- Before you sign a lease, pressure-test the idea. Get barista experience, take classes, frequent local coffee events, and run a pop-up to validate demand.
- Build a mission-driven plan with experienced guidance. Work with a mentor or consultant, partner with a roaster for training and equipment, and target former café spaces to reduce build-out costs.
- Treat it like a business, not a daydream — margins are tight, leadership is demanding, and pros suggest recouping your initial investment within two years, or rethinking the model.
In his book, Outliers, Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that “10,000 hours is the magic number of greatness.”
Without such experience, how can someone transition from an office job or other profession to pursue the romantic dream of coffee shop ownership?
Joe Han of Moim Coffee operates his company as a pop-up inside a brewery in the Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. Han worked for a hospital as a recruiter to fill nursing jobs, but it was coffee that was his first job out of college. The allure of opening his own café drew him back.
Julie Wolfson
Han roasts his coffee in a communal roasting facility and plans to open his own coffee bar. He looks forward to a space where customers can sit together at a counter to watch the coffee being prepared.
Living the dream
The hum of the espresso machine, the aroma of brewed coffee, sticky fingers from a fresh pastry, and the smiles on customers’ faces. These simple moments can spur a deep desire to open a coffee shop.
“Owning a coffee shop is so fun,” says Laila Ghambari, owner of Guilder Coffee in Portland, Oregon. “You have a place to go every day. I love talking to customers. I am creating a legacy for my family. I grew up in a coffee shop. My kids are growing up in our coffee shops. I cannot imagine doing anything else.”
There are endless examples of people who left careers to pursue their coffee dreams.
Jack Benchakul, owner of Endorffeine, a coffee shop in LA’s Chinatown neighborhood, worked as a biochemist. Colin Harmon, founder of 3fe, transitioned from banking to open his own specialty coffee roaster and a string of cafés in Dublin, Ireland. Yeekai Lim, owner of Cognoscenti, considered LA’s first coffee pop-up, was an architect.
Kim Anderson and Aaron Olsen were professional cyclists before they started a coffee company in Santa Barbara, California, in 2011. They named their company Handlebar Coffee Roasters.
Julie Wolfson
Yasuo Ishii’s journey to open Leaves Coffee, one of Tokyo’s most celebrated roasteries and coffee bars, took a surprising path. A former professional boxer, he shifted to a career in restaurants and eventually opened a coffee shop.
After years in hospitality and restaurant management, Grace Gates and her husband, Ryan Dobosh, opened Little King Coffee in Buellton, California. They recently added another location in Montecito, California. The two cafés represent a major life change.
“We opened Little King with the intention of spending more time with our family and to build something of our own,” says Gates.
How did these coffee entrepreneurs make this transition? And what is their advice to those who look to make a similar leap?
Where to start?
Learning about specialty coffee takes time. Many pros advise a multistep approach before you start this kind of company.
“To open a shop, you need vision and a mission-driven plan,” says coffee consultant Jaymie Lao. The countdown to opening is often dictated by the expenses accrued after signing the lease. “Too many shops open to much excitement and have not planned well enough.”
Lao recommends slowly introducing a new coffee concept to customers instead of immediately signing a lease. “A pop-up is a way to put yourself out there, gauge the level of interest, and test out if working in coffee is for them,” she says. “Do not make this life choice in isolation. Plan with your family. Do your homework. Learn from seasoned coffee professionals and consultants.”
When it’s time to find a location, Lao suggests looking at former coffee shops to save money, rather than a brand-new build-out. It’s also prudent to first partner with a roasting company. Many roasters will consult and help with equipment and training.
Investing time in the coffee journey
Before you start a coffee company, consider a job as a barista, ideally at a specialty coffee shop. If you have some previous experience, take classes to add skills.
Get involved in your local coffee community. Visit coffee shops, talk to baristas, and meet owners. To discover who the key players are, refer to lists of the best shops in your area. Follow local coffee pros on social media to keep up to date on the local scene. Go to coffee events like cuppings, special menu tastings, and latte art throwdowns.
Get a business mentor or consultant who knows the coffee world and how to run a café. Make a business plan that outlines your vision, mission, and menu.
A well-thought-out food menu can offer additional revenue streams. But keep in mind your budget and margins. Will you make pastries in-house? Or purchase them? Serving breakfast items, salads, and sandwiches can increase your potential, but it also requires more planning, similar to the steps involved in opening a restaurant.
What I wish I knew before starting a coffee shop
Ghambari grew up in the coffee business. She worked in the industry for 20 years before she opened her first shop. She competed in coffee competitions, and she won the U.S. Barista Championship in 2014. Her experience ranges from barista and educator to retail manager.
Jaymie Lao, coffee consultant
“If you cannot make back [the] investment in two years, it is not a viable business.”
— Jaymie Lao, coffee consultant
“Many people who want to open a coffee shop have no idea about business or about coffee,” she says. “People romanticize coffee shops. The daily luxury. They want to open something in their neighborhood. They see it as simple, one to two baristas, easier than running a restaurant.”
Yet, coffee shop margins are tight. It’s essential to be strategic about the costs associated with purchasing equipment, labor, food, and beverages. Budgets are essential. Run the numbers to determine return on investment (ROI) for a potential space. “If you cannot make back [the] investment in two years, it is not a viable business,” says Lao.
There’s no need to go into this business blindly. There are many resources to help guide the way. Coffee consultants provide expertise in strategy, branding, culture, leadership, financial planning, management, and more.
The challenges of opening a coffee shop
“It’s a beautiful experience,” says café and bakery consultant Erica Escalante. “I love this global coffee industry that is full of incredible people.”
But it’s not without its challenges.
After owning cafés and businesses in Portland, Oregon, Escalante’s consulting work primarily focuses on helping coffee companies address the challenges common to the industry.
“My job is like the TV shows Bar Rescue or Kitchen Nightmares, but to advise and save coffee bars,” she says. “Failure for most people is financial devastation. Some declare bankruptcy. Some people are not prepared for the leadership needed and the demands.”
Do your homework, heed advice from the coffee pros, and map out your business plan. Yes, you can pave an optimal path to coffee shop success, just like these pros who took the leap to live their java dreams.
