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The Fresh Cup Guide to Naming Your Coffee Shop
Fresh Cup Magazine has reported on the coffee industry for 30+ years. In that time, we’ve seen a LOT of coffee shop names. As you are looking at naming your coffee business, there are a few things we strongly suggest considering.
Your Name Should Capture Your Mission or a Sense of Place
Your name should mean something to you, so that as customers get to know your team and brand, the name starts to mean something to them too. The name should be a manifestation of your vision for the business and the impact it has on your community. It’ll help tie warm and fuzzy feelings between your coffee shop’s name and your customers.
Sometimes a place is inspiration enough for a name. If your coffee shop is in Brooklyn, consider the nuances that make Brooklyn, New York tick. Is it the hipster vibe, the rich history, or the blend of cultures? Picking a locally-inspired name is a great way to demonstrate to customers that you want to be seen as part of the community, rather than a business that’s just there to make a buck off them.
Avoid Pun-Driven and Cliché Names
There are few industries as accessible to puns and play on words as coffee. However, these names have been thoroughly explored by coffee shop owners in the last few decades. In the eyes of many, they are played out. We suggest avoiding names that rely on a pun to work, like:
- HeBrews Coffee
- Common Grounds
- Brewed Awakenings
- The Daily Grind
- Java Junction
- Central Perk (Thanks to ‘Friends’, it’s now as cliché as it gets))
There are usually a dozen or more coffee businesses with these names in the United States at any given time, and that’s just confusing for everyone.
Make it Easy to Spell and Remember
In the digital age, you’re not just competing on the street; you’re competing on search engines. Make it easy for people to spell and remember your name. If customers can’t find you online because they can’t remember or spell your shop’s name, you’re shooting yourself in the foot. Keep it simple, smart, and searchable.
Ensure It’s Legally Yours
Trademark issues are a headache you don’t need. Do a thorough search, not just in your local jurisdiction but nationally and internationally too. You don’t want to invest in branding only to receive a cease-and-desist letter six months down the road.
Avoid Trend Traps
“Trendy” is another word for “temporary.” While it’s tempting to capitalize on what’s hot right now, remember that trends fade. Consider whether your name would have made sense 10 years ago and will make sense 10 years from now.
Don’t Make The Decision Alone
Everyone has an opinion—but not all should be weighted equally. While it’s smart to gather feedback on your potential names, don’t let your cousin’s boyfriend’s sister who “just really loves coffee” make the call for you. Use feedback to identify potential red flags or insights you may have missed. We’ve all seen a handful of names where we’ve thought “do they have any idea how that sounds?”.
But remember this is your business, your mission. Keep the final say.
Infuse Your Name with Your Unique Value Proposition
Your unique value proposition (UVP) is crucial in a saturated market like coffee shops. Whether you’re committed to ethical sourcing, you’re reinventing the café aesthetic, or you have a killer menu—make sure your name can encompass that UVP without pigeonholing you into a niche you might outgrow.
In the world of coffee, where there’s a shop around every corner, your name is your first impression and your lasting legacy. Make it count. And once you’ve got that killer name, ride that momentum straight through to your grand opening and beyond. Cheers to caffeinating the world, one expertly named coffee shop at a time.
Need More Inspiration? Here Are 30 Cafe Names To Get the Gears Turning
- UrbanMug Melodies: A city-centric café where music and coffee blend seamlessly.
- Quirk & Quill Café: A literary café that celebrates eccentricity and the written word.
- Vortex Brews: A high-energy, dynamic café that aims to suck you into its inviting atmosphere.
- InfiniBeans Lounge: A café that boasts an endless variety of coffee beans and preparation methods.
- Nebula Sips: A celestial-themed café that brings the wonders of the universe into your cup.
- Artistic Aromas: A café dedicated to the marriage of visual arts and the olfactory delight of coffee.
- Twilight Steam: A serene setting where night owls find their perfect brews in a cozy atmosphere.
- Quantum Cups: A café for the intellectual, inspired by quantum mechanics and theories.
- Mosaic Macchiatos: A multicultural café that offers a tapestry of flavors and experiences.
- Caffeine Synthesis: A modern café focused on scientific precision in brewing techniques.
- Ethereal Espressos: A café that focuses on the light, almost spiritual aspects of coffee enjoyment.
- ChronoBlend Café: A time-travel themed café that offers blends from various epochs.
- Mystic Foam: A café with an enigmatic, mystical vibe perfect for deep thought or esoteric conversations.
- AlchemyBrew Co.: A café inspired by the magical transformation that turns beans into a delicious brew.
- Vibrato Vibes Coffee: A musical café where every sip seems to resonate with a tune.
- Cipher Sips: A spy-themed café perfect for clandestine meetings or cracking codes over coffee.
- Zenith BrewHouse: A café aimed at those who seek peak coffee experiences, the pinnacle of brews.
- Anomaly Café & Roasters: A café that stands out for its uniqueness, daring to be different.
- Infinity Brew Crew: A café that promises endless possibilities in coffee and companionship.
- Tesseract Java: A sci-fi-themed café that brings four-dimensional space into your coffee experience.
- EchoWave Coffee: A café with a calming vibe, where the essence of each cup reverberates.
- Sublime Grind: A café for connoisseurs, focusing on the supreme quality of its coffee grounds.
- Whimsical Drip: A café that embraces fanciful ideas and creativity, evident in every drip brew.
- Octave Café: A café for music lovers where each coffee hits the right note.
- Arcane Beans: A café for those intrigued by the mysteries or the obscure origins of coffee.
- Pangea Perks: A global café that aims to bring coffee from all continents under one roof.
- Nova Nutmeg Café: A café bursting with flavor, like the explosive birth of a star.
- Satori Sips: A Zen-inspired café aiming to bring moments of enlightenment with each sip.
- Lunar Latte Lounge: A café with an otherworldly, moon-inspired ambiance.
- Cosmic Crème: A space-themed café that aims to make every cup an interstellar journey.