How to Name a Coffee Shop Business
How to Name Your Coffee Shop Business
What Should You Name Your Coffee Shop?
When you first introduce yourself to someone, one of the first things you tell them is… of course, your name!
Why is that?
Because your name identifies who you are and perhaps where you come from. Your name confirms your identity and existence.
Similarly, your coffee shop business name will play a big role in your coffee company's identity and brand. It just might be that naming your coffee shop will be an important first step to getting your coffee business off the ground. Symbolically, it has a way of bringing your dream coffee business to life in a real way.
Certainly, the name of your coffee business is among the first things people will know about you – and share. Your coffee company's name will be the foundation of how they will perceive your coffee business from here on out.
While there is “no right” way to arrive at your coffee business name, we do have a few essential tips on naming your business.
How to Name Your Coffee Shop
How to Name a Coffee Shop Tip #1:
Keep Your Coffee Shop Name Simple
We have interviewed nearly 400 coffee businesses, many with great names. Others, not so much.
While many coffee businesses serve great coffee, they have the unique challenge of having unusual, hard-to-spell, hard-to-remember, and hard-to-pronounce names.
It is easy to wonder just how better off they would do with their customers if they had a different coffee shop name. Without a doubt, it isn't easy to build a solid coffee brand when your coffee business' name is:
- Difficult to pronounce
- Difficult to spell
- Difficult to remember
Keeping your coffee shop's name simple offers clarity to any potential customer and reduces confusion about your business. Therefore you want a name that is:
- Easy to pronounce
- Easy to Spell
- Easy to Remember
Ultimately, this helps your customers identify who and where you are, find you easily online and offline, and refer their friends and family to you.
How to Name Your Coffee Shop
How to Name a Coffee Shop Tip #2:
Going Generic May Not Be Good Either
When naming your coffee business, it’s a good idea to steer clear of challenging words and pronunciations. At the same time, however, you may also consider not being too generic as well.
For example: “Coffee Shop” may flirt with being too generic – if you are focused on growing your brand. Here’s my reason: while ‘coffee shop’ might be direct and right to the point (there is no confusion about what the business is, and that's good!). However, with that said, the opportunity to create your coffee business’s unique differentiation and branding in the marketplace may be lost. This is the ultimate reason that you want to “name your coffee shop.”
Consider focusing on developing your coffee brand. Coffee, in general, is a commodity – if you treat it that way. Coffee can also be a specialty product, artisanal and rare. The value in coffee goes up in every part of the supply chain, ending with you.
Therefore, give your coffee shop a name that embodies value. However, with that said, you should include the coffee – or a similar word – within the name. Allow the customer to understand that you are a coffee shop business. Words you should include somewhere in your name or slug-line may include: “Coffee,” Espresso,” “Brew,” “Café,” “Caffé,” or “Java.”
How to Name a Coffee Shop Tip #3:
Stay True to Your Brand and Messaging
Your coffee shop name should be “in sync” with your overall coffee branding efforts. Your branding will most likely include your logo, colors, concept, menu, etc.
Incorporating your name around your branding (or vice-versa) can be a real benefit when building your image and developing your coffee business's added values. If your brand and name are in tandem with one another, your overall messaging, branding, and marketing will be much easier as you grow your coffee shop business.
How to Name a Coffee Shop Tip #4:
Keep Your Name to Three Words or Less
Make your coffee shop name concise. Simple is often more sophisticated.
While your name can be three words or less, you can always add a slug or subheading to your title, such as “New Orleans Brew – A Louisiana Coffeehouse” The subheading or slug in this example is “A Louisiana Coffeehouse.”
Additionally, it is also a good idea to keep your website domain name for your coffee shop website down to three words or less as well. Names that are too long are impractical for several reasons – your logo, branding, merchandise, and website will all need to be shortened.
How to Name a Coffee Shop Tip #5:
Don’t Infringe on Someone’s Trademark
Doing a quick search online or your state’s business registry can be helpful. You don’t want to invest in a name (and play for logo development, business cards, a website, etc.) that encroaches on someone else’s name or trademark. You may have to invest in a little research with a trademark attorney.
Many businesses name their business and spend money developing their business structure (forming an LLC, for example), and creating signage. Other materials, only to have to re-do everything because they didn't check the name they liked before they moved forward with it.
The bottom line: Do your research before settling on your name.
How to Name a Coffee Shop
The Decision To Name A Coffee Shop
The decision of what to name your coffee shop is one of the most important decisions you’ll make as you set out to breathe life into your very new business.
You might be tempted to go overboard and find a name that is quirky, shocking, or strange-sounding. At the same time, you want to leave a memorable impression of yourself without going over the top. This isn’t always easy. Also, you will want to choose a coffee shop name that hasn’t been used before. The last thing you want to do is go through the trouble of starting your business and developing a logo and merchandise – only to change everything because your chosen name is already in use.
So now that we’ve given you some tips on choosing a coffee shop name, now what?
Action Step 1: Brainstorm
Get a blank notepad or pull up a blank screen and start jotting down names and ideas. Remember everything you envision about your business: your concept, menu, and location. All of these will be tied together by your name and the development of your coffee brand.
If you need a little motivation to start, check out what other similar coffee businesses have decided to name themselves. Scroll through Instagram or Facebook and look at what other coffee businesses are doing. Make a list of names you like.
Pick on an attribute of your business. For example, if your business is in our hometown of Seattle, consider names identifiable to the region. For example, here in Seattle, you have Uptown Espresso, Cloud City Coffee, and Fremont Coffee Shop. Other organizations have used a similar path to naming their business, such as the Seattle Reign, Seattle Sounders, and Rat City Rollers.
Perhaps you want to use a name that is indicative of what your concept is – such as real businesses as Burlesque Brew and PIM Bike Thru Coffee. Any of these can be a great foundation to name your coffee shop.
My strong recommendation is that you utilize the word coffee somewhere in your name. For example, Cowgirls Espresso, The Human Bean, Caffe Vita, and The Ugly Mugg Café all have names that allow you to know what they serve.
Whether you use social media or visit towns in your state or region, there are probably many great examples of creative uses for names.
Action Step 2: Define Your Vision
Choosing a name for a coffee shop will revolve around your vision. Your vision will tell everyone what direction your coffee business is heading for. Do you want to be known for offering the best doughnuts in the state? Do you want to have the prettiest, most incredible latte art?
Whatever your vision and mission are, embed that within your decision to name your coffee shop.
Your name will tell your story and develop your overall narrative. Your name introduces who you and where you are going. You might need to dig a little deeper here, but consider why you are starting this coffee shop in the first place. What is behind your motivation to start a coffee shop? Once you know this, you will be on the right path to choosing the perfect name for your coffee business.
Remember, this is all brainstorming. So, write down everything you think about. Write single words, phrases, or names of coffee shops to help you remember your thoughts about what you like in a name. Just don’t name your coffee shop the same name as other existing coffee shops!
How to Name a Coffee Shop Business
Additional questions:
I have chosen my coffee shop business name. Now what?
Congratulations! If you have chosen your coffee shop name, now you can get the ball moving with other essential elements of your coffee shop startup.
First, consider getting a website for your coffee shop. That is, claim your name online. If your name is taken, you will want to double-check to see if you can use that name and that you are not infringing on anyone’s trademark.
If the website domain is available, buy the domain and set up your website. Read our article, How to Setup Your Coffee Shop Website.
How to Name a Coffee Shop Business
The Value of Your Coffee Shop Business Name
The name of our coffee business can grow in value as your business grows. This “added value” is what your coffee business will rely upon if you ever decide to sell your business.
Giving your future coffee shop or business a name essentially puts handles on your coffee business project. It allows you to take command of it in a way that wouldn't be possible if it were an anonymous entity. It breathes life into your project.
If you are considering a few name options, consider utilizing feedback from friends and family. Check what's already out there. And finally, make sure that it coincides with your overall branding efforts. Your increased value – due to your name, brand, and reputation – allows you to charge premium prices and generate added value for your business.
For more information on starting a coffee shop, read out 30 Steps to Starting a Coffee Shop Business.
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Coffee Shop Startups
Based in Seattle, Washington, USA, Coffee Shop Startups is dedicated to providing you with the most relevant information on how to start a coffee shop business successfully. Over the last 11 years, we've helped thousands of aspiring coffee business owners worldwide. We harness the experience, wisdom, and knowledge of many successful coffee shop owners to help you increase your chances of success and profits. We support business owners who want to start a coffee business by providing them with valuable information on starting their coffee business successfully.
