Coffee Franchise

Like technology, specialty coffee is continuing in its skyrocketing appeal and availability. According to the National Coffee Association USA (NCAUSA), 49 percent of Americans age 18 or older drink some type of coffee beverage daily, and many of them are waiting in lines at specialty coffee retailers to get their fix. The cafe segment of the specialty coffee market--including cafes, kiosks, carts and coffee bean roaster/retailers--reached $8.47 billion in 2003 and continues to grow.

With an expanding customer base that has baby boomers continuing their coffee drinking into their senior years and students starting their caffeine fixes as young as junior high, Shaw finds immense opportunity. "It's a great time and great place to be in coffee franchising," she says.

If you think there's no room left for you to be a part of the specialty coffee market, think again. "We expect it to continue to grow," says Ferguson. "Saturation must exist theoretically; we just don't know what it looks like."

Source: Entrepreneur.com