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How to Open a
Coffee Shop
an entrepreneur’s
field guide
written by
Audrey Vermilyea
owner of Monarch Espresso Bar

Table of Contents

01
Origins
02
The Money Question
03
Building Something Lasting
04
Plan + Execute
05
Making It Work
06
Operations
07
What Could Go Wrong?
08
Meaningful Work
Bonus Content — checklists, menus, SOPs & worksheets

Quick Index: Bonus Content

PHILOSOPHICAL:
Monarch Ethos • Monarch Social Graces
PRE-OPENING:
Q+A with Audrey • Start-to-Finish Opening Checklist • Second Generation Space Evaluation Checklist • Lease Negotiation Checklist • Standard Location Evaluation Checklist • Profile Your Customers • Competitor Analysis
MENU CREATION:
Creating a Drink Menu for Your Cafe • A Guide to In-House Syrups • Building Your Catering Menu • Weekly Baking Prep Calendar
OPERATIONS:
Standard Operating Procedure • Equipment and Bar Flow • Weekly Baking Prep Calendar • My Interview Questions
COMMUNICATIONS:
Groundfloor Marketing • Website + Communications Checklist
01
Part One
Origins
The origin story of a little local coffee shop in Tuscaloosa, AL.
Part 01 · OriginsOur Story
Our Story

Small Business Waits for No One

February 17, 2017, there was less than $2,000 left in the checking account and we were four months behind schedule. The absolute chaos of taking an idea from concept to completion had almost gotten the best of us, and we hadn’t even opened the doors. When we were handed our official business license, we didn’t have the luxury of waiting a couple more weeks to be in a more comfortable in terms of training and preparation. We needed to open that minute and we did just that, serving a couple of friends that afternoon in our shop and pocketing our initial $100 deposit. The next day, a Saturday, would be our first day open to the public. We didn’t announce on social media, but somehow we had a line to the door, ran out of avocados, served some questionable lattes and closed the shop at 10 pm only to sleep most of the next day. Exhausted and delighted, we put one foot in front of the other and began this adventure.

opening day february 18, 2017
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Part 01 · OriginsDefining Your Concept
Defining Your Concept

What Are You Actually Building?

Before you think about money, equipment, or build-out, you need to answer a more important question.

What are you actually building? Your concept is not just how your shop looks, but also how it functions.

Start With These Core Decisions

1. Sit-Down vs. Grab-and-Go

Are people staying for an hour—or in and out in five minutes? Sit-down shops prioritize seating, comfort, and experience. Grab-and-go shops prioritize speed, efficiency, and output. You can do both—but one will be primary.

2. Volume vs. Experience

Are you trying to serve as many people as possible, or create a slower, more intentional environment? High-volume shops require streamlined menus, efficient bar flow, speed and sometimes a drive-through. Experience-driven shops can afford more complexity, but often serve fewer people. This decision affects everything from staffing to layout.

3. Coffee-First vs. Food-First

Is coffee the main event, or is it supporting a larger food program? Coffee-first shops focus on drink quality, bar flow, and speed. Food-heavy concepts require more kitchen space, prep systems, and labor.

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Part 02 · The Money QuestionCapital Requirements + Financing
Capital Requirements + Financing

Financing

If there’s anything that varies widely, it’s money! Some cafés spend $2M+ on build-out alone. If you’re anything like we were — bootstrapped and not backed by investors — your path will look very different. Businesses are financed in all kinds of ways. Monarch was built without taking on debt, which I’ve since learned is rare. But that didn’t make it easy. We were scrappy — and not the charming, Instagram-worthy kind. We lived close to the edge often and also had to be okay that there were things we would want to be different but couldn’t do because of our financial limitations. A successful Kickstarter campaign opened the door for us to be able to create Monarch. We raised $50,000 in 30 days — capital that didn’t require repayment, but did require an enormous amount of work, marketing, and follow-through. In addition, we invested an additional $50,000 of our own money. And remember — this was in 2016. Costs today are significantly higher.

If you’re considering crowdfunding as part of your financing strategy, I’m happy to schedule a consulting call to talk through what worked for us and what I’d do differently. Reach out here.

As you plan how to finance your business, you'll need to decide whether you're willing to take on investors, debt, or some combination of both. Investors can unlock incredible opportunities — strategic guidance, connections, and capital that allows you to move faster. But like any partnership, investor relationships require alignment. The wrong fit can complicate decision- making, create tension around vision, or shift priorities in ways you didn't anticipate. For us, maintaining full control over decisions mattered so we chose not to take on investors. We also discovered how difficult it can be to secure a small business loan before opening your first location. Without operating history or revenue, lenders are hesitant — and understandably so. So instead of beginning with a significant amount of debt, we pieced together what we could and built within our limits.

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