6 Advantages of Running a Coffee Shop Franchise

Running a coffee shop franchise won’t always be easy, but if it’s right for you, it’ll always be worth the effort. Do you love coffee? Are you good with people? Most of all, would you love to run your own business? If yes to all three, then you’re probably in the right place. In this article, you’ll discover some of the biggest advantages of running a franchise in the cafe sector right now, and you’ll be able to determine whether starting a cafe franchise would be right for you.

The UK branded coffee shop market has an estimated value in the region of £3 billion [Statista]. If you’re looking to become a barista and make a career change by franchising with a coffee shop business, there’s never been a better time to take the leap. But before you do, take a second to explore the reasons why you might want to, and to ensure that they align with your professional goals, wants and needs.

Why start a coffee shop franchise in 2021?

COVID-19 forced [the coffee industry to adapt], creating pickup windows at coffee shops, building e-commerce sites for consumers to still have access to their favourite beans, taking on new ways of working to avoid co-workers getting too close (physically), and incorporating new cleaning regimens to try to help keep customers and employees safe.
- Nathan Gilliland, Food and Beverage Insider

You might think starting a coffee franchise while the shadow of the pandemic still looms is a bad financial call, but the opposite is likely the case. Given the level of adaptation that had to occur during the worst of COVID-19, you’ll find that the coffee shop franchises and businesses still on their feet at present are better equipped to handle anything thrown at them than they ever have been before! The state of franchising in the coffee shop sector has never looked better, and demand for good coffee shops is still very high.

The 6 biggest advantages of a coffee shop franchise investment

1. You’ll enjoy plenty of demand 

As mentioned above, demand is sky-high for quality coffee and good coffee shop franchises, and this is something you should very much be able to take advantage of. Coffee is the number one most popular drink across the world, and roughly two billion cups are consumed every day [British Coffee Association]. 

There’s a clear and established audience for your product when it’s something with as much widespread appeal as coffee. Though this might make marketing your cafe franchise more of a challenge (since there’s more competition), if you can do it right, you know you’ll get that built-in custom. 

2. You can become a part of the local community

One of the biggest benefits of opening up a coffee shop? You’ll become a part of your local community. Coffee shops and cafes are a base for people to connect, socialise, or even enjoy a moment of peace with a good book and a warm cappuccino. As a coffee shop owner, you’ll have the chance to cement your franchise as a community cornerstone, providing a warm and inviting location for people to gather.

3. You can pursue a true passion in your professional life

Passion for what you do makes getting out of bed and heading off to work about a million times easier. When you’re a franchisee, having this passion within yourself is even more important, as you’ll have many responsibilities to fulfill to keep your business ticking away smoothly.

Responsibilities like maintaining and updating your business plan, managing daily operations, responding quickly to customer complaints and concerns, managing your employees’ wants and needs, etc. If you love coffee and you’ve always dreamed of running a cafe, franchising is a great way to make that dream real and massively raise your level of professional satisfaction.

4. You’ll be taking fewer risks

Entering a super in-demand industry like the coffee shop industry as a new business can be understandably daunting, especially given the fact that 20% of new businesses fail in year one, and 60% fail by year three [Fundsquire]. 

Comparing this to franchising, 93% of franchisees claimed profitability in 2018, and 60% of franchised units turned over more than £250,000 [British Franchise Association]. Investing with a coffee shop franchise is less of a risk, especially if you’re able to do your research ahead of time and choose the coffee shop franchise that’s truly right for you.

5. You’ll enjoy a dynamic, varied and creative working week

Running a coffee shop franchise isn’t anything like working in an office. As a barista, or even in a more managerial capacity, you’ll meet new people each day and have the opportunity to fulfil the needs of a diverse range of human beings, improving their days with java and great customer service. You’ll also have plenty of room to be creative, from the ways in which you manage your staff to discussing possible menu updates and changes with your franchisor.

6. You’ll enjoy all the benefits of the franchise business model in action

The final advantage of starting a coffee shop franchise that’s very much worth drawing attention to is the “franchise” part of it all. The lowered level of risk afforded by franchising has already been touched upon, but even beyond this, becoming a franchisee comes with amazing benefits. As a franchisee, you’ll be fully trained when you make your investment, meaning that in many cases you won’t need any prior coffee industry experience to succeed. 

You’ll then be guided through the launch of your franchise, often with fit-out assistance and marketing support. Once you’re up and running, you’ll have access to expert franchisor advice whenever you need it, and continued opportunities to learn and develop will be presented to you. Who could ask for more, really?

Become a franchisee in the cafe industry and enjoy all the perks of running your own business

If these advantages have left you even more certain that you’d like to make your move, browse Point Franchise’s wide range of coffee shop franchise investment opportunities to find the right fit. Would you enjoy working in a cafe franchise with a sweet treats slant like Sweet Spot? Or would you love to be out in the world, travelling to customers with a van-based coffee franchise like Cafe2U? The choice is yours!