To begin, organic coffee production differs from traditional company in that organic coffee plants grow under shade trees, which serve to purify the soil and prevent water contamination. Given the limited number of shade trees, many coffee growers have opted to produce bigger crops in the middle of pesticide and fertilizer infested territory given the larger surface area. Unfortunately, there is no way to produce non-organic coffee without the use of synthetic chemicals that have been known to harm the environment. Since pesticides pollute the soil, much question has been raised over the declining taste of coffee and its effects on health.

In addition to nurturing organic coffee beans, shade trees also double as habitats for birds that prevent pests from touching organic coffee crops. In essence, they are nature’s replacement for pesticides. Today, an ideal plot of land for organic coffee is a small farm with plenty of shade trees and a sizable bird population for pest control. Organic coffee thrives so much in these conditions that the United States requires all of its organic farmers to use this type of land.

In conclusion, organic coffee is grown under better and more stable conditions than traditional coffee. With smaller farms and its shade trees replacing large coffee plantations soaked with pesticides, organic coffee is your best bet towards a better environment and a salute to your health.

Scott Wilson has been a importer and roaster of organic coffee for over a decade. He is also the owner of Stonehill Manor Organic Coffee

1.) Starbucks Coffee – I doubt this company needs an introduction. You might not have enjoyed a Caramel Mochaccino or Cinnamon Hazelnut Frappucino, but if you haven’t at least heard of Starbucks or passed by one of the many corner locations, you’ve probably been living under a rock. Starbucks doesn’t offer coffee franchise opportunities directly, but will allow special licensing agreements for a business to sell their products.

2.) Nestle Toll House Cafe – As if being the most powerful chocolate chip cookie brand isn’t enough, Nestle Toll House now offers coffee franchise opportunities with its Nestle Toll House Cafe, featuring the Nescafe brand of coffee.

3.) Sonoma Coffee Cafe – Having one of the lowest franchise and royalty fee structures in the industry with special pricing for multiple locations has helped this company grow quickly, as well as the promise of an “Adventure in Every Cup” with coffees from around the world. To add to their distinction, they serve a variety of other treats from chocolates to gourmet teas to gelato.

4.) PJ’s Coffee Shop – PJ’s first opened its doors in New Orleans more than 25 years ago and selfishly kept itself there until recently. They are now offering coffee franchise opportunities under the company Raving Brands, who offers a diverse portfolio of other fast-casual dining franchises as well.

5.) Jazzman’s Cafe – Jazzman’s is the winner of the 2004 Nation’s Restaurant News Hot Concepts Award. Featuring their own blends of coffee and espresso served hot or cold, plus a selection of fresh baked goods, large selection of hot pressed sandwiches for breakfast and lunch, soup, and smoothies, Jazzman’s satisfies appetites all day long.

6.) Palm Beach Specialty Coffee – Rather stay away from the high overhead of owning or renting a building or the liabilities of hiring employees? Then Palm Beach Specialty Coffee could be a better alternative. Placing Palm Beach Specialty Coffee machines in high volume locations involves servicing the machines about once a week, all the while earning a profit with each cup of coffee or espresso served at that location.

7.) Bad Ass Coffee Company – Who could resist stepping into a place called the Bad Ass Coffee Company, even if simply out of curiosity? Their roots began in Hawaii and now locations are sweeping the globe with the reputation that “Bad Ass Coffee is Coffee with an Attitude.”

JD Files is an accomplished website developer and author. To learn more about Coffee Franchise Opportunities visit My Franchsising Opportunities for current articles and discussions.

Well, before I answer that, let me ask you a question. When you spend a day shopping, whether it be willingly with your best friend, or reluctantly, being dragged around the shops by your partner, where do you always spend at least half an hour of your time and at least £10 of your hard earned cash?

I’m willing to bet it’s in a coffee shop.

In times of recession, when the designer shops are empty and people switch to the cheapest supermarkets around, you will find the nearest coffee shop full of paying customers on any day of the week.

So it is no wonder that coffee shops are one of the few retail sectors in the UK to have grown consistently in excess of 15% year on year, over the last 8 years. And forecasts show that the number of branded coffee shops will double over the next decade, according to market research by the Allegra Consultancy company.

Therefore budding coffee shop entrepreneurs may wish to consider planning ahead so they can move from a single coffee shop into a fully franchised operation. Here are 7 simple tips to point you in the right direction:

1. Once you have opened your first coffee shop and have traded profitably over a sustained period, you will have a successful blue print to open more shops. You will be able to bring all the personal touches that have attracted your customers to a second shop and third shop. With your third shop you will know exactly what works and be in a position to pass that knowledge on to others.
2. With this third shop you are approaching the point when you should start planning your own franchise operation. This would allow you to expand much more quickly and your company would be run by management who are under your direction, abiding by strict guidelines that you have set down. Take advantage of all the knowledge you have gained to focus on this third shop as setting the parameters for your future franchised shops.
3. Switching from one shop to a franchise operation means you will need to widen your knowledge base consult experts in their various fields. You will need the help of more specialised professionals and you may have to change your bankers, accountants, estate agents and suppliers in order to move your business on. You will have to look at your business on a national rather than local basis.
4. Contact various franchise companies, not solely those involved in the coffee shop business, and request their information packs. The principles of franchising are similar whatever the product, and you can learn from this information how to put your own franchise package together and ensure that you protect yourself with legally watertight contracts.
5. With a proven track record of running successful shops, you are more likely to be offered better sites by landlords looking to lease their commercial properties. A landlord will always prefer to lease property to a business which is already successful rather than to a new franchisee, so you would have to take on the lease and sub-let to your franchisee. Therefore you should ensure that the right to sub-let is always written into any lease you sign.
6. When your business can afford it, consider hiring a consultant to liaise with all the affiliate bodies, including bankers and estate agents, on behalf of your franchise company and the franchisees.
7. Whilst your franchise operation is quite new, you would need to take on the role of property consultant yourself, until you can afford to employ a specialist. Although this adds to your workload, it can be a benefit as you will then know every detail of your business and this will help you to judge whether any full time consultant you eventually hire is of the standard and quality you require. Once you have a number of franchises up and running you may wish to consider offering territories to the best operators.

Tracey Beaney has collaborated with successful coffee shop owner Don Clarke to write a guide to setting up a coffee shop.

The guide has been reviewed by trade magazine Café Culture, and is currently being translated into Turkish by the Istanbul based Mikado Yayinlari Publishing company.

Every two months their website issues a coffee shop newsletter, containing relevant articles and contributions from companies associated with the coffee shop trade. If you would like to contribute, please visit the website:

http://www.howtosetupacoffeeshop.co.uk

Your customers will suffer if you don’t have enough
employees or if they aren’t doing their job correctly. Most
customers have a specific level of expectations when they
enter a place of business. If they don’t think their needs
have been met, they are going to think really hard before
they come back in. Even if you offer the best tasting coffee
in town, it often isn’t going to be enough to make up for
poor service.

If you can find qualified employees that have worked in a
coffee shop before that is a nice advantage. However, don’t
be so fast to pass on those that haven’t done so. They may
have plenty of wonderful skills you can incorporate for your
business. You need employees that are responsible, have
great communication skills, and they are friendly. You can
teach them everything else they need to know to do a good
job for your business.

You will find that many people applying for a job at your
coffee shop don’t have too much experience in this area.
Don’t let that get you down though because there is a bright
side to that picture. As long as they have many of these
other traits, you can teach them the specifics of your
business. If they don’t have very much work experience, they
also don’t have a great deal of bad work habits that you
have to weed out either.

The way in which you train your employees is going to affect
how well they perform for you. It is amazing how many
employers expect an employee to learn it all immediately but
they don’t put too much time into helping them learn it.
There are plenty of different drinks to learn how to make
and pieces of equipment to learn how to operate in a coffee
shop. Don’t leave your employees in the dark when it comes
to how to do their job.

If you don’t have a good training program in place for your
employees, you will find your turnover rate is high. That
means understaffed to meet the needs of your customers. It
also means going through that application and interview
process again and again. Employees that are well trained
tend to feel confident that they can perform well on the job
and they stick with it.

You definitely want to be able to keep the good employees
you hire at your coffee shop. To do this, you have to offer
a work environment that is safe and friendly. They should
look forward to coming to work instead of dreading it. Offer
nice gifts and even cash bonuses for good attendance and
quality service. You can have contests too and recognize
someone as the top employee of the month.

Treat your employees well and it will benefit your coffee
shop business in many ways. They will work hard, they will
offer suggestions, and they will let you know of any
problems that they have noticed. Your employees are a vital
part of the success of your business. Make sure you always
let them know how much you appreciate their efforts.

Karyn Lewis is passionate about great coffee. If you are thinking of opening a coffee shop, and avoiding the common mistakes new owners make, you can read more at her recommended at her coffee business website.

When someone says “coffee shop,” the name that most often comes to mind is Starbucks. So it’s only natural that coffee connoisseurs and entrepreneurs will immediately want to know if this wildly successful java chain offers the opportunity to buy Starbucks franchises.

Despite its seemingly ubiquitous presence the Starbucks brand does not franchise or sub-franchise its operations. Rather, the company operates most North American Starbucks stores. The exception to this is situations in which Starbucks will enter into an agreement with companies that may provide physical locations that might otherwise not be available to Starbucks, such as space in airports, grocery chains, hospitals, and on college and university campuses. In addition, in certain areas, Starbucks may enter into an agreement with a group of individuals or a company in which the company or group is permitted to manage and operate Starbucks outlets within a certain region.

The unavailability of Starbucks franchises, however, should in no way dissuade the coffee lover from pursuing a coffee franchise business opportunity. There are numerous coffee companies that do, indeed, franchise their operations, and many even venture beyond the traditional coffee bean to provide gourmet coffees, food options, and even catering services.

The following represents a partial listing of the many coffee franchise opportunities available to java lovers everywhere.

1) Cuppy’s Coffee

With a promise to get you your coffee “in under a minute,” Cuppy’s Coffee is a drive-through franchise that serves up coffees, lattes, espresso, and smoothies! Currently expanding across the country, Cuppy’s Coffee offers various franchising options, including drive up/drive through, coffee café, kiosk, and Cuppy’s Cart! The startup cost for a Cuppy’s Coffee franchise ranges from $35,000 to $450,000.

2) Daily Grind Coffee House and Café

Founded in 1995 and franchising since 2000, the Daily Grind Coffee House and Café offers a variety of coffees and beverages, including lattes, blended espresso, freshly roasted drip coffees, and even “crunch coffee coolers” with cookies, chocolate, coffee, or coconut! In addition, the Daily Grind goes beyond coffee service and ventures into the world of muffins, scones, specialty sandwiches, paninis, and more. The Daily Grind carries a total capital investment of $152,700 to $329,500, and its website offers “10 Easy Steps to Franchising.”

3) Melt Gelato and Crepe Cafe

What goes better together than coffee and ice cream? Or, more accurately, coffee and gelato! Perhaps it’s not your typical combination, but Melt Gelato and Crepe Café has no problem combining the two. Billing itself as a “fresh, new, and exciting” concept, Melt Gelato serves traditional Italian gelato and sorbetto along with a mouth-watering selection of sweet and savory crepes. From melted cheddar cheese to cream cheese delight, customers’ taste buds will crave the unique menu items available to complement their fresh cappuccino, latte, or espresso. And making this an even more appealing option, in 2006, this growing company served more than 1 million customers! With a total capital investment of $200,000 to $400,000, Melt Gelato and Crepe Café is currently seeking franchisees in California, Arizona, Nevada, Washington, Florida, and Illinois.

4) Jo to Go Coffee

If you need your coffee and need it fast, Jo to Go may be the coffee franchise for you! Jo to Go offers three different types of franchise opportunities – single-store, multiple-store, and conversion – and this unique conversion option allows business owners who already own a retail coffee business to join up with Jo to Go and connect their enterprise to this fun and forward-looking company. With “lightening speed” service and a kid-friendly menu, Jo to Go carries a startup cost that can be as little as $90,000, which makes it a pocket-book-friendly option as well!

5) The Coffee Beanery

With a name that immediately signals a big coffee “YUM,” the Coffee Beanery has been serving up its specialty coffee since 1976. Now boasting more than 135 locations in the United States and 25 locations internationally, the Coffee Beanery believes in the importance of hand-selected beans and tried and true business values. Also offering baked breakfast goods and individualized lunch selections, a Coffee Beanery franchise could be yours for a total capital investment of $250,000 to $500,000.

In addition to the five coffee franchise opportunities briefly profiled above, no fewer than twenty franchise opportunities exist for entrepreneurs seeking to turn their coffee passion into a profession.

From Bonté Wafflerie and Cafe serving Belgian sugar waffles to It’s a Grind Coffee House, numerous coffee franchises ranging from low-cost to high investment are available for serving up that morning cup of Joe, mid-day sandwich on the run, or afternoon tea or smoothie.

So next time you walk into your neighborhood coffee shop to fill your latte craving, imagine providing that same satisfaction to other coffee lovers like you…and even better yet, making a living at it!

Find franchises, franchise opportunities and information for entrepreneurs at Franchise Gator.

A business plan will allow for a greater description of your café. If there is a certain theme or style you wish to apply to the café it will need to be expressed in as much detail as possible. Investors and business partners want to see that you have clearly thought out all aspects and possess a strong vision. The choice to purchase or lease your structure will come in here as well. There are pros and cons to each so you need to know what will be most beneficial to your situation. A lease is often easier to obtain and does not leave you with a building to sell if the café isn’t successful.

When selecting your location, choices should be based on your chosen target market. For example, some may open a café on the side of the highway because their chosen consumer is the travellers and truck drivers. Alternatively, you will also find cafes in quiet neighborhoods where they are accessible by foot as well as car. Location plays a huge role in deciding who will walk through your door with money in hand.

You want to be careful when planning your menu that you are as original as possible. A pre-baked donut can be purchased anywhere but home baked goods fresh from the oven may have an advantage. These are things you need to take into consideration when planning. When you are ready to open a café, effective preparation and planning will carry you through.

Patricia Farnham – Restaurant industry veteran, owner/operator, author and enthusiast. She recently put her considerable expertise (gained from many years of managing other peoples restaurants), to the test. She purchased a failing operation and turned it around quickly. If you’re considering starting your own restaurant, or buying an existing operation, there are vital concepts you need to know to make it profitable. Check out her opinions regarding opening a restaurant on her website.