Black Sheep

More 2025 specialty coffee trend predictions! Another exciting one: ?? Coffee producers entering the U.S. consumer market with a finished product.? Some are even saying goodbye to green coffee sales and hello to building their own consumer brand. These families already have incredible products – born from generations of coffee expertise and innovation. What's exciting is their potential for differentiation. In a crowded market, they bring something no big brand can replicate: ?? Authentic multi-generational stories ?? Direct farm-to-bottle (or sachet, or bag…) sustainability credentials ?? Innovations that could only come from decades of hands-on coffee knowledge. This is an exciting time for origin-based brands that can tell their story compellingly in the U.S. market. DM me any time if you want to talk about this or anything coffee-related. I’m here for it. ? ?

It's days like today when I miss having a coffee shop. A welcoming place that is always open. Where communities gather, share stories, and heal. A place to feed bellies and souls. Today I'm connecting with my neighbors. And taking care of myself. I hope you can do the same.?

How to build a successful coffee retail operation: Old way - Cappuccino, cortado, latte - Mocha, chai - Owner posting pictures to social media - Out-of-the-box equipment New Way - Espresso + milk, 2 sizes - Signature drinks - User-generated videos tagging you - Custom everything Unique > copycat

He worked in coffee for 20 years and was ready to start his own business. A client of mine was looking to open a unique cafe, but: → He was in a super-competitive market (South Brooklyn) → He had a strong concept but wasn't sure how appealing it would be to the neighborhood → He knew it was risky jumping in without a solid plan His concept (great coffee + Scandinavian bakery) was promising. And it would be tragic if the business failed in its first year or two... I feel for him because... → I started my coffee career opening a new kind of shop in this same neighborhood And spent years of my life working like crazy to make it happen. Then I did it again with other coffee brands. (And learned a ton of lessons along the way) So I spent time going through and analyzing the specific competitive landscape for his concept & location. Going cafe by cafe → The most successful & influential coffee companies in the area. To find the opportunities & refine his concept...for the maximum chance of success. - If you want access to this analysis, comment "Landscape" and I'll send it to you (must be connected) - Because a great concept just isn't enough to win in the coffee industry → You have to communicate with your audience → Make sure they know how you're different → And give them something they aren't already getting

?? Collective Project Spotlight ?? Collective member Darleen Scherer recently wrapped up an impressive brand repositioning project with coffee lid manufacturer FOAMAROMA ?? ?? Their goal was to elevate the to-go coffee experience, focusing on roasters' and retailers' top priorities. She helped craft a brand voice that speaks to specialty coffee brands, highlighting how their innovative lid design enhances flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel. ?? "Every drink we serve is an experience, and taking it to-go shouldn't change that. From the geometry of the sipping spout to the clever aromatic hole in the center, this lid helps us curate our patrons' experience long after they exit our doors." ?? Quint B. at Onyx Coffee Lab We pride ourselves on having experts who push the boundaries of innovation. Ready to see what our Collective members can do for your brand? Let's connect ?? https://lnkd.in/gzhF2bjJ #BrandPositioning #BrandIdentity #WebDesign #BeverageConsulting #InnovationInBeverages #ProjectSpotlight

Opening a coffee shop? Better study the chains in your region. Even if you don't want to make a shop that's ANYTHING like theirs. I'm working with a new shop owner in Brooklyn to develop their Swedish bakery and cafe concept... And one of the first things we did wasn't to brainstorm ideas. Or build out a menu. Or decide how the bar was going to be laid out. The first thing we did was look at the competition. And even though the cafe wasn't going to be just another Joe Coffee (NYC already has 24 of those!)... We learned a lot from looking at them. Like what set them apart from all the other cafes in the city. What they're doing really really well. And the areas where we could do better. And we did the same thing for 9 other coffee bars and bakery cafes. To get a great idea of where the opportunities were. So we could maximize the chances of building a successful brand and not become just another cafe that opens, struggles for a while, and then closes its doors for good. Good coffee isn't enough. The best coffee businesses find a niche.?

Novelty is as important as the drink. Driven by social media, coffee orders are getting more and more complex. It's a way for coffee drinkers to express their social media aesthetic, indulge in a little bit of luxury, and stimulate all of their senses with their beverage order... The pure taste of specialty coffee is less of a focus for the newest generation of coffee drinkers than something that's ? Visually interesting ? Instagram-able ? A tactile experience ? Nostalgic Coffee quality isn't going away... But more & more, coffee drinkers are adding other things to it.?

Cereal milk cold brew. Cracked lattes. Cookies 'n' cream cold foam. Coffee customization is back in a big way. And it's a lot more than just having the full selection of Torani syrups to Gen Z coffee drinkers. They want to be able to craft a coffee order that speaks to their tastes, their mood, novelty, nostalgia, and even their social media aesthetic. So where does your brand fit in? Deciding which customization options to include on your menu... And which ones to leave off... Says as much or more about your brand than your logo and the colors on your cups and coffee bags. I was recently interviewed by Perfect Daily Grind about the drink customization trend that's sweeping the industry. https://lnkd.in/gVruHevF

The best way to win in a crowded market... Is to create a market of your own. I helped lid manufacturer FOAMAROMA do a comprehensive rebrand to help them stand out in a crowded market. Lids. Not much exciting there. They're just... lids. Every lid buyer wanted pretty much the same thing: >>>Low cost >>>Prevents spills >>>Decent materials and maybe >>>Compostable But nobody was talking about how the effect the lid has on coffee quality. The unspoken assumption in specialty coffee was that if someone really wanted a great coffee experience... They'd get the drink in a mug for here. Lids were a compromise. But FoamAroma's lid was better. It let you smell the coffee. Gave you a fuller flavor profile. And the design meant you didn't have to suck on the lid to enjoy a nice foamy cappuccino. So that's how we repositioned the brand: Not as a better lid. But as The Un-Lid. We created a category of its own. Now they don't have to compete on price with giant manufacturers. They're having a totally different conversation with buyers.

“Organic since day one.” Legacy Sonoma County coffee brand Taylor Maid Farms was struggling to compete with newer, trendier coffee brands. I joined as interim CEO to help reposition the company for growth. They had a lot of advantages that set them apart from the competition, but their brand position did little to communicate that. They were unique because they'd been dedicated to roasting organic coffee since 1993, far before other regional roasters became organic certified. So we leaned into that commitment to quality organic coffee, bringing it front and center with the rebrand to Taylor Lane Organic Coffee. The new tagline "Organic since day one" positioned us as fully committed to the organic ideal, something that was important to customers in Sonoma County. Here's how to position your coffee brand based on quality: 1. What element of quality is important to you & your customers?? 2. Weave that element of quality into everything you do.?