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What coffee shop owners wish they knew before opening

Advice from ansā Coffee Roasters, KRAVE, Torque Coffee, and For Keeps Coffee

Konstantin Suvorov

February 20, 2026

min read

Opening a coffee shop is both an art and a science. The most experienced operators plan carefully, build deliberately, refine their menus, and assemble strong teams to give their business the best possible chance once the doors open.

And still, no matter how well prepared you are, there are surprises.

We spoke with four experienced coffee shop operators to understand what actually matters after opening day. Their insights are honest, practical, and learned the hard way.

Start with more capital than you think you’ll need

One of the most consistent lessons from experienced owners is the importance of starting well capitalized.

Andy Newbom of Torque Coffee in San Diego, CA, emphasized that opening underfunded creates pressure from day one. Prices can always come down through promotions or specials, but raising them later is extremely difficult. Starting with strong pricing, high quality coffee, and enough cash runway gives operators flexibility as the business finds its rhythm.

Coffee shops are volume based businesses. Until a shop reaches a certain level of daily volume, costs do not align and profitability remains elusive. Planning for that ramp, financially and emotionally, is essential.

Don’t try to appeal to everyone

Across the board all the operators we spoke to emphasized the importance of focus.

Every operator advised against trying to appeal to every customer. The most successful shops find a lane, a point of view, and commit to it fully. When a business knows what it does best, it attracts the customers who truly value that experience.

Get plans approved before buying equipment

Health department regulations are one of the most underestimated challenges of opening a coffee shop.

Newbom shared that while regulations are often logical on paper, their interpretation can vary widely in practice.

“…how weird and odious the health department regulations would be applied. not as they are written which is pretty logical, but how they get interpreted sometimes randomly. Always better to get plan approval BEFORE buying any equipment! They will make you replace something guaranteed and it won't be cheap” says Newbom.

A well formulated, approved plan early on can save tens of thousands of dollars later.

Double check your layout, especially plumbing

Cameron Philgreen of For Keeps Coffee in Waco, TX shared one detail he would rethink if he could go back.

“The location of the underground plumbing behind the bar. It sounds funny, but once everything is covered in concrete, you’re locked in. The plumbing layout affects the flow, efficiency, and even how the bar feels more than I ever expected. If I could go back, I would have spent more time thinking through that one detail.”

Bar flow, efficiency, and ergonomics are deeply tied to early design decisions, making them worth revisiting again and again before construction begins.

Seating is revenue

Newbom shared one of the most practical insights for new shop owners: seating matters more than you think.

Once a shop becomes popular, limited seating can quietly cap revenue. Looking back, many owners realize that small layout changes, shortening the bar, adjusting flow, or reclaiming unused space, could have added meaningful capacity without increasing rent or labor.

Every additional seat compounds value day after day.

Hire intentionally and sweat the details

Dominika Blum of KRAVE in Aberdeen, SD said she would rethink hiring more carefully if she were starting again.

Rather than focusing on headcount, she emphasizes hiring the right people, those who align with the culture and standards of the brand. Team quality directly impacts consistency, hospitality, and guest experience.

“I would hire better, not just focusing on the quantity of staff, but the quality. We employ anywhere from 15 to 22 full time and part time team members, and I’ve learned that the right people make all the difference in culture, consistency, and guest experience,” says Blum.

Blum also stressed that details matter. Layout, uniforms, presentation, and training all shape how guests perceive a space. The café experience is about far more than what is in the cup.

Lean into social media and be clear on your why

Philgreen emphasized the importance of taking social media seriously from the beginning. Sharing the journey, from planning and build out to wins and challenges, creates buy in long before opening day.

Not all surprises are negative. Yonatan Fried, co-owner of ansā Coffee Roasters in New York City, observed that word of mouth is incredibly powerful, and that spending with small, local influencers often outperforms broader ad channels like Google Ads, especially early on.

Atmosphere and hospitality matter as much as the menu

Blum shared that guests do not just come for great coffee or food. They come for how a space makes them feel.

“Genuine hospitality is a must. Without guests, we have no business. Train your team well, set high standards, and remember that uniforms and presentation matter because your team represents your brand,” she says.

Atmosphere, kindness, and consistency matter just as much as what is on the menu. Creating a place where people feel seen and welcome builds loyalty that no discount ever could.

Leadership is learned on the floor

Philgreen recalled a moment from For Keeps Coffee’s very first day open when he asked his staff, “so… how do we close?”

“I genuinely thought we needed to go table to table and tell people we were closing soon. Turns out, completely unnecessary. You learn a lot of little operational things like that only through experience, not from textbooks or Instagram,” he says.

Beyond operations, Philgreen emphasized how much running a coffee shop teaches you about leadership. Giving away autonomy, trusting your team, and letting people take ownership often reveals that your staff may be better than you at certain things, and that is a good thing.

The unromantic truth and why it’s still worth it

“Opening a coffee shop is not as romantic as people think. Shit happens every day. You will be in charge of everything: plumbing, HR, management, customer support, barista work, you name it. You either love it, or it’s not for you.” says Fried.

As Blum put it, opening a café is art, science, and heart. Systems and numbers matter, but so do intuition, passion, and connection. In KRAVE’s first year, the shop became the best rated restaurant in its city and gained regional and national recognition through relentless commitment, not luck.

“Be prepared to work nonstop for a season. Building a business and a reputation takes time, grit, and consistency.”