Coffee Stores are Better Than Chains?

With the sudden onset of the pandemic in early 2020, all kinds of challenges were faced at home, including coffee.

The human being, always in search of continuous improvement and using creativity to avoid getting bored with the use of the internet, caused the rise of the barista at home, in search of the perfect cup.

We can see it on social networks such as Tik Tok, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest, where coffee lovers show the world the best recipe they've found, the most beautiful or the most innovative, mixing textures and flavors that had rarely been combined before with coffee.

This leads us to analyze the situation of businesses abroad, independent coffee shops, and franchises that were able to better survive the pandemic thanks to the availability of resources that a corporation has and that a small business does not typically have on hand.

But we're not going to focus on chains but on independent businesses. Let's take a look at the coffee consumer in the US:

☕As of 2018 survey of U.S. consumers found the average coffee drinker consumes 2.7 cups per day, with the average size of a coffee cup measuring 9 ounces.

☕60% of American coffee drinkers visited a branded coffee shop chain at least once a month in 2018.

☕The Average American Spends $ 1,100 on Coffee Every Year!

Beyond the social and cultural aspects, if you're a person of numbers, it's more than clear that the financial benefits of buying your fresh coffee at your favorite independent coffee shop are better for your wallet and enjoyment.

Why? There are two main aspects that should be mentioned: the economic and the quality aspect.

Coffee Economic Impact.

Maybe it's coffee a necessity to have a little caffeine to wake up and go for your day.

Quality is not an important factor and the convenience of buying it in the supermarket is understandable, and not everyone is an expert in coffee or interested in trying new things.

If you want to save money and have functional coffee, buying at the supermarket is the option. 

Regarding the Coffee Quality.

Normally, independent coffee shops offer better quality and freshness than chain shops. The interesting thing about an independent coffee shop is that each one has its own personality, which characterizes them and makes them unique.

Similarly, when buying coffee in a specialty coffee shop, besides supporting a small business, you can prepare up to 13 coffee cups with a 12oz bag, for $12-20 to prepare at home. 

Also,  if you are looking for:

• A coffee that does not need sugar, as it is naturally sweet.
• A clean cup with no defects: burnt, bitter, sour, moldy flavors.
• Traceability, knowing the origin, altitude, conditions, process (like good wines).
• Exceptional flavors that you don't find in all cafes and you want to try something new.
• In professional terms, you find unique fragrance/aroma, flavor, aftertaste, acidity, body, balance, sweetness, uniformity, and cleanness. 

You can choose between processes, profiles, varieties, countries, and types of roast, a range of options that a coffee chain is rare to find and if so, is commercial quality.

Specialty coffee is a better-tasting coffee that was processed by roasters, baristas, importers, exporters, and farmers who are treated with respect and value.

In summary, none is better, they are just different approaches, we just want to share the details that differentiate one concept from the other, if you are looking for comfort and something functional, the commercial chain cafe is the option.

Support your local businesses to help them thrive and grow. What's best is getting an amazing sensory coffee experience? Your go-to option is a specialty coffee shop!😉

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