We’re a sucker for Starbucks just like your average Joe (pun maybe intended?), but when it comes to branding your coffee shop let’s face it you need something that goes a bit beyond a two-tailed mermaid — no offense, Starbies. Sure, now that Starbucks has been around for evvvvvvver the mermaid is iconic but when it comes to building a coffee brand, especially as a small biz, you need more than just a single icon, font choice, and color to help you stand out amongst the sea of other shops.

Sooooo where should you begin? First, I’m going to answer some common questions we’ve seen that are specific to allllll things coffee shop branding PLUS I’m going to share a peak at some of my favorite coffee shops (and trailer!) that we’ve branded in the past so you can gather all of the inspo. So grab your favorite bevvy — coffee or other (no judgement) and let’s dive in!

How to design a coffee brand

Alright, I like to think I know a thing or two about starting a biz and while coffee is obvi a different niche there are some pretty standard steps! Also take this with a grain of salt and if you’re new to biz consider hiring a business coach that specalizes in hospitality!

Flesh out your business plan — are you going to roast your own beans and grind your own coffee, are you going to outsource this, are you going to buy coffee that’s already ground?
Find a location — or food truck! But wait to go all in on the design of the space until you’ve solidified your branding!
Determine your menu and core offerings.
HIRE A BRAND DESIGNER — hi, that’s me! Let’s get you a primary logo, color palette, FULL branding experience, and from there let’s create beautiful packaging together!
Get your space ready! Implement all those branding goodies, from custom wallpaper to paint that matches your brand colors and more. Don’t forget about branded coffee cups, menu design, and all the other details that go into your full coffee shop experience.
Go online and on social.
LAUNCH!

Okay now that we’ve outlined the basics at a VERY high level — again, not a business coach here. I want to realllllly touch on step number four. Hiring the right brand designer for your coffee shop is a CRUCIAL step and one that you’ll want to do fairly early on!

Working with a brand designer is going to set you up for major success for SO many things down the road. Obviously a primary logo is going to be essential to any business owner but think bigger. At Brighten Made, our branding process includes selecting a color palette for you, a full type system, pattern and illustration designs, and brand messaging if you’re interested in it! (The full run down on what our Brighten branding experience looks like here!) With a custom color palette made specifically with your target audience and goals in mind, you can easily use that to transform the old-yet-charming space you bought for the shop or use it to inform the color you select for your food truck/trailer.

Patterns and secondary logos can be used to create one-of-a-kind coffee cups that are Instagrammable, and in today’s world that can be crucial to getting your name and brand out there. Plus, having beautiful branded items allows your customers to do the marketing FOR YOU! Who isn’t a sucker of snapping a pic of their favorite beverage and throwing it up on the ‘gram? And whether you hire a designer or go the DIY route having a well-rounded brand with a full set of guidelines is literally crucial to setting yourself up for success when it comes to creating a website and your online presence.

Can I design my own coffee shop logo?

If you’re business savvy, I have no doubts that you can START your own coffee brand if that’s what you want, however, when it comes to your BRANDING this is where the do-it-yourself vibes need to stop. I outline the three major risks you take when you DIY your branding or website for that matter in this blog post, but let’s do a quick recap here, too!

When you design your own coffee brand instead of hiring a professional designer, you’re risking three big things — credibility, memorability, and brand confusion. Today’s consumers are drawn to brands that stand out and of course brands that are credible. Your customers are intuitive and they can sniff out brands that don’t look or feel legit vs. the ones that do. Taking a DIY branding approach can look cheap so when you hire a brand designer for the full shebang you’re getting a brand that speaks to the quality and credibility of your shop! In addition, signage and a storefront is, well, an investment! Before you drop $8,000 or more on a sign for your storefront, make sure you actually LOVE the logo you’re getting made into a sign. While re-branding is always an option down the road, you’ll save money in the long run by nailing it the first go-around.

Lastly, brand confusion is SO real when it comes to the DIY approach. You need to stay consistent through all things so that you have a recgonizable and clear brand identity. If your branding or website confuses them or makes it unclear what you’re all about they’re out of there.

what makes a coffee brand unique?

TWO major things are going to make your coffee brand unique — the design and aesthetics + the tone of voice and messaging. Luckily we can help with both! Coffee shops seem to be a dime a dozen these days BUT you need a MEMORABLE DESIGN to stand out amongst the sea of competition. What sets your shop apart from Starbucks down the street or the local mom and pop shop that’s been around for a decade?

Along with that, your tone of voice and messaging is also where you can step things up and take a more unique approach. By focusing on your target audience and key messages you can pair fab design with messaging tailored to your audience and that is worth everything.