What Should I Name my Coffee Shop?

The question surfaces with alarming frequency and urgency in social media. First things first: don’t panic! While the trend in coffee shop names ranges from cutesy to outright absurd, choosing a name that captures the essence of your business and tells potential customers what they can expect is essential. 

Let’s take a look at some of the popular categories of coffee shop names and their representative examples (these are REAL and modern): 

Hipster-Inspired Names 

  • Craft & Mason 
  • Spro Coffee 
  • Blue Bottle Coffee 
  • Stumptown Coffee Roasters 
  • Intelligentsia Coffee 
  • La Colombe Coffee Roasters 

Geographical Names 

  • Brooklyn Roasting Company 
  • Portland Roasting Coffee 
  • Seattle Coffee Works 
  • Chicago French Press 

Punny Names 

  • Grounds for Change 
  • Pour Judgement 
  • Brew-tique 
  • Espresso Yourself 

Pop Culture References 

  • Central Perk (Friends)
  • Luke’s Diner (Gilmore Girls)
  • Monk’s Cafe (Seinfeld)
  • The Peach Pit (Beverly Hills, 90210)

When Choosing Coffee Shop Names, Consider: 

  1. Who are your anticipated customers? Are they students, locals, or tourists? Knowing your target market will help you choose a name that resonates with them. 
  2. What is your business identity? What do you want your customers to consider when they read your name? (IN ADDITION TO COFFEE). Consider using words that convey an emotion, a place, or a memory. Use imagery to express your product and ideals (coffee). Keep the image of coffee present so that customers can quickly identify what you do. In the blink of an eye, you should clearly serve coffee as a primary business. On the topic of logo: be sure that the logo is unmistakable, not elaborate, and has a crisp, easily identified color scheme. 
  3. Make it unique. Choose a name that sets you apart from your competitors and is easy to remember. Search on Google for your chosen name to see if any businesses have a similar name. Consider the possible liability of having a name identical to your competitors. 
  4. Make sure your name does not infringe on another trademark or business name by having your attorney research prospective names. In conclusion, naming your coffee shop can be a fun and creative process, but choosing a name that reflects your business identity and will appeal to your target market is essential.

With the correct name, you can build a strong brand and attract loyal customers to your shop.