Running your own coffeehouse can be an exciting, if not exhausting, experience. Many entrepreneurs love to share their passion for coffee with their customers. But customers aren't the only people that business owners must interact with.

Merchandising Strategies, November 2003

While your new coffeehouse may be larger than a store that was built 10 years ago, space may still be at a premium. In addition to the espresso/beverage equipment, there's the food preparation, cash register and seating areas, not to mention the display cases, condiment counter and perhaps even a stage for live performances.

The Marketing Plan, October 2003

The adage, "If you build it they will come," may apply to grand structures and perhaps even baseball fields, but if you rely on this piece of wisdom for your coffeehouse, you could be setting yourself up for a difficult road ahead. Simply opening the doors and expecting a steady stream of customers is not the way to build a business. The smart thing to do is to devise a road map that will contain details of your marketing strategies and hopefully lead you on a journey to success.

Buying Equipment, August 2003

Like selecting the variety of coffee beans and the type of roast, deciding which espresso/brewing and roasting equipment will be used in your coffeehouse is crucial to the end product--a quality cup of coffee.

Product Mix and Pricing, June 2003

Standing before a menu board. Perusing the selections. Weighing your desires against the dollar signs. The decision is a no-brainer. You barely think about it, right?

Now put yourself on the other side of the board--as the one who makes up the menu and prices the items--because as the operator of a coffeehouse that's exactly where you are.

The Build-Out, May 2003

Finally, the fun begins and all that planning, well, leads to more planning.

During this next phase of your evolving coffeehouse concept, the store begins to take shape--quite literally. If planning was important in creating the initial concept--defining your target market, your menu, your projected revenues--it is absolutely crucial during the build-out.

Negotiating the Lease, March 2003

If the thought of negotiating a lease for a coffeehouse elicits the same kind of dread as a letter from the IRS, you're not alone. Duking it out over a rental agreement can be a pretty scary process. Inexperienced negotiators have to be especially wary of the traps that inherently exist in any commercial deal making.

Site Selection, Feb. 2003

The beans can be from the finest coffee estate. The roastmaster may be trained by the best. The equipment may be state-of-the-art. The inviting chairs and eclectic artwork may rival any urban living room. And yet none of this means a thing if there's one element of your new coffeehouse that's off--location.

The Business Plan, Jan. 2003

Renowned Chicago architect and city planner Daniel Burnham once said, "Make no little plans." Burnham spent much of his time designing big buildings in city settings. Coffeehouses may not have been part of his portfolio, but the comfy couches and aromatic smells are part of the social fabric in many of today's urban (and not so urban) settings. Therefore, making no small plans for coffeehouses might not be such a bad idea.