Barista Entrepreneurship Class: a rising Independent Special Cafe

These young coffee lovers are impressed by the magical power, charming aroma and attractive taste of coffee and start their coffee careers.

Rinhardt, chief executive of the American Special Coffee Association (SCAA), which has more than 3000 members, believes that coffee, alcoholic beverages and cigarettes have all withstood the test of the economic crisis in 2008.

"the charm of coffee is irresistible, and if you work in the coffee industry, you will find that coffee has become a part of your life. People's love for coffee is eternal, and even during the economic crisis or economic recovery, coffee sales only increase. Today, the total consumption of coffee outside the home accounts for nearly 30% of the total coffee consumption. "

Lin Hart's comments are based on a market survey conducted by the American Coffee Association (NCA) in March. The survey also shows that demand for boutique coffee (gourmet coffee) is increasing, with sales accounting for 34 per cent of total coffee consumption in 2014, up 3 per cent from last year. Accordingly, non-boutique coffee sales accounted for only 35% in 2014, down 4% from last year.

Linhart believes that the total amount of coffee sold in the United States has not changed much, but the way Americans drink coffee is gradually changing, and people are paying more attention to the quality of coffee than ever before.

The rise of special coffee shops

Linhart added: "Starbucks is facing more and more challengers, most of whom are new specialty coffee shops." If you can take certain risks, opening a coffee shop is definitely a good opportunity to start a business, because it is much less risky than opening a restaurant. " For many newly opened cafes, young people are the main consumers, so they offer more sophisticated and high-end services, rather than relatively low-end coffee services like Starbucks, Mr. Linhart said.

"as of today, there are more than 50000 coffee retailers in the United States." Linhart said that in the past five years, coffee drinks based on Italian espresso have completely changed the coffee consumption habits of Americans.

"this coffee is tailor-made for you, and no drink can do that. This handmade, privately customized sales concept can bring great commercial value to the cafe. " "its characteristic is not simply to sell coffee, but to provide a more user-friendly and interactive service, which has completely changed the coffee consumption market in the United States, which is very popular," he said. "

What attracted these coffee lovers to pursue their coffee dreams and start their own coffee careers over the past 50 years despite the entrepreneurial risks of the recession? How do they compete with the world coffee tycoon Starbucks and the famous local coffee chains such as Caribou and Peet's Coffee & Tea?

Sadat, the owner of Woodcat Cafe in Los Angeles, is one of the most enthusiastic fans of high-quality coffee. He himself does not think that the national economic crisis will have much impact on his cafe.

"I formed a band, worked as a construction engineer, and now I'm a coffee shop operator, and I'm glad I finally realized my dream. I find that I am happiest only when I make coffee for my customers. "

Sadat hopes that the theme of his cafe is only coffee, rather than relying on delicious light meals, art exhibitions or bands to attract customers. "I want to provide consumers with coffee of reasonable price and high quality."

At the same time, he himself agrees with Starbucks' business model. "Starbucks is very successful, but it's like offering millions of steakhouses with the same taste every year, while my coffee shop is more like a boutique steakhouse that only serves good steaks. We are not targeting mass consumption, but the niche market, and I believe we and Starbucks can co-exist. I don't think special cafes can be compared with Starbucks, and our competitiveness is very limited, but the coffee experience we offer is absolutely unique. "

Peter, general manager of the American Special Coffee Association (SCAA), who has more than 25 years of experience in the coffee industry, believes that the development potential of special coffee spots is huge.

"this is a trend. I think in the United States, the pattern of the coffee consumption market is slowly changing. In the past, the idea of a coffee shop chain began in the 1860s. Peet's Cafe, which was first opened, is the creator of this idea. In the 10 or 20 years since then, many cafes, such as Coffee Bean, Tea Leaf and Starbucks, have emerged as leaders in the industry. Today, however, a new force of coffee is gearing up for the stage of history. "

It's not just coffee.

According to Peter, coffee is more than just a simple drink.

"the significance of the cafe is that it can provide a place for people to meet. It is another place where people often meet and chat besides home and office. People really need cafes. "

He tells us that more and more Americans are abandoning meeting with others at home or at the office in favor of cafes as a place to socialize and make friends. In the 1880s and 1990s, special cafes were usually rarely frequented after 10:00 in the morning.

"Today, there are a large number of freelancers who work from home who choose to stay in cafes all day."

Sarah and her lover started Scout Coffee Company together half a year ago, which has been their dream for many years. Before that, they had been working for the Verve coffee roaster. From then on, they began to save money to open their own cafe.

"if your product is of good quality and your cafe has an elegant atmosphere and good service, then you are likely to succeed." Said Sarah. She told us that consumers had a high opinion of the cafe in the past six months. Every weekend, admiring guests form a long line outside the door. The waiters in my shop have received strict training. I feel like this cafe is part of this community. "

This coffee shop also provides high-quality coffee beans to other independent special cafes and gives them corresponding technical support.

"We only choose 1% of the world's coffee beans, because only these coffee beans are good enough in quality and unique in taste. As long as our customers drink once, they will order more coffee beans from us. "

Nick is one of the owners of the Wrecking Ball coffee roaster, before which he owned several cafes. Nick believes that even if the national economy is in the doldrums, the coffee business will always be booming. At the same time, he thinks that the future of special cafes is bright. "the specialty coffee market is not yet saturated, and I think it can accommodate 20000 to 30000 roasters and cafes like us."