Is there a non-chain/franchise coffee shop around you that is successful?

[DurocShark]

Originally posted by: brtspears2
Yes, but only because they are open late for college students to hang out, and they got interesting local bands.

That's something I've considered opening. Have a reading nook in one area, have bands most nights, etc. I love local bands, regardless of the music.

Setup free wifi that requires a code that is issued with your purchase receipt. Get an hour for each drink or something...

 

[gotsmack]

Originally posted by: DurocShark

Originally posted by: brtspears2
Yes, but only because they are open late for college students to hang out, and they got interesting local bands.

That's something I've considered opening. Have a reading nook in one area, have bands most nights, etc. I love local bands, regardless of the music.

Setup free wifi that requires a code that is issued with your purchase receipt. Get an hour for each drink or something...

I was thinking about that too, but its going to be a hassle helping people setting up the pass keys and having to change it every hour.

If I did that I'd be put out of business by Panera Bread & Starbux which are about 5 miles away each.

The real question is what can you offer that Panera bread or Starbux do not, because Starbux has pretty good coffee + 7-11 type sandwiches and Panera Bread has all you can drink coffee thats decent + good sandwiches.

So in this case I'm getting squeezed from both ends.

 

[Scarpozzi]

Many. Most of them even have started roasting their own beans to cut costs and add to the uniqueness of their shop. There are at least 5 of them that I know of in a 10 block radius and all are profitable...but technically 2 of them are now chains because they've opened additional locations from their success in the past 3 years.

 

[ruffilb]

There's a great place downtown here called the Mudhouse. It's always packed.

 

[spookypants]

There's a place in Austin a couple blocks from 2 Starbucks..es.. (right next to each other) called Trianon. Much better than Starbucks.

 

[Brutuskend]

Yup, they are ALL OVER the place here in Eugene, one about ever block, I kid you NOT!

 

[thirtythree]

Yes, there are plenty. In fact, I only know of one Starbucks around here (aside from the one inside Barnes & Noble).

 

[SLCentral]

In Princeton, NJ, there's one place, Small World Coffee, which KILLS the local Starbucks just one street down. It's kinda like a local hangout, and very "in" for the college kids.

 

[zugzoog]

It is funny to see the chains so dominate in the US. In Melbourne, Australia, most people go to non-chain coffee shops (exception: the chain/franchise stores dominate in the shopping malls, but who goes to a mall expecting quality coffee?).

There are quite a number of shopping strips that contain lots of individual stores that on a sunny day on the weekend are packed to the rafters.

 

[neutralizer]

Originally posted by: SLCentral
In Princeton, NJ, there's one place, Small World Coffee, which KILLS the local Starbucks just one street down. It's kinda like a local hangout, and very "in" for the college kids.

Same here in Berkeley. It's called La Strada.

 

[DT4K]

Originally posted by: Brutuskend
Yup, they are ALL OVER the place here in Eugene, one about ever block, I kid you NOT!

Technically, The Beanery is a chain, but it's still pretty much a local shop. They are still my favorite coffee. I was back in Oregon a couple months ago and made it a point to stop by the cafe at their headquarters in Albany.
Here in the Charlotte area, there's a great local shop around the corner from my office. They seem to be doing alright, even though there are 2 starbucks shops within a couple miles.

 

[Dirigible]

Yes. Several within a few blocks of my house. Oakland, CA, btw.

 

[nakedfrog]

We've got one in my small town of 7k people... although I don't understand HOW they're successful since they're only open from 10AM-3PM. I know they'd definitely get a lot more money from me if they were open later.
We have 13th Street Coffee in Omaha that started out as one store, but now they've got a couple more open.

 

[JulesMaximus]

There was but the evil Starbucks empire wiped them out.

 

[AreaCode707]

I'm in Seattle and there's a thriving business of independent "drive through" coffee shacks around here. One every couple of blocks.

 

[anxi80]

Originally posted by: JulesMaximus
There was but the evil Starbucks empire wiped them out.

yep jules, i dont know of any decent ones around here. sucks too, i havent drank a cup of coffee in years now and i used to love coffee. damn the man.

 

[fitzov]

Tough business. I used to live near a place that had everything going for them: awesome location, trendy crowd of regulars, steady flow of customers, good coffee. Somehow they barely kept it in the black and had to relocate. They sold the business sometime later.