Choosing the right name for your coffee shop can be a tricky process. After all, the name you choose for your coffee shop is going to be the first thing that makes an impression on the public. There are so many options available, and I know that you want that perfectly catchy and memorable name that people associate with great coffee and a fantastic experience at your coffee shop. This begs the question, “How would you go about choosing a name for your coffee shop?”
The best way to choose a name for your coffee shop is to keep it simple, make your shop’s name unique and name your shop appropriately to fit in with the other businesses in your area. You should also keep its pronunciation in mind when you name your coffee shop, and using numbers, common words, and regional terms is also an effective way to choose a name.
Along with the tips I have included in this article regarding choosing a name for your coffee shop, I have also taken the liberty of including five links to some well-known name generator websites:
- Squad Help Coffee Business Name Generator
- Shopify Business Name Generator
- Business Name Generator
- Fantasy Name Generator
- BizNameWiz Name Generator
Here are the tips for choosing a name for your coffee shop:
Keep It Simple
One of the most common mistakes people make when trying to choose a name for their business is that they feel as though the name needs to be complex to be memorable. However, this could not be further from the truth. When trying to choose the perfect name for your coffee shop, remember to keep it simple. Most people tend to forget business names that are complicated or long, while they are much more apt to remember the name of a business that is short and simple.
While this may initially sound counter-intuitive, keeping the name of your coffee shop as simple as possible is somewhat complicated. There are quite a few pitfalls you must avoid when choosing a name for your business. First off, you have to resist the temptation of trying to incorporate every aspect of your coffee shop into its name. This usually ends up in your coffee shop’s name is a convoluted mess. You should keep in mind that the more complicated the name of your coffee shop is, the harder it will be for people to remember.
Make Your Shop’s Name Unique
Your coffee shop is unique. It’s only natural that you would want a name as unique and fits your shop’s personality. When choosing a name for your coffee shop, I would suggest expanding on the idea of keeping the name simple. When trying to find that 
unique name that perfectly fits your coffee shop, it is of the utmost importance to remember that you should not go overboard when naming your shop. Choosing a name that is unique and uncomplicated can be just the thing that sets your coffee shop apart from other shops.
I have found that one of the ways to make your coffee shop’s name unique and memorable is to incorporate some type of rhyming scheme into the name. You could also try to find a way to use wordplay when you are trying to find a unique and catching aim for your coffee shop. For example, I have always thought that the perfect name for a coffee shop would be The Daily Grind, which I think is rather clever because of its double meaning.
Try To Fit In With Your Fellow Businesses
If you are in an upscale part of your city or town, it’s important to consider the names of the businesses around your coffee shop and name your shop appropriately. When you are first starting as an independent coffee shop, you want your business name to fit in with the other businesses in your area. The last thing that you want to do is upset your fellow business owners when you are just starting. After all, businesses that work in conjunction together it’s a win-win situation for everybody involved.
If your coffee shop is located in an upscale section of your city or town, and most of the businesses have names that are simple and elegant, perhaps you should follow suit and try to find a simple and elegant name for your coffee shop. If your shop is located in a section of your town that has a more relaxed attitude and the business names are clever, silly, and funny, then you should feel free to choose a name for your business that is also clever, silly, and funny.
Keep Pronunciation In Mind
I don’t know about you, but I cringe every time I hear the name of a business pronounced incorrectly. Now, I am aware of the fact that this may indeed be the fault of the business for choosing a name that is difficult to pronounce. This is exactly why 
you should keep in mind that if you choose a complicated name that is hard to pronounce, people will not only pronounce the name of your shop incorrectly, but they will also have a difficult time referring to your shop if they can’t pronounce its name.
Perhaps one of the things that bother me most regarding the names of businesses is when business owners intentionally misspell a name that is easy to spell. I find that the only thing that this usually accomplishes is causing confusion amongst potential customers. While owners may think that they are clever by doing this, the only thing that they are accomplishing is costing their business an abundance of would-be customers.
Use Numbers, Common Words, and Regional Terms
People usually have a hard time remembering long phrases, but they have a much easier time remembering numbers, common words, and terms that are specific to their particular region. That’s why it’s all else fails; you should try incorporating a few of these things into the name of your coffee shop. For example, I am from Louisiana. In my state, I’m sure that most of you are aware of the unique regional dialect that can be found here.
Many businesses incorporate some of our regional sayings and spellings into their names. Another example of incorporating numbers, common names, or regional terms into the name of your coffee shop is to name the shop after the street on which it is located. If your shop is located on Fifth Avenue, you could name your coffee shop the Fifth Avenue Coffee Shop. This way, you have incorporated a number and a familiar location into your name. However, if you are located in an area frequented by tourists, make sure that the name of your shop does not appear to be confusing to them.
Check out more tips HERE.
Conclusion
In conclusion, choosing the perfect name for your coffee shop shouldn’t be a particularly hard task if you follow the steps I mentioned in this article. Remember that simplicity is key in choosing a name for any business. Your shop’s name should also be unique without going overboard. If you are in an area heavily populated with other businesses, you should choose a name for your coffee shop that is appropriate for the area where you are located. Keep the pronunciation of your shop that came in mind when choosing it. I know that I would hate to hear my coffee shop’s name mispronounced constantly.
If all else fails, people tend to remember numbers, common words, and terms that are specific to their respective regions. Try to incorporate these things into the name of your coffee shop. If you stick to these five simple steps, I do not doubt that you will be able to come up with a name for your coffee shop that is both clever and catchy. Once you choose a name that is perfect for your coffee shop, it will not take long to be on the lips and minds of coffee lovers everywhere.
Frequently Asked Questions
Unfortunately, most small businesses do not stay in business for long periods. This also pertains to your local, independent coffee shop. According to the Houston Chronicle, half of all small businesses do not stay in business long enough to see their fifth anniversary. However, only a third of all small businesses opened remain in business for over ten years. Franchise coffee shops also tend to stay in business much longer than independent brick-and-mortar coffee shops.
Several factors go into the annual revenue of a coffee shop and how much profit a coffee shop owner makes per year, which is between $240,000 and $260,000 annually. According to Coffee Shop Startups, some of the factors that determine a coffee shops revenue include:
Your coffee business concept
Physical location
The volume of customers and sales
Menu price points
Initial startup costs
Operational costs variable and fixed cost
To learn more on how to start your own coffee shop checkout my startup documents here
Please note: This blog post is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Please consult a legal expert to address your specific needs.
Hi! I’m Shawn Chun
My adventure in coffee began when I first launched my first coffee shop back in the early 2000s. I had to figure out so many things on my own and to make it worse within 2 years of opening two large corporate coffee chains moved in just blocks away from me!
As I saw smaller and even some larger coffee shops in the neighborhood slowly lose customers to these giant coffee chains and slowly close up shop, I knew that I had to start getting creative…or go out of business.
I (like you may be) knew the coffee industry well. I could make the best latte art around and the foam on my caps was the fluffiest you have ever seen. I even had the best state-of-the-art 2 group digital Nuova Simonelli machine money could buy. But I knew that these things alone would not be enough to lure customers away from the name brand established coffee shops.
Eventually, through lots of trial and error as well as perseverance and creativity I did find a way to not only survive but also thrive in the coffee/espresso industry even while those corporate coffee chains stayed put. During those years I learned to adapt and always faced new challenges. It was not always easy, however, in the end, I was the sole survivor independent coffee shop within a 10-mile radius of my location. Just two corporate coffee chains and I were left after that year. All told the corporate coffee chains took down over 15 small independent coffee shops and kiosks and I was the last one standing and thriving.
Along the years I meet others with the same passion for coffee and I quickly learned that it is not only “how good a barista is” that makes a coffee shop successful, but the business side of coffee as well.
Hence why I started this website you are on now. To provide the tools and resources for up and coming coffee shop owners to gain that vital insight and knowledge on how to start a coffee shop successfully.
Stick around, browse through my helpful blog and resources and enjoy your stay! With lots of LATTE LOVE!
Shawn
