Coffee Shop Branding: 5 Ways to Stand Out

Did you know the United States is currently home to 85,847 coffee shops?

That’s 3.2% more coffee shops than last year… 

And, according to recent estimates, 5.5% fewer coffee shops than we’ll see next year. 

So, while a flourishing coffee shop industry is generally good news for owners and operators, it also presents a massive new challenge:

Standing out in a crowd of 85,847 (and growing). 

Luckily, there are tons of strategies to help your coffee shop shine bright like a diamond. 

You could hop on some of this year’s hottest marketing trends.

You could ramp up your promotion efforts with events and seasonal specials. 

Or, you could focus on spicing up your coffee shop’s branding efforts in five, high-impact ways. 

The choice of where to start is yours…

But you’ll wanna keep reading if you like the sound of that last one.

What is coffee shop branding & why does it matter?

Before we get too deep into improving your coffee shop’s branding, we should go through some definitions, first. And, since you can’t spell “branding” without “brand,” let’s start there. 

Put simply, a “brand” is your coffee shop’s identity.

It’s the story that explains your “why,” the differentiators that make you stand out in a crowd, and the one-of-a-kind experience people get from you that they can’t get anywhere else.

You know how Red Bull gives adventure-seekers their wings, and Apple helps innovative tech lovers think differently? 

That’s a “brand” in action… which leads us to our next definition. 

“Branding” is an umbrella term for the unique components that make up your coffee shop’s brand, including both tangible and intangible parts like: 

Put all these branding components together and we’re back full circle to your coffee shop’s brand identity — the one-of-a-kind features that make your guests love you for you. 

See how coffee shop branding fits into the rest of your marketing strategy.

5 ways to make your coffee shop branding stand out

Now that we’re on the same page about what coffee shop branding is (and why it’s important), here are five, high-impact ways to spice up your branding — as promised. 

1 — Brand storytelling 

One way to help your coffee shop branding stand out is by telling your brand’s unique story. 

Storytelling is a hugely important part of coffee shop branding because of its impact on brand perception. A recent study found that “a well-crafted [brand story]” has the power to “create positive associations with a brand and ultimately increase consumers’ willingness to pay for it” — and these three brands are showing us exactly that.

Example 1 — Mad Goat Coffee

Mad Goat Coffee’s “About Us” page is a masterclass in brand storytelling, taking the reader from the discovery of coffee in 800 AD to the opening of Mad Goat’s doors in 2014. Every sentence on the page is infused with brand personality and sprinkled with Mad Goat Coffee’s values of “great coffee” and “happy people.” 

Example 2 — Second Cup Cafe

Second Cup’s take on storytelling combines friendly, welcoming copy with highly visual elements for a multi-faceted approach with something for everyone. Unique features — like the “Our Story” timeline — and specific value call-outs — like their environmental certification section — help make Second Cup’s story extra memorable, too. 

2 — Signature offerings

 The second way to help your coffee shop branding stand out is by crafting signature offerings. 

Creating drinks or snacks that only your coffee shop offers can promote a sense of exclusivity among your guests, encouraging them to try that “thing” from you (because, if they don’t, they won’t find it anywhere else).

Plus, there’s no shortage of brands demonstrating how successful exclusive, seasonal, and/or signature menu items can be — year after year after year. 

Example 1 — Rook Coffee

 As a roastery, you might argue that everything Rook Coffee produces is a “signature” item… but they knew their customers wanted (and deserved) more. Enter Rook Originals, a series of extra signature items that aren’t just exclusive — they simply do not exist anywhere else. (I’m serious; just try finding another place that sells handcrafted Strawberry Mocha cold brew!)  

Example 2 — Dunkin’ Donuts

Dunkin’ Donuts is one of America’s favorite coffee chains — and their range of “Dunkin’ only” items is definitely a contributing factor. Whether you’re indulging in a signature latte, sipping on a refreshing Coolatta, or enjoying a tried-and-true iced coffee, Dunkin’s range of cult-status signature offerings is (almost) as expansive as their fan base.

3 — Strong visual identity

The third way to make your coffee shop branding stand out is by developing (and maintaining!) a strong visual identity. 

That might look like using bright brand colors and unique fonts, designing a memorable logo with an easily recognizable symbol, or something different altogether — because there’s nothing “one-size-fits-all” about a strong visual identity. 

As you’re about to see, different brands can have equally strong brand identities, despite using vastly different visual elements and strategies.

Example 1 — John Kyle Espresso

If you could describe John Kyle Espresso’s visual identity in one word, “bold” would be it. The brand’s colors are red and green, a complementary duo that’s memorable and recognizable for more reasons than one. The font is an attention-grabbing triple threat, too — it’s blocky, commands attention, and is a bold mustard yellow, to boot. 

Example 2 - Dutch Bros Coffee

Dutch Bros’ approach to visual identity focuses less on bold colors and more on an ultra-memorable logo. The brand’s signature windmill — a nod to the founders’ Dutch heritage — is featured front and center on every one of their products, so you can tell from a mile away whether someone’s drinking a Golden Eagle® or not. 

Not sure when to start coffee shop branding? Our marketing guide can help.

4 — Guest experience 

The fourth way to make your coffee shop branding stand out is through guest experience (GX). 

A memorable GX can be the difference between a one-off guest and your new regular, as long as you remember what your guests consider a 10/10 is specific to your coffee shop!

Luckily, that subjectivity leaves lots of room to get creative with making your GX a step above the rest — like these two coffee shops have. 

Example 1 — The Mocha Nut Coffee Shop

When customers visit The Mocha Nut Coffee Shop, they sing praises of an easy, simple, and beneficial GX. The reason? A custom Mocha Nut mobile app designed to deliver what their customers want (and need) to make every visit a 5-star visit: saved card info for easy re-ordering, points to promote loyalty, and a faster ordering process. 

Example 2 — Starbucks

Starbucks has always had a reputation for strong GX. But, thanks to CEO Brian Niccol’s new “Back to Starbucks” strategy, the brand’s already-good GX is about to get even better. The strategy’s deliverables include changes like “straightforward pricing [and] timely service,” all designed to ensure every visit to Starbucks is a 10/10 on the GX scale. 

5 — Community engagement

The fifth (and final!) way to make your coffee shop branding stand out is through community engagement. 

Integrating within the local community can offer your coffee shop tons of different benefits, from increasing your brand visibility and awareness to bolstering your reputation as a change-maker. 

And, as you’ll see with our two upcoming examples, there are virtually infinite ways for coffee shops to meaningful (and effectively!) engage with the wider community — you’re only limited by your imagination! 

Example 1 — Hometown Coffee and Juice

You don’t have to spend much time on Hometown’s website or social media to understand how central “community” is to their coffee shop’s brand and mission. But, the real difference with Hometown? They don’t just say they’re community-centered. They show it—  one Galentine’s Day luncheon, Saturday Night Disco, and Sweet 16 at a time. 

Example 2 — Greater Goods Coffee Co.

Much like the brand name implies, Greater Goods Coffee Co. team is fully committed to “doing good” for their communities — in just about every way you can think of. Coffee purchases come with company donations, events are hosted with community partners, collaborations are launched with local artists… and that’s just this year. 

Wrap Up

Now that you’ve reached the end of this blog, there are a few things you know for sure:

You know the United States is currently home to 85,847 coffee shops (and counting). 

You know that coffee shop branding is how you stand out in an absolutely jam-packed crowd.

And you know there are endless examples of how to tackle coffee shop branding meaningfully and effectively (although we just gave you 10 to start). 

So, with all that in mind…

We think “now” is a pretty good time to prioritize your coffee shop’s branding.

Don’t you? 

---

Written By Melissa Mertsis

Melissa is a freelance writer for Craver.