalf of the company
Interfaces with our bankers
Responsible for payment of tax, levies and utility bills
Any other duty as assigned by the CEO / bar manager

Greeters / Customer Service Agent / Table Attendant

Opens door and welcome customers
Ensures that customers feel relaxed and at home
Handles customers enquiries
Takes customers’ orders
Serve customer
Any other duty as assigned by the bar manager

Cleaners:

Responsible for cleaning the Coffee shop facility at all times
Washes the mugs, spoons and other utensils
Ensures that toiletries and supplies don’t run out of stock
Cleans both the interior and exterior of the coffee shop
Any other duty as assigned by the restaurant manager

6. SWOT Analysis

Our intention of starting a coffee shop is to test run the business for a period of 3 to 5 years to know if we will invest additional money, expand the business and sell franchise which is why we are only settling with just an outlet for now. Despite the fact that we are running a small scale coffee shop business unlike Starbucks and Cost Coffee, we still went ahead to conduct a SWOT analysis.

We did this in order to ensure that we have what it takes to run a coffee shop and perhaps even build an international coffee brand like the aforementioned brands. Here is a summary of the result from the SWOT Analysis that was conducted on behalf of Coffee4All;

Strength:

Our area of strength in Coffee4All is not limited to the location of the coffee bar and also the varieties of coffees that we serve, but also our excellent customer service and the ambience of our Coffee shop.

Weakness:

The perceived weakness for our business could be that we are starting on a small scale; just one outlet and perhaps because we have a limited space to expand the bar if the need arises.

Opportunities:

The fact that we are going to be operating our coffee bar in one of the busiest airports in the whole of the United States of America provides us with unlimited opportunities to sell our coffees and pastries. We are certain that we are not going to struggle to attract customers; all we have to do is to maintain the quality of our products and also offer excellent customer services in order to continuously welcome repeated customers.

Threat:

One of the threats that are likely going to confront us is the policy of the airport authority. If the airport authority decided to close down all the shops within its facility, there is hardly anything we may possibly do about it, other than to look for a shop elsewhere.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

Market Trends

If you are conversant with Coffee business in the United States of America, you will quite agree that coffee consumption has shown steady growth over the years and from all indication, the growth is not going to plummet anytime soon. Coffee addicts would always go out of their way if possible to stop by a coffee shop to have a hot cup of coffee.

Typically, sales of coffee triple during winter season and in most cases small coffee bars struggle to meet the demand for coffees during this period. Over and above, those who run coffee shops don’t struggle to attract clients, especially if they are well positioned.

However, the idea of the ideal and prosperous coffee shop isn’t just about being well positioned; it is also about offering professional services that is able to cause an indifferent potential customer into a repeat and loyal coffee consumer.

Although there are limitations to how far we can go when it comes to marketing coffee and pastries in the airport but that does not stop us in improvising on ways to generate traffic at our coffee shop. Parts of the marketing and sales strategies that we will adopt are;

Opening of Coffee bar in a grand style by serving free cups of coffee to all those who step into the shop.
Ensure that we have different types of coffees at all times.
Make use of attractive handbills to create awareness and also to give direction to potential clients
Position our signage / flexi banners at strategic places around the airport (subject to permission from the airport authority)
Advertise our coffee shop on local travelling magazines and yellow pages.

8. Our Target Market

When it comes to selling coffee, there is a wide range of people that consume coffee and we don’t intend to place restrictions on the type of customers that we intend attracting to our coffee bar. This is why we invested time to create a coffee shop marketing plan.

The fact that our coffee shop will be located inside the Los Angeles Airport facility means that our target market can essentially be categorized into 2 groups (Travelers and Airport Workers). The people we intend selling our products to are;

Corporate Executives
Business People
Sports Men and Women
Government Officials
Students
Airport Employees
Tourists
Families
Low class, middle class and high class consumers

Our competitive advantage

Going by the arrangement we met on ground, we are going to be one of the 2 coffee bars that will be in operation in the area around the airport where our coffee shop will be located. As a result, we are going to struggle less to make headway in the business. In essence, we have little or no competition.

We plan to run a standard coffee business which is why we hired one of the leading business consultants to work with us in setting up our coffee business. The business consultant we have hired has over 15 years of experience in the retail coffee industry and has successfully opened several coffee bars in major cities across the United States of America.

So far, he has been able to deliver on key areas and he will continue to work with us on market research, customer satisfaction surveys and to provide additional input into the evaluation of the new business opportunities as regard opening other outlets and selling franchises when the need arises.

We believe that with all these hard and detailed work that is being put in place, we shall no doubt be a force to reckon with when we eventually commence operation and open our doors to consumers who want to be given a run for their money.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

Sources of Income

Our sources of income for Coffee4All are limited to the sales of different types of coffees and pastries. But in the future, we may likely go into the sale of franchise which is going to be an additional source of income for the company.

10. Sales Forecast

It is important to state that our sale forecast is based on the data gathered during our feasibility studies and also some of the assumptions readily available on the field. Below is the sales projection based on the location (Los Angeles International Airport) of the coffee bar and the traffic that the location attracts every day of the week:

Coffee (cappuccino, espresso, iced coffee, decaffeinated coffee, alcoholic coffee (Irish Coffee and Brandy Coffee et al), filtered coffee, cold brew coffee, Turkish coffee, coffee with milk, coffee or espresso with whipped cream, and flavored coffee et al):

1,000 Cups of Coffee Per Day

Pastries (Sandwich, Bread, Meat Pie, Scotch egg, Pizza, Burger, and Fish Pie et al):

1,000 pieces per day

N.B: Please note that thousands of travelers transit through this airport every week, hence there is the likelihood of the coffee sale to increase especially when flights are delayed or cancelled and during winter periods. The idea is to attract as many people as possible to our coffee shop.

In view of this, our annual projected sales for Coffee4All® is put at about $500,000 annually which translates into $254.00 of sales per square foot. This is in line with the industry averages for this size of coffee shop in the United States of America.

Over and above, as Coffee4All gets established, our net profitability will likely increases from 17.06% in the first financial year (FY) to 17.63% in the third financial year (FY).

Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Coffee4All do not intend to spend heavily when it comes to marketing our products that is the reason why we decided to rent a shop in a location that attracts loads of traffics all through the calendar year.

The location of our coffee bar is strategically positioned to attract ample customers with little or no effort from our own part, which is why we do not make provisions for marketing and sales executives in our company’s structure. In view of that, we are going to adopt the following strategies to ensure that we do not only attract customers but generate repeat sales from them;

Position our greeters to welcome and direct potential customer
Create a loyalty plan that will enable us reward our regular customers
Position our flexi banners at strategic positions all around the airport facility
Advertise our coffee shop on local travel magazines
Partner with traveling agencies to refer their clients to our coffee shop whenever they are traveling via Los Angeles International Airport

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

When it comes to publicity and advertising, we have a low budget for it simply because our business is located in a place that can easily attract the numbers of customers we would need with little or no stress on our own part.

But for the fact that we hope to someday in the near future start selling our franchise, we have decided to create a budget for publicity and advertisement for the major aim of introducing our brand in the market place. Everything that we will do in this regard is geared towards communicating our brand. Here are the platforms we intend leveraging on to promote and advertise our business;

Place adverts on both print (travel magazines) and electronic media platforms
Sponsor relevant community programs
Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; Instagram, Facebook , twitter, et al to promote our brand
Install our BillBoards on strategic locations
Engage in road show from time to time
Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas
Position our Flexi Banners at strategic positions around the airport.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

When it comes to fixing prices for the range of coffees and pastries we sell, we are going to ensure that we set pricing in line with what is available in the coffee industry. We are very aware that we have got to lower our price so that we will be able to attract customers like never before as we seek to gain recognition as newbies.

When this is achieved, then bottom line is that our customers will derive real satisfaction when they consume our coffee and pastries We also have plans in place to discount our coffees once in a while and also to reward our loyal customers with free cups of coffees.

Payment Options

Our payment policy is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different people prefer different payment options as it suits them. Here are the payment options that will be available in every of our outlets;

Payment by cash
Payment via Point of Sale (POS) Machine
Payment via online bank transfer (online payment portal)
Payment via Mobile money

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will help us achieve our plans without any itches.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

This is the key areas where we will spend our start – up capital;

The Total Fee for Registering the Business in California: $750.
Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services totaling $1,300.
Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Coffee4All® in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of $3,580.
Cost for hiring Consultant – $2,500.
Insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $2,400.
Cost for payment of rent for 12 month at $1.76 per square feet in the total amount of $52,800.
Cost for Shop remodeling – $10,000.
Other start-up expenses including stationery ($500) and phone and utility deposits ($2,500).
Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $60,000
The cost for Start-up inventory – $16,027
Coffee beans (12 regular brands and five decaffeinated brands) – $6,000
Coffee filters, baked goods, salads, sandwiches, tea, beverages, etc. – $7,900
Retail supplies (napkins, coffee bags, cleaning, etc.) – $1,840
The cost for office supplies (one month) – $287
The cost for Espresso machine – $6,000
The cost for Coffee maker – $900
The cost for Coffee grinder – $200
Food service equipment (microwave, toasters, dishwasher, refrigerator, blender, etc.) – $18,000
Storage hardware (bins, utensil rack, shelves, food case) – $3,720
The cost for counter area equipment (counter top, sink, ice machine, etc.) – $9,500
Cost for serving area equipment (plates, glasses, flatware) – $3,000
Cost for store equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $13,750
Office equipment and furniture – $3,600
The cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets (Computers, Printers, Telephone, TVs, Sound System, tables and chairs et al): $4,000.
The cost of Launching a Website: $600
The cost for our opening party: $5,000
Miscellaneous: $2,500

We would need an estimate of about $140,000 to successfully set up our coffee bar business. The amount includes the salary of all employees and the CEO (Owner) for 3 months.

Generating Funding / Startup Capital for Coffee4All®

Coffee for all is a private business that is solely owned by Mrs. Kate Stevens and she does not have the intention of welcoming any external partners except immediate family members which is why she has decided to restrict the sourcing of her start – up capital to 3 major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings
Source for soft loans from family members and friends
Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $60,000 (Personal savings $40,000 and soft loan from family members $20,000) and we are at the final stage of obtaining a loan facility of $80,000 from our bank. All the papers and document has been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited and we will be able to execute all the things that needs to be executed.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

Our plans of establishing Coffee4All is basically to test – run the coffee business and we have decided to start our first outlet in a busy location – the Los Angeles Airport.

Although we don’t have the intention of running chains of coffee bars in different airports, but we would be selling franchises in the nearest future. It is pertinent to state that we shall not allow our standard operating process to drop so that we do not lose our loyal customers.

Check List / Milestone

Business Name Availability Check: Completed
Business Registration: Completed
Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
Application for business license and permit: Completed
Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
Renting of Shop and remodeling the shop: In Progress
Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
Generating capital from family members: Completed
Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
Writing of Business Plan: Completed
Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: In Progress
Recruitment of employees: In Progress
Purchase of the Needed furniture, electronic appliances, office appliances and coffee brewing equipment: In progress
Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the airport facility: In Progress
Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
Opening party / launching party planning: In Progress
Compilation of our list of products and detailed recipe: Completed
Establishing business relationship with vendors – suppliers of all our needed raw materials: In Progress