Specialty Coffee Business

Specialty Coffee Business Success Stories [2024]

Pat Walls

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Updated: October 10th, 2024

Looking to share your passion for excellent coffee with others? Consider starting a specialty coffee business. This involves sourcing high-quality beans, mastering the art of coffee brewing, and creating a unique cafe experience.

Your journey begins by building relationships with reputable coffee bean suppliers and learning the nuances of roasting and brewing to highlight the unique flavors of each bean. From there, crafting a menu of finely tuned beverages and a carefully curated atmosphere will distinguish your establishment from the average coffee shop.

If you're meticulous and dedicated, this path allows you to bring the craft of specialty coffee to a devoted clientele. It’s a hands-on endeavor that demands both skill and creativity, but the reward is a thriving business serving coffee lovers something truly special. Whether you opt for a cozy neighborhood cafe or a chic downtown spot, the key is to offer exceptional coffee and an inviting space for community.

In this list, you'll find real-world specialty coffee business success stories and very profitable examples of starting a specialty coffee business that makes money.

1. Little Coffee Place ($96K/year)

Demri Robinson, the website manager and co-founder of Little Coffee Place, came up with the idea for their coffee blog after connecting online with Rodrigo, who had a mutual love for coffee. They decided to start the blog as a compilation of their coffee experiences and it has since grown to make $8k to $10k a month with 80,000 monthly viewers.

How much money it makes: $96K/year
How much did it cost to start: $500
How many people on the team: 4

How We Started A $8K/Month Blog For Coffee Lovers

Little Coffee Place, a website hub of coffee market information founded by Demri Robinson and Rodrigo, generates on average $8k to $10k a month and has 80,000 monthly viewers, with most of their income coming from Amazon affiliation, other coffee affiliates, and Mediavine advertisements.

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2. Fernweh ($36K/year)

Courtney, the founder of Fernweh, came up with the idea for her coffee subscription service after recognizing a gap in the market for featuring multiple coffee roasters in New Zealand. She saw an opportunity to offer customers a unique experience by showcasing different roasters each month and providing background stories. Despite facing challenges in the beginning, Courtney's business has grown steadily and now runs smoothly, attracting customers through the uniqueness of the subscriptions and support from marketing efforts such as Google ads, SEO, and collaborations with magazines.

How much money it makes: $36K/year
How much did it cost to start: $550
How many people on the team: 0

On Starting A Coffee Subscription Service As A Side Hustle

New Zealand-based Fernweh is a subscription service that offers subscribers a new coffee roaster featured in the country each month, delivering coffee, tasting notes, and a story about the producer in a unique package for around $40 a month.

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