What is a Good Name for a Coffee Shop?

Deciding on a name is one of the most crucial aspects of starting a new coffee shop. That being said, it can be quite a difficult aspect of starting a new coffee shop with several important aspects to it. Thankfully, we’re here today to help you decide on a name for your coffee shop.

There is no one(1) good name for a coffee shop, instead, a good name should reflect both the owner of the shop and the shop itself creatively and effectively. Below in this article we are going to discuss ways to create a good name for your coffee shop:

1. How to name your coffee shop
2. Example names
3. Why a good name is important
4. Making sure that the name for your coffee shop is effective

How to you name your coffee shop?

Deciding on the name for a coffee shop may be the biggest decision that an owner will make.

Thus, it’s incredibly important to know how to effectively name a coffee shop, because an effective name can increase your success more than you could ever imagine.

Things to consider when creating a name for a coffee shop:

• Relevance

When naming a coffee shop, the name should have some relevance to the shop itself.

Perhaps the coffee shop is a family-owned business. If so, the name could be something like The Johnson’s family cafe.

Or maybe the shop is designed to reference a specific period, such as the 1980s. Thus, the name could be the 80’s cafe.

No matter what you choose, however, it works best if the name has some relevance to the shop, as it gives it its unique feel.

• Keep it short and sweet

When naming a coffee shop, you want to keep the name fairly short.

By keeping it short, you can ensure that your name will fit easily on advertisements, product containers, on a sign for your business, and even on business or loyalty are cards if you plan to use them.

Essentially, keeping your name short can save you in the long run.

• Be sure that the name isn’t derogatory

While this does seem incredibly obvious, it’s always important to remember to keep your name safe from being offensive to any group of people.

More and more we’re seeing companies and brands being pressured to change their names because they have not so kind origins.

For example, the national coffee chain Biggby, also known as Big B, used to be known by a different name, “Beaners”.

This name was found offensive towards the Latin community, and the company was rightfully pressured to change its name to what we now know it as.

Thus, it’s something that should be kept in mind when naming a coffee shop.

• Check if that name is available

Now that you have decided on the name for your coffee shop, you have to check if the name is available and hasn’t been copyrighted.

Most states have copyrighted offices that can tell you if a name is available or not.

There is also the choice of going online to a name generator that has a list of copyrighted names. You should be careful with these sights though, as in most instances they are not government operated.

If the name is available, fantastic! However, if it isn’t, you are going to have to either select a new name, or you do have the opportunity to reach out to the owner of that copyright whom you can ask permission from to use the name.

But the name isn’t available and the owner isn’t willing to let you use it, then you should move on and pick a new name, as if you choose to use it anyway, you do run the risk of a lawsuit.

Example names

With the technology we have at the tips of our fingers today we have access to thousands of potential names for a coffee shop.

We have gathered several of those names across hundreds of lists and compiled a few of them into some categories for you!

• Family-owned names

1. 1. The Family Bean
   2. The Johnson’s Java House
   3. The Benson Family Brewery
   4. The Generational House of Caffeine

• Catchy names

1. 1. Coffee express
   2. The Grind
   3. The Thinking Cup
   4. Jumpin’ Beans Coffee
   5. Cappuccino Cafe

• City-themed name

1. 1. The Boston Barista
   2. The Chicago Coffee Club
   3. Minneapolis Mugs
   4. East Lansing Espresso
   5. Cleveland Coffee Cups

Why a good name is important.

By now you should know that the name of a coffee shop is one of the most important aspects that a new owner must decide on.

But you may still be asking, “why is it so important?”

The name of a coffee shop is so immensely important because that name is now a representation of that shop. When people have a great experience at that shop, they’re going to associate that experience with the name of the shop.

To also learn about coffee shop advertisements, click here.

This is also the truth for customers who have poor experiences at that coffee shop.as they are going to associate that poor experience with that name.

In both instances, likely, the experience that particular customer had will also be shared with those around them, who will also associate that with the name that has been chosen.

Long story short, the name that a coffee shop owner chooses will be the brand for that shop, and as such, it will be how they associate their relationship and experience with that shop.

What are the benefits of a good name?

Customer attraction

For starters, having a good name for a coffee shop can attract new customers simply through them hearing the name being said or seeing the name being displayed.

Uniqueness

A good name can also provide a level of uniqueness. By giving a coffee shop that’s a bit different than most, a coffee shop owner can ensure that their shop sticks out in a crowded market.

It can set a good impression

Lastly, a good name can give your customers a good impression of your company. If a customer enjoys your name or simply makes them smile a little bit, they are more prone to having an enjoyable experience.

What kind of problems can arise from a poor name?

While having a great name can seriously benefit a coffee business, a poor name can just as easily tank one.

The first problem that may arise as a result of a poor name is the inability to effectively advertise.

Loss of word of mouth advertising

As silly and trivial as it may seem, if people can not easily say the name of your coffee shop, they are going to be less likely to talk about it with others.

As a result, you are likely going to lose out on a significant amount of word of mouth advertising.

Failing the eye test

Another potential issue is that it may fail the eye test. What this means is that when a potential customer is walking down the street and sees the name of your shop displayed, if that name is not exactly great, they may keep on walking.

Poor representation of values

As we’ve discussed, the name of a coffee shop should represent something about that shop.

Whether that something is about the ownership of the shop or the shop’s theme, the name should reflect that particular thing.

A poor name, however, often won’t do this, or at least not very well.

For example, maybe a coffee owner wants to brand their company as being a family-owned shop. But the owner decides to name the shop Global Coffee. While this is a fairly good name, it doesn’t represent the values that the owner wants the shop to reflect.

Making sure a coffee shop’s name is effective

While deciding on a name for a coffee shop is important, it’s just as important to ensure that the name that has been selected is effective for that brand.

While the opinion of the owner and other management is important when deciding the name for a coffee shop, it’s important not to underestimate the impact of local opinions.

How do you go about this?

The ideal way to go about this is to take a poll of the opinions of those in the local area.

By doing so, a coffee shop owner can get honest feedback from an unbiased and local source that will help them decide whether or not the name will be effective at representing the shop it is attached to.

What should the poll include?

When creating a poll for opinions on the name of a coffee shop, there are a few things that should be included no matter what. These include things such as:

1. 1. 1. The potential name or names that you are deciding on
      2. What they, in particular, think of the name or names
      3. What the name makes them think of upon hearing or reading it
      4. Whether or not they would stop at a shop with that name

By recording all of the answers to these questions, a coffee shop owner can effectively gauge where customers are in regards to the potential name of the shop.

This information can be of incredible value and can even help spark business after the shop opens!

Frequently Asked Questions

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.