Fresh roast coffee is fabulous. When I travel, I am on the lookout for a place to stop for a cup or a bag of fresh roasted coffee.
Fresh Roast Coffee is Big Business.
According to Hoovers, there are over 20,000 coffee shops in the USA alone. This represents about $10 billion in revenue. With over 17,000 Starbucks shops globally, I know I don’t need to go far to relax in a comfortable coffee atmosphere. Even in Shanghai, I have dozens to choose from.
The industry is quite concentrated with about 50 companies representing over 70 percent of the business. Some of the big names include Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf, Caribou, Dunn Bros Coffee, just to name a few.
Compared to a year earlier, consumer spending on nondurable goods, an indicator of coffee shop sales, rose 7.2% (What financial crisis?).
But what about the other coffee shops that represent the other 30 percent? There are wonderful neighborhood shops. A favorite of mine is Minnetonka Mud Coffee Cafe in Spring Park, MN.
Fresh Roast Coffee in Other Countries.
The coffee business is a global business. The first coffee shop dates back to 1530 in Damascas.
During my short stay in Saarbrucken, I have found many neighborhood coffee shops. Yes, there are a couple of Starbucks and so much more. And there are coffee roasters as well. Read my article about Herr Menn and ‘die Kaffeebohne’.
I find shops in the neighborhood, shopping centers and common areas. On a trip to Saarlouis, a smaller city of about 37,000 has several shops.
Coffee isn’t cheap in Europe. Compared to beer, it is very expensive. A tasty half litre of dark beer is EUR 2.90 while a 125ml cup is almost the same.
A fresh cup of coffee in Shanghai is difficult to find, but doable. In this case coffee is a bit les expensive than beer.
Does your Business Support Fresh Roast Coffee?
Are you a grower, roaster or coffee shop operator? I’d love to hear from you. Just send me a note in the contact us page. Want to be on the mailing list? Just add your name to the right.
Enjoy.