How to Start a Coffee Shop in Illinois
How to Start a Coffee Shop in Illinois*
Easy Steps to Open a Successful Coffee Business in Illinois
If you are researching how to open a coffee shop in Illinois, congratulations! The caffeine-fueled growth of the coffee shop retail industry across America is warming up – and it’s expected to get even hotter, including in Illinois. Promising towns for the coffee shop are Chicago, Springfield, Peoria, Naperville, Champaign, – and many others!
A new generation of customers who want high-quality coffee offered in beautiful spaces with great customer service is changing how people get their coffee. This means that your coffee shop business has the potential to be quite profitable.
However…. without the research and dedicated planning you absolutely need to do, your once-potentially profitable business could become a disaster! Many new and aspiring business owners make too many mistakes when starting their coffee shop and go out of business – needlessly.
Further Reading: Permits and Licenses Needed to Start a Coffee Shop
Your Coffee Shop Business Dream, Your Idea, & Your Success
At Coffee Shop Startups, we aim to help every aspiring coffee shop owner take their business idea to the next level.
You might need help with the initial research on how to start your coffee shop business. For others, you will need help with strengthening your coffee shop business plan. Some of you may want to know how to design your coffee shop to help you avoid costly fines or remodeling modifications. As a new coffee shop owner, you might need help hiring, choosing coffee equipment, or searching for the perfect coffee business location.
There's certainly plenty to cover. That's okay, that's why we're here!
We are so excited to bring you unprecedented in-depth information in our Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit.
How to Start a Coffee Shop in Illinois
Opening a Coffee Shop in Illinois
Steps to Start Your Coffee Shop in Illinois
Step 1: Decide on a coffee business concept
There are plenty of great coffee shop concepts that would work in Illinois. Pick something that works for your customers at your location and does well against the existing competition. But most importantly, pick a concept that inspires you and motivates you to be the best coffee shop owner you can be.
Step 2: Determine your coffee menu
Illinois is a big state; people naturally have diverse tastes, wants, and needs. Understanding your target market will help you decide what coffee menu you’ll offer. First, come up with a simple menu, and then grow it out from there.
Step 3: Develop your coffee brand
Like elsewhere, coffee drinkers in Illinois value reputable brands, including their coffee too! After you know what concept you are aiming for and the coffee shop menu you will offer, you’ll be able to get a good handle on what type of coffee brand to start will resonate with your customers.
Step 4: Write a coffee shop business plan
People in Illinois don’t like to waste money – and I assume you don’t like to either! Writing all of your thoughts down in a business plan will forge your plan of action. Articulating all your plans can help you save money and make you a legitimate aspiring business owner, to lenders and property managers. For more information, read our post, How to Write a Coffee Shop Business Plan.
Step 5: Determine your budget
One of the centerpieces of your coffee shop planning is determining your budget. Costs can be higher in Illinois than in other parts of the country, such as Texas, Iowa, and Tennessee, so it will be important to try to keep costs down as much as possible. That’s why you need to develop a thorough coffee shop budget.
Step 6: Secure your funding
After determining your coffee shop budget, you’ll want to determine your coffee shop funding mix. This will help you understand HOW and WHERE you will get your money.
Step 7: Establish your business entity
Early in the process of setting up your coffee shop in Illinois, you will need to set up your business with the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. You’ll have a variety of business structures to choose from, though many independent coffee shop owners enjoy the benefits of forming an LLC.
Step 8: Find a great location
Illinois is a vibrant state. There are lots of potentially great locations for your coffee business. You’ll want to choose a coffee shop location that works best for you in several important ways. Consider reading two posts:
Step 9: Choose your coffee equipment
Picking your coffee equipment will be based on your menu. Now that you’ve secured a coffee shop location and are working on the coffee shop build-out, you’ll want to pick commercial equipment that will optimize your operation.
Step 10: Choose your coffee beans (inventory)
Your coffee shop’s success is ultimately based on whether customers love your customer service and your coffee. Explore local coffee roasters in Illinois who provide wholesale coffee beans. We explore this topic in our post, How to Choose a Wholesale Coffee Roaster.
Step 11: Hire and train your baristas
Training your employees is a big part of your success. Offering your staff regular barista training will save you money on the back end – offering better service products, less waste, and improved employee morale.
Step 12: Host your grand opening
Illinois provides a great opportunity to start a coffee business. Consider having a grand opening that creates a buzz, energizes new customers, and draws awareness from your neighbors and likely customers.
How to Start a Coffee Shop in Illinois
Illinois Business Links for Coffee Shops
Business Structure
Where to set up a Coffee Shop Business in Illinois
Register Your Business
Where to register your business in Illinois
Illinois State Food Handler's Card
Illinois Food Handler's Card Information
Coffee Shop Licenses and Permits for Illinois
Licenses and Permits for Illinois
How to Start a Mobile Coffee Business in Illinois
Start a Coffee Truck in Illinois
Coffee Shop Startups
Requirements to Start a Coffee Shop in Illinois
Once you're ready to make your business office, you will need to structure your coffee business.
You likely create an LLC for your coffee shop through the Illinois Secretary of State's office or a similar office that handles business formations.
There are a lot of benefits to forming an LLC or a corporation. It generally protects you from personal liability in an unfortunate event, accident, or negligence. Further, it will help you apply for your EIN, open a business banking account, and other essential business activities.
In addition, doing business in Illinois means acquiring various permits and licenses at the state and local levels.
A few of the coffee shop requirements are below:
- Business formation (LLC or Corporation)
- EIN (Employee Identification Number)
- City Business License
- State Reseller's License
- Fire Department Occupancy Permit
- County Health Department Permit
- Building's Department
- Food Handler's Permit
There may also be other permits and licenses that you'll have to have, so be sure to check.
Further Reading: Requirements to Open a Coffee Shop
There is a Better Way to Start a Coffee Shop
If you are serious about starting your coffee business, this is the coffee shop startup resource you need to have. We believe there is no better “do-it-yourself” way to learn about the retail coffee business… and we have it all right here for you in one convenient and affordable package: The Complete Coffee Shop Startup Kit.
Here at Coffee Shop Startups, we are dedicated to providing you with the most comprehensive information you need before starting your coffee business planning.
We give you the first informational tools you need to prepare, plan, and set up your coffee shop business. If you are wondering, “How should I set up my coffee shop?” then this in-depth multi-media coffee resource is something you should invest in.
This is a great time to start a coffee shop business. Join the hundreds of others who have started their coffee business planning with us this year.
Further Reading: How to Start a Drive-Thru Coffee Stand in Illinois
Starting Your Coffee Shop in Illinois
Starting your coffee shop in Illinois will require you to work with various state and local agencies. Some will be in Springfield, but others will be in your local county or city.
Agencies coffee shops must know:
- State and local building department
- Health Department
- Agencies that enforce zoning Requirements
Don’t let your Illinois-based coffee business fail by not getting your needed advice.
A mistake “here” and a mistake “there” can hemorrhage your finances, destroy your savings, and ruin your coffee shop plans altogether – get the most information you need!
The solution: Research, research, and more research! Finding as much information as possible is not only the practical thing to do, but it is the smarter way to do business. Explore our coffee business blog for more in-depth coffee business articles.
Pick the Right Illinois Location
One of the factors of your success will be your ability to pick the right location to open your coffee shop. There are a few elements to choosing the right location, which you can read about in our post, 15 Great Coffe Shop Locations to Start a Coffee Shop.
Start Your Illinois Coffee Shop Busines
Steps To Do Right Now
- Research
- Develop Your Coffee Shop Concept
- Plan Your Coffee Shop Budget
- Write Your Coffee Shop Business Plan
- Create an Action Plan
Research
Illinois is much larger than many countries. Therefore, you must honor the need to do the necessary research for your specific location. Every region and county in Illinois produces its own challenges and opportunities. Explore the existing competition, target market, and needs of the community. Investing in the Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit is a perfect research method.
Develop Your Concept
Developing your coffee shop concept specifically tailored to your target market will be one of the most important things you want to focus on. Start with the basics: Do you want to open a brick-and-mortar coffee shop? Are you interested in setting up a mobile coffee business, or do you want to start a drive-thru coffee shop?
If you want to spend less money, you might consider setting up a coffee cart or setting up an online coffee business.
Your concept choice depends on several factors, including your budget, existing competition, and figuring out where your interests and passions lie.
Plan Your Coffee Budget
Setting up a coffee shop in Illinois can vary in cost. Certainly, larger cities or trendy neighborhoods will increase real estate costs and higher labor costs. Therefore, you will want to thoughtfully develop your coffee shop budget based on your concept, location, menu, equipment needs, design, and layout.
Write a Business Plan
Before starting your coffee shop in Illinois, you must have a plan. So, I’d recommend writing a business plan and getting all of your thoughts down on paper. If you need help starting your business plan, consider reading our post, How to Write Your Coffee Shop Business Plan.
Develop an Action Plan
After you’ve developed your Illinois-based coffee shop concept, menu and written a coffee shop business plan – you’ll want to create an action plan. Your coffee shop action plan will detail your first steps with a timeline.
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