Coffee: A Hot Business To Be In

By Pamela Gold Waldo

"Coffee gets more and more popular each year because it has gone beyond the boundaries of just a morning pick-me-up or dessert beverage. Today, coffee is served at all times of the day, hot, cold, blended, or flavored. Popularity has also grown due to the development of specialty drinks. People who were not regular coffee drinkers or who did not like the taste have come to enjoy the sweeter dessert coffees like our 'Carmel Frappalatte'," stated Rick Greenbaum, Senior Director of Franchise Development at The Coffee Beanery, Ltd.

How It All Began...

The coffee bean, the basis for a comforting and necessary product in many Americans' lives today, has a rich and varied history dating back well over 800 years. Botanists believe its consumption began in Ethiopia, where people were said to mix crushed berries from coffee plants with animal fat and then eat the mixture. Slowly but surely, Arabs began to steep the beans with hot water and spices and drink this new beverage. They began cultivating the plants in nurseries and the beans became a highly valuable crop. Eventually, the beans were roasted and the beverage was boiled. In 1650, the first coffee house opened in Italy and in 1652, the first coffee house opened in London.

Coffee's Place in Today's Society

Today, coffee is second only to oil as the world's largest-traded commodity. Coffee is a beverage but also a lifestyle as people gather in coffee houses throughout the world to listen to poetry and music, accomplish school homework and work assignments, and take a few minutes to relax or chat with friends. It's a place where people are happy and comfortable. Coffee is a drink synonymous with comfort, productivity, and relaxation. And a good cup of gourmet coffee is a small luxury that many Americans enjoy multiple times per day. Coffee is also a staple for many Americans – a way to start the day off right, and the phrase, "I haven't had any coffee today!" is commonly heard echoing throughout offices and homes around the country. And once consumers taste high quality, premium coffee, they get hooked, and will continue to buy premium coffee beans so they can enjoy coffee at home or in the office.

"A specialty coffee franchise is a great business to own because it appeals to so many consumers and has incredible momentum right now. It is also a wonderful environment to work in and a fun business to own and operate. The Coffee Beanery offers one of the most comprehensive franchise opportunities in the coffee industry. Our customer base is growing as more and more people become coffee drinkers. Once they are a coffee drinker they are usually a coffee drinker for life. Also once a customer has experienced high quality specialty coffee it is difficult for them to switch back to commercial coffees," explained Greenbaum.

A Great Business to Be In

"Business is exceptionally good for the Coffee Beanery right now. We have recently expanded into 8 countries and are expected to have over 18 units open oversees, and domestically we've added over 22 new stores this year," stated Greenbaum.

It's that little extra push in the morning that gets many of us up and ready to be productive members of society. It's a few minutes of luxury that some of us can't resist in the midst of doing errands. It's a place we like to go when we're ready to relax. In fact, coffee accounts for over 91% of U.S. hot drink volume, and between 1997 and 2002, volume growth of coffee in the U.S. has sky-rocketed 31.6%. Coffee houses have also had a profound effect as millions of U.S. consumers now know and enjoy premium coffee and specialty coffee beverages such as espresso, cappuccino, latte, and mocha. These beverages, unrecognizable to most Americans in the recent past, are now everyday words that most of us instantly know and enjoy. Americans love the atmosphere that coffee houses provide – We have proof of this in the statistics. They also know the difference between Costa Rican Tarazu and Columbian Supremo beans, and beans grown and sold traditionally versus Fair Trade and organic coffees.

Greenbaum commented, "The consumer has become very savvy about specialty coffee. They know what they want and they expect quality and service. The Coffee Beanery has become more of a social place offering consumers a cozy atmosphere, soothing music, and of course, great coffee. We have also noticed a growing trend in Organic and Fair Trade coffees."

Any Season, Any Reason -- Coffee Sells

With all the new and reinvented coffee drinks available today, coffee sells in any season. If you're considering buying a coffee franchise, but are concerned about changing seasons and your prospective location, think again! With the wide variety of coffee beverages and corresponding foods, you can offer customers iced or hot beverages, plus an array of hot and cold foods for breakfast, lunch, snacking, and desserts. Coffee is a year-round, and around the clock business.

"Our dessert coffees, both iced and hot, are very popular. Our frappe lattés and espresso based beverages, as well as our flavored coffees, such as hazelnut, continue to be favorites for our customers. For the holiday season we sell a "Cinnamon Holiday Blend" which is one of our best selling coffees," said Greenbaum.

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If you're ready to embark on the opportunity of a lifetime, enjoy people, want to own a business that makes people happy, and have a passion for java, owning a coffee business could be right for you.

Copyright 2006