May 13 2010
Coffee Shop
The local coffee shop has become a trend in businesses, it is hard to find a city or neighborhood that doesn’t have at least one, and most have two or more. These shops are often gathering places for friends or business meetings and typically offer various types of coffees and teas as well as pastries and sometimes sandwiches. There are various types of coffee shops, each with their own unique traits.
The sit down coffee shop is the most common type of coffee shop. It is usually spacious enough for sit down meetings and in some cases has room for entertainment, such as poetry readings. These coffee shops are often full-service coffee shops with well-trained baristas who have perfected the art of making many different coffee drinks as well as hot teas and specialty drinks. Some sit down coffee shops also have some sort of food option, typically pastries or light fare. Sit down coffee shops may also offer drive through service for customers who do not have time to get out and come inside.
The stand-alone drive through coffee shop is quite simply a drive through only. These shops do not offer seating options and are much smaller in size than the sit down coffee shop. These shops specialize in serving fresh, hot coffee beverages in a hurry. They offer customers the convenience of getting their morning java without having to take the time to park and go inside the shop. Some drive through coffee shops may offer pasties but typically they are coffee only.
These are the two basic types of coffee shops that can be found throughout the world. There are also coffee kiosks and coffee carts that operate as a sort of coffee shop. Coffee kiosks are usually found in malls and shopping areas, hotel lobbies and hospitals. These are sometimes scaled down versions of their larger counterparts. Typically, these kiosks offer only a limited variety of coffees and often no other product.
Coffee carts are mobile coffee shops that are often seen at the fair and other outdoor events like sporting events, where food and other fare are offered. Coffee carts are very limited in what they offer. Due to health regulations if foods are sold they have to be pre-packaged and their offerings are typically more limited than coffee kiosks.
The immense popularity of coffee has created a surge in the number and type of coffee shops that are in cities and neighborhoods around the world. Coffee lovers can grab a hot cup of Joe while on the go without going out of their way to do so.
-Sharon Chapman
Visit Coffee Shop Stop for more on coffee shops including tips on starting one, where the best ones are, and more!