How to start a coffee business with Boss Blend Coffee | Ep. 8
Last updated on August 11th, 2024 at 08:03 pm
Is it your dream to start a coffee business? Have you recently seen a space available in your favorite neighborhood and thought to yourself, “this would be perfect for opening a cafe and live music spot?”
The idea of of opening a coffee shop has become so much more popular, especially with the rise of cafe hopping in places like Seoul and New York City.
But it’s no surprise that starting a coffee business and/or opening a cafe is incredibly difficult, costly and has tight margins.
Fly Carmichael, CEO of Boss Blend Coffee, walks us through starting a coffee business and the key to a successful coffee brand launch. Fly breaks down:
- Her experience searching for someone to teach her about the coffee business
- Why it’s important to take control of your content as a content creator
- How her coffee pays homage to her mother
- Educating herself on commercial real estate as she prepares to open her coffee shop
Listen to this episode about how to start a coffee business
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Tips on how to start a coffee business
Here are a few tips I discussed with Fly about how to start a coffee brand.
1. Don’t be so quick to leave your job
The worst thing you can do before starting a coffee business or opening a cafe is to quit your job.
If you are planning on self-funding your business, it’s likely that you will run through all of your money sooner than you think.
And if you think you’ll be able to get a small business loan without any income, I’d love to see it.
Even if you hate your job and you’re ready to walk out, do your best to hold on to that job. Or get another job.
Use your 9 to 5 income to help fund your coffee business.
2. Find people to teach you how to start a coffee business
Fly relied on Google for her research because she needed to switch from being a consumer to being a coffee brand and cafe owner.
A few of the questions Fly had that she needed to answer through research:
- Where can I get coffee beans from? A lot of manufacturers turned Fly down because they didn’t want to work with her.
- Where can I get a local roaster – that won’t charge too much?
- What goes into coffee harvesting? How are the beans picked?
- How are the farmers being treated in Spain, Colombia, etc?
- How do I roast a coffee bean? How long does it take?
Fly eventually found a family-owned roastery that was open to teaching her about the coffee industry.
It took a long time, but Fly says that she was hungry.
So, don’t give up.
3. Don’t rush your first set of coffee blends
Take the time you need to create your coffee blends.
Fly sourced the coffee beans then created her own blends in her kitchen with her mom.
It took 8 months to come up with one blend.
She would get beans from Spain, Jamaica, Honduras and Colombia, blend the beans and then do cupping, which is similar to wine tasting.
The Culture blend, which is a dark roast, pays homage to her Cuban mom. And it’s a best seller for Boss Blend.
Fly launched Dec 1, 2018 and achieved $1K in sales on launch day!
4. Build your personal brand first
I asked Fly how she set herself up for a successful launch.
Fly didn’t have the perfect domain name or any marketing funnels. She also didn’t have any bags or labels. Just the coffee samples.
But Fly already had a personal brand and loyal following that trusts her.
And coffee made sense for Fly.
Drinking coffee is a lifestyle for her, so people weren’t confused when she launched her coffee brand.
How to open a cafe / Opening a coffee shop: 1 quick tip
5. Don’t be afraid to spend the money needed to hire the right people
Fly mentions finding an attorney and a real estate agent as a part of her process for opening a coffee shop.
In Fly’s experience, some building owners will try to trick you and give you unfavorable lease terms.
You need to learn the price points for the neighborhoods you are interested in and the real estate lingo.
Find a real estate agent who specializes in commercial property and someone who has strong experience working with entrepreneurs who lease property for their businesses.
Start your coffee cart or food truck
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Meet Fly Carmichael of Boss Blend Coffee
Fly Carmichael is a mom of 3 and an entrepreneur who decided to change the conversation in the coffee industry. She turned her passion & morning ritual into a coffee lifestyle brand.
She is also a content creator who talks about her journey to entrepreneurship and the ups and downs of content creation.
In 2021, Fly opened her coffee shop in Newark, NJ.
Boss Blend: Black owned coffee
Boss Blend Coffee is a Black owned coffee brand that has been featured by Essence, Brides, Sprudge and more.
Blends include Culture and Noche Buena, a holiday blend.
There’s also cold brew and single-serve pour over packs.
Pin for when you’re ready to open a cafe or start a coffee truck
Mentioned in this episode
- Brew Thoughts Podcast – CultureCon episode
- Brew Thoughts Podcast – Episode with NYC Food Muse
- Fly’s YouTube channel
- Kym of TERRA-TORY Skincare
- Boss Blend Coffee Pour Over
Connect with Fly Carmichael & Boss Blend Coffee
Website: https://bossblendcoffee.com
Instagram: @bossblendcoffeeco
Pro Food Maker on social media
Find us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
Interested in opening a restaurant instead?
How much does it cost to open a restaurant?
