How to Start a Coffee Shop in Oregon
How to Start a Coffee Shop in Oregon
Opening a Coffee Shop in Oregon*
If you are researching how to open a coffee shop in Oregon, 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 Oregon. Promising towns for coffee shop businesses are Portland, Eugene, Bend, Salem, Corvallis, Medford – and many others!
A new generation of enthusiastic coffee-drinking customers want high-quality coffee offered in beautiful spaces with great customer service – and are willing to pay for it. This means that your Oregon-based coffee shop business has the potential to be quite profitable.
However, without the retail coffee research and 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.
This post will discuss the steps to starting a coffee shop in Oregon and add important links and resources. Explore our coffee business blog if you need a deeper look into many of these topics.
Further Reading: How to Start a Drive-Thru Coffee Stand in Oregon
Opening a Coffee Shop in Oregon
Steps to Start Your Coffee Shop in Oregon
Step 1: Decide on a coffee business concept
There are plenty of great coffee shop concepts that would work in Oregon. 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
Oregon is a vibrant 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 Oregon value reputable brands, including their coffee! 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 Oregon 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 Oregon than in other parts of the country, such as South Carolina, Oklahoma, and Texas, 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 Oregon, you will need to set up your business with the Oregon 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
Oregon is a beautiful state with lots of opportunity. 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 Oregon 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
Oregon 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.
Oregon State Business Links
Oregon Business Structure
Where to set up a Coffee Shop Business in Oregon
Register Your Business in Oregon
Where to register your business in Oregon
Oregon Food Handler's Card
Oregon State Food Hander's Information
Coffee Shop Licenses and Permits for Oregon
Licenses and Permits for Oregon
How to Start a Mobile Coffee Business in Oregon
Start a Coffee Truck in Oregon
Coffee Shop Startups
Requirements to Start a Coffee Shop in Oregon
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 Oregon 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 Oregon 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
Start Your Coffee Shop in Oregon
How Do You Start an Oregon Coffee Shop?
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
- Explore Local Coffee Roasters
Research
Oregon is a beautiful state with a variety of people. Therefore, you must honor the need to do the necessary research for your specific location. Every region and county in Oregon 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 Oregon 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 Oregon, 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 Oregon-based coffee shop – including the concept, menu, and written business plan – you’ll want to create an action plan. Your coffee shop action plan will detail your first steps with a timeline.
Explore Local Coffee Roasters
Exploring local roasters in Oregon is a lot of fun. Get out there and meet coffee roasters you might want to work with. Discover new coffee roasting profiles and determine what kind of roasts you would like to serve in your coffee shop.
How to Start a Coffee Shop in Oregon*
Starting a Successful Coffee Business in Oregon
Oregon is no stranger to coffee. The competition for coffee customers is fierce. So, getting your coffee business off to a good start isn't just a luxury; it's a necessity! Whether you want to start a coffee truck in Portland or a cafe bookstore in Ashland, you're at the right place.
If you are considering starting a coffee shop business in Oregon, you will be happy to know that we can help you get on the right track to fulfilling your dreams.
By drawing on the expertise of veteran coffee business professionals, we here at CoffeeShopStartups.com are dedicated to providing you with the best and most up-to-date informational resources to help you succeed in your coffee shop business.
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*The Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit is not necessarily state-specific. It would be best to verify the changing laws, rules, and regulations for each state you do business in.
