The coffee industry is a swirl of people inspiring each other. Here’s how to borrow and iterate on great ideas without lazily copying them.
Welcome to Operator Notes, a weekly newsletter written by coffee operators, consultants, creators, and practitioners who spot trends and share insight on what to do about them.
This week’s edition is written by Julie Hanell, founder of The Coffee Dispatch.
✉️ Operator Notes: practical advice from people working in coffee.
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Third-Wave Cafes Are Starting to Look Alike
A study released earlier this year analyzed the homogenization of third-wave coffee shops (AKA, why there’s so much exposed brick and reclaimed wood that’s entered our lives). There’s nothing inherently wrong with chalkboard signs and vintage furniture, and while it’s true that franchises and coffee chains have their proven models, that doesn’t automatically mean that their ideas are right for you. There’s an art to borrowing without being a carbon copy and finding ways to make good ideas your own.
Copying the aesthetic or recipes without thinking about what made a cafe successful is a recipe for failure. A cafe succeeds because it means something to the owner, the area, and its customers.
Borrow the Thinking, Not the Look
Study before you borrow. If you really love the look and feel of a cafe, one of the best ways to recreate it well is to study it. Go sit in your favorite bar seat or corner booth all day long (or as much of it as you can set aside) with the intention of jotting down every detail. What appeals to you? What makes it feel special? Why do you keep coming back?
It might be the playlist choice, or the way baristas welcome you. It could be the tray and the coffee cups, in other words, the material choices. In understanding what you like and how customers react to details you care about, you’ll get a sense of what you should borrow. The personality of a cafe can only be experienced when the owner has thoroughly understood what they love and thus wish to offer.
Borrow the guest experience. The look of a place is the easiest part to copy. The warmth of the place is the hardest. The good news is that greetings and goodbyes are free, and can easily be taught to the team you already have. If you want your customers to leave your cafe feeling like they had an incredible experience, how can you let the hospitality of your favorite spaces influence your company culture?
Leave the cultural menu and the ordering format behind. The coffee chains I consult for in India often try to bring European flavors and pastries into their shops, but local customers don’t automatically gravitate toward them. Even though the pain au chocolat feels quintessential, it doesn’t always survive the trip to another cultural context, especially if the cafe does not share the values of a French bakery. If you’re pulling in flavors or ingredients from other contexts, make sure you have a reason to do so.
Make every choice point back to one idea. Borrowed ideas that don’t fit your values or customer base can feel out of place. That’s why it’s good to think about continuity, or how your brand is expressed in every detail so it feels cohesive. For example, a forest-themed cafe might print its loyalty card on seed paper that guests can plant at home. Or an urban, dog-friendly cafe could offer special dog treats and toys with every coffee order.
Ultimately, ideas and inspiration from similar businesses are never in short supply. The ones you should keep are the ones you can explain, and those are the elements customers will immediately feel are authentic.
Go Deeper
How Coffee Shops Make Standout Design Choices
Blank Slate Kitchen + Coffee in New York and All Day in Miami show how design details like a signature green door or a neon menu become part of who a cafe is.
Want a Cafe That Lasts? Focus on Brand Identity
Jacob Ibarra of Tenfold Coffee in Houston and Michael Acosta of Story and Soil Coffee in Hartford build their identity around hospitality more than design.
Your Coffee Shop’s Recipes Will Be Copied, but It Doesn’t Matter
Fairgrounds Craft Coffee, Adelitas Coffee Company and Caffè by Mr. Espresso show how drinks with a real story behind them become the parts of a cafe that competitors can’t copy.
