State of the Industry

Timothy J. Castle and Joan Reis Nielsen write about the State of the Industry in this article and things are looking good. While some may take exception, it can be pretty fairly stated that there has never been a better time to be a specialty coffee retailer, whether you are thinking of opening your first store, or about to open your one-hundredth or even your one-thousandth. As an industry on the whole, we have far exceeded the number of stores that many observers 10 years ago would have said constitute saturation in the North American market. And most specialty coffee retailers today are still on a track of aggressive growth for the next several years. Some chains are opening more than a store a week and you-know-who hopes to expand from 9,100 stores now, to more than 30,000 world-wide over the next several years. " Many people are saying this is the time to get in the business. The Specialty Coffee Association of America are trying to get all the independent coffeehouse, almont 50% of the market, signed up as members as to set an industry wide standard for growing, roasting, and brewing. This is an excited time for the industry and I think we will continue to see this growth. Castle and Nielsen also talk about the importantance of educating staff at this point in the industry, how customers are becoming smarter, and people are searching the globe for the best coffee they can find. "Despite the obvious challenges of opening and operating a specialty coffee retail operation today, the rewards are very much there for dedicated businesspeople who love coffee and tea—not least of which is being around the stuff day in and day out. If that sounds good to you, then chances are good you’ll find some customers that agree with you. Or, as Chad Trewick says so passionately, “I hope that people continue to break into this industry—their fresh perspectives and ideas are what teach us all and keep us on our toes!” ~~be bold