Learn how to open a coffee shop in Iowa from Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea! The award-winning coffee roaster, which has helped start over 300 independent coffee shops in 30 states, recently published an online coffee shop startup guide for The Hawkeye State.
COLUMBUS, Ohio, Sept. 17, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Want to learn how to open a coffee shop in Iowa? Get tips on starting a profitable business in The Hawkeye State from the coffee shop startup experts at Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea.
Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, Roast magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year has taught over 300 entrepreneurs in 30 states how to open a coffee shop.
Now, the company's 7 Steps coffee shop startup consulting team has added to its series of state-level coffee shop startup guides with, "How to Start a Coffee Shop in Iowa."
"Iowa is a terrific place to start a coffee shop!" said Crimson Cup Founder and President Greg Ubert.
"In fact, Iowa ranks 30th among the states in the number of coffee shops per capita, with fewer than one coffee shop for every 6,371 residents. That leaves a lot of Iowans without a local coffee shop."
The program is based on Ubert's book, Seven Steps to Success: A Common-sense Guide to Succeed in Specialty Coffee, which he wrote to help customers develop profitable businesses by mastering all aspects of successful coffee shop operations.
"We help entrepreneurs with little or no coffee experience become owners of thriving coffee shops serving their local communities," he said. "From choosing a terrific location and writing a strong coffee shop business plan to buying and laying out equipment, hiring and training staff and more, our team is here to guide you."
To hear about the book in Ubert's own words, download a free recorded introduction on Soundcloud.
For over 20 years, The Coffee Attic & Book Cellar has provided a cultural hub in Iowa Falls, Iowa - a place where people can come to socialize, appreciate local art, have a bite to eat, enjoy a great cup of coffee, and relax.
This award-winning coffee shop features a coffee shop in the upper level (Coffee Attic) and a bookstore on the lower level (Book Cellar).
Original owners Bob and Jan Morton opened The Coffee Attic through Crimson Cup's 7 Steps to Success program.
After joining The Coffee Attic in 2006, Kat Bissell spent the next decade learning about coffee from the Mortons and Crimson Cup, working her way up to manager. She and husband Pat Bissell bought the shop in 2016.
Under Kat's management, the business has grown through new coffee innovations and by opening a second location called the Coffee Attic Corner inside Hansen Family Hospital.
"We take great pride in continuing the dream Bob and Jan Morton made 20 years ago," she said.
Bissell credits the coffee shop's success to relationships with customers, baristas and Crimson Cup.
"We are a small community that supports one another," she said.
"Our regulars say it feels like home. We have even played a part in two engagements!"
With a large loft, the shop has space to host study groups, meetings and parties for many local groups and charities.
"As a few examples, we present a poetry night for a local school, hold food pantry fundraisers and host local artists and wineries for our town's Art/Wine Walk," she said.
The shop also collaborates with home-based businesses. "We give them a space to sell their products, and they give us quality products from local vendors."
Bissell says building her barista team into a family has promoted the shop's success. "Many of my former employees come back to see me whenever they are in the area, and I have traveled lots of miles to see them as well."
Asked to advise other prospective coffee shop owners, Bissell said to look at Crimson Cup.
"Crimson Cup has a great reputation and stands by their products," she said. "I can count on the 7 Steps team for advice and guidance."
"I trust the research that goes into the supplies we get from them and know they will be there whenever I need them."
Apart from vital connections in the local community, Bissell says travel - to Crimson Cup's Innovation Lab for education, to other coffee shops and to coffee-growing countries - is one of her favorite aspects of owning a coffee shop.
The couple has visited some of the coffee farms and coffee processing plants in Siguatepeque, Honduras, that produce coffee for Crimson Cup.
They have funded a scholarship for student education and have done fundraising for and traveled to build a home for a coffee worker and his family.
"Traveling to coffee-growing countries and meeting other coffee-shop owners has taught me that community does not end with our town," Bissell said. "We have made connections all over the world!"
Kat and Pat Bissell invite everyone in Iowa Falls and Hardin County to stop by their coffee shop.
The Coffee Attic is open six days a week at 604 Washington Circle in Iowa Falls. For the latest news and updates, follow their Facebook Page.
Besides the Iowa guide, Crimson Cup recently published guides on How to Start a Coffee Shop in Texas, Ohio, North Carolina, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Tennessee, Georgia, Indiana, Kentucky, Massachusetts, Virginia, Missouri, Wisconsin, Connecticut and New Jersey.
About once a week for the next year, the roaster will post a state-level coffee shop startup guides on its website. Next up: a guide on how to start a coffee shop in Alabama.
"Although the fundamentals of coffee shop operation remain the same from state to state, the economic opportunities, business formation and licensing requirements vary widely," Ubert said. "We're excited to share information and resources to help entrepreneurs expedite their startup journey."
He invited anyone who is thinking of opening a coffee shop in any state to call Crimson Cup for guidance.
"If you run into any roadblocks or just want to discuss your vision with a coffee expert, you can reach our startup team by calling 1-888-800-9224."
About Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
Founded in 1991, Crimson Cup is at the forefront of the coffee industry. Its attentive roasting, startup support and global partnerships are consciously designed for the greater good of communities around the world. Among other national recognitions, the company has earned 2020 and 2017 Good Food Awards, the 2019 Golden Bean Champion for Small Franchise/Chain Roaster and Roast magazine's 2016 Macro Roaster of the Year.
Crimson Cup travels the world searching for the perfect cup - driven by meaningful relationships, honesty and a shared vision for the future. Its Friend2Farmer initiatives foster respect and decency through mutually beneficial collaboration across local and global communities.
Through its 7 Steps to Success coffee shop startup program, the company teaches entrepreneurs how to open and run independent coffee houses in their local communities. By developing a coffee shop business plan, entrepreneurs gain insight into coffee shop startup costs.
Crimson Cup coffee is available through over 350 independent coffee houses, grocers, college and universities, restaurants and food service operations across 30 states, Guam and Bangladesh. The company also owns several Crimson Cup Coffee Shops and a new CRIMSON retail flagship store. To learn more, visit crimsoncup.com, or follow the company on Facebook and Instagram.
Media Contact
Cheryl Claypoole, Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea, 614-361-5023, [email protected]
SOURCE Crimson Cup Coffee & Tea
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