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Looking Back and Ahead with Coffee Shops and Franchises |
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Written by Damian Papworth
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Friday, 23 October 2009 11:34 |
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While the origins of coffee shops go back some five hundred years, there are few periods in history where their popularity has been greater than in the present time. Coffee houses in Mecca were already a concern to the Imams in the early sixteenth century, indicating that they had been established as centers for gathering for some time. You?ll see similar complaints from English monarchs of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. By the 1960s, coffee houses were places where gatherings -- often music-oriented -- would occur, especially in the U.S.
by DamianPapworth
While the origins of coffee shops go back some five hundred years, there are few periods in history where their popularity has been greater than in the present time. Coffee houses in Mecca were already a concern to the Imams in the early sixteenth century, indicating that they had been established as centers for gathering for some time. You?ll see similar complaints from English monarchs of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. By the 1960s, coffee houses were places where gatherings -- often music-oriented -- would occur, especially in the U.S.
Today, coffee shops are something of an amalgam of all these different incarnations throughout history. They can be the place for two friends to meet and chat away from the noise of a pub. They can be a place for enjoying coffee at it best while getting some work done. They can also be an informal office of sorts for all the nontraditional employees of the world. Many of the work-at-home types would prefer to retain a part of the social element lost when they left the office.
Maybe the biggest difference between old fashioned coffee houses and their modern counterparts is the coffee itself. These days, besides the improvements on the part of farmers (in both growing and storage), the global character of the business world has brought the best coffee available to the hands of any company willing to do the homework and pay the import prices. Bringing this coffee into local shops has only increased the popularity of the caf?.
For entrepreneurs looking for a business opportunity, coffee franchises should definitely be on the list of possibilities. The success of many brands in international and domestic markets has been incredible in the last 20 years. Most of them began with the basic coffee, but specialized drinks have grown in popularity over the last few years, making some coffee ?cocktails? rival prices found in pubs and restaurants, only with a much greater profit margin.
There are a number of spots in any community where a recognized brand could park itself and draw an instant clientele. Taking a brief tour through the main districts in your area will yield a number of potential corners.
Anyone looking to open a coffee franchise should have the ability to create a welcoming, interesting atmosphere. Whether it?s putting together a series of events or getting the right staff to work for you, the right feeling in your coffee shop makes all the difference. You might want to consider live music or spoken word performances as ways to attract attention.
Once you have established your coffee shop as a comfortable place where excellent coffee drinks are served, the community will latch on to it as one of the social centers. Because no alcohol is served, younger teens and anyone looking to stay away from a loud pub environment can find a place to meet.
For franchise owners who can make the coffee shop concept work, the opportunity for other businesses is right behind. The community will see you as a name and brand to trust and the clientele will follow.
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