Coffee is the most popular beverage in America. More than half the adult population of the United States drinks coffee every day. More than a million cups of it are consumed each week. Coffee is the center of major business efforts such as Starbucks and Seattle’s Best Coffee. And coffee has been served in U.S. churches since Revolutionary days. Coffee is also a microcosm of a debate as to the direction of church ministry and even the future of the institutional church in our country. A decision on how coffee will be served in the context of ministry forces us to deal with the major shifts of culture in the United States.
As Baby Boomers age and enter retirement, their focus on major events, strong financial support, and megachurch growth are waning. Millennials are rapidly coming into their age of influence—and their desire for relationship, their service, and their suspicion of institutions is impacting the church.
Coffee can affect the location of ministry in the future. Will you drink your coffee in small groups within homes and restaurants or will you share relationship and your favorite coffee brew within an attractive community center occupied by the church? If the church is going to compete with Starbucks and the kitchen table at home, [it may] have to make some changes. Church coffee centers and cafes will have to be attractive, accessible, available, and user-friendly.
Design considerations
BGW Network of Services of Ogden, Utah, the Collage Cos. in Lake Mary, Fla., and many churches across the nation have recognized that the church is experiencing a major cultural shift that requires an adjustment in thinking and methods of ministry. Churches are working to become a Third Place for their members and the surrounding community—as a means of deepening relationships and providing real benefits to the community. A coffee shop/café is one example of a Third Place, and numerous examples exist over a broad range of operating models. In Central Florida, Northland Church chose to bring in Nature’s Table, a health food franchise, to provide nutritious food, a friendly gathering place, and a source of lease income for the church. Nature’s Table keeps regular business hours that are attuned to the church schedule.
First Baptist Church of Umatilla, also in Florida, chose to have an all-volunteer coffee and pastry shop that provides a welcoming atmosphere, free of charge, to congregants before and after services. Church in the Son in Orlando, Fla., combines the two concepts by having a paid staff person as manager and volunteer workers who operate a church coffee shop/café thatis open before and after services.Volunteers also donate baked goods, and the profits from the coffee shop/café go to support the church’s homeless ministry.
Coffee demographics & statistics
How can the church attract the Millennial generation and what is required to make such a ministry self-sustaining? Is a coffee shop/café a viable model for a Third Place? Scarborough Research with headquarters in New York, a market research firm that analyzes lifestyle and shopping patterns in the United States, says that 77% of U.S. adults drink coffee each day, 12% of all adults have been to a coffee shop in the last month, and that the average coffee drinker is younger, better educated and more affluent than the population as a whole. The average coffee drinker represents the same demographic that the church has failed to effectively reach. Millennials are looking for the same ambiance, community and connection being marketed by coffeehouses.
Scarborough claims that coffeehouses report an average of $170,643 in gross sales. The National Coffee Association of America, based in New York, says that more than 60% of coffee is consumed in the morning, coffee usage increases with income, and the average coffee shop requires a surrounding population of 10,000 people to be self-sustaining. Experian says that the average coffee shop customer makes approximately four purchases per month. By interpolating these numbers, a coffee shop needs approximately 4,800 sales totaling $14,220 per month to be self-sustaining. These numbers are based on operations that are open 16-24 hours per day seven days a week.
A church coffee shop could reasonably reduce their hours, their costs and their required revenue to better meet the peak hour needs of the church ministry. A major question that each church should address is, “Will coffee be funded as a ministry or will the coffee ministry fund other ministries?” A self-sustaining church coffee shop café that contributes to ministry would probably need to operate within a sizable church body unless [staff is doing] doing an off-site stealth coffee shop within the community. Generally, non-church people are very hesitant to frequent a coffee shop café located within a church.
Coffee can impact the financial sustainability of church campuses. A well-run church coffee shop and café can help off-set the anticipated reduction in church giving by providing an income stream that could pay for another ministry that is needed in the emerging culture. But before [a church client] starts spending money on a coffee shop, [they are well advised to] perform a market study and develop a realistic business plan.
Required information before designing a coffee shop/café
The mantra for real estate is, “Location, location, location.” The same is true for a church coffee shop café. How many people will visit the coffee shop? When will they come there? What will they want to eat or drink? What can [a church] do to affect the answers to these questions?
Before Starbucks opens a coffee shop they perform a demographic study to determine who their customers will be. They determine traffic patterns and place their stores in convenient locations—often close to other businesses that will create traffic. Convenience, local environment, lease cost, size, visibility, signage laws, utility availability, local business ordinances and competition, are all evaluated.
Will [the] coffee shop be located within the church? Will [the church] establish a coffee shop ministry in the local community? What will the hours be? Will they offer entertainment? What will the décor look like? Will the shop be themed? What can [the location] do to gain a competitive advantage? What will make the coffee shop an effective ministry location?
A coffee shop and café can provide a convenient and attractive location for real discipleship and the development of Christian maturity within the church membership. The successful use of a coffee shop for discipleship requires planning and purpose to link ministry efforts with the church coffee shop and café. Can the church coffee shop be an attractive, safe and available location at the times small groups prefer to gather? Does the atmosphere enhance or detract from meaningful conversation? Good thought and planning can create an excellent ambiance for [a church] coffee shop.
Once [a church] has determined who will come to [the] coffee shop café, when they will be there, what will be served and how much will be charged—[church staff] can determine projected revenue within a reasonable range. The next step is to determine expenses.
What goes into a coffee shop café?
How will [a church] outfit [its] coffee shop? Will [it] use a no-frills, low-cost approach or spend the money to develop a stylized theme? A church coffee shop should project an inviting, friendly and intimate atmosphere. The essential areas of a coffee shop café are the customer area, the service counter area, and the back-of-the-house. There migh also [be] a separate food preparation area and ware washing area, or [one] may [be] incorporated into either the service counter design or the back-of-the house area.
The customer area of the coffee shop should be relaxing and friendly and should offer a variety of seating arrangements with tables of different heights and sizes. Chairs should be attractive, comfortable and easy to clean. The legs of both tables and chairs should be padded to prevent scratching the floor. [These spaces] will need condiment counters and restrooms. [Churches] may also have a waiting area, retail counters, a fireplace, and a refrigerated dessert counter. The shop may also have stylish chairs and couches for a casual and relaxing environment.
[Designers can] provide natural light and supplement the effort with soft, indirect lighting. Interior designers recommend the use of three colors within the space distributed as 70%, 20% and 10%. Avoid light colors that will easily show coffee stains. Paintings, pictures and other wall décor will add character to the space. Successful coffee shop owners have moved past just selling coffee to creating environments that encourage longer visits: surfing the Internet, working from laptops, or communicating with friends, family, and colleagues. Church staff [should] consider [incorporating] wireless technology to create a hotspot. Offering free wireless Internet is one sure way to boost the chances of success.
Make sure that [the] heating and air conditioning system is working properly and will handle [the] customer load. Clean air with the aroma of fresh brewed coffee and perhaps cinnamon rolls with pleasing background music will make [a] coffee shop more inviting and attractive.
The selection of equipment to support [the] menu is required before attempting a service counter layout. Essential equipment includes a coffee brewing system, a scale to weigh coffee, espresso grinders (at least two—one reserved for flavored coffee), bulk coffee grinders (three: one for regular, one for decaf, and the third for flavored coffees), a microwave, blenders, an ice maker, an under-counter refrigerator/cooler to hold milk and cream, display counters for brownies and pastries, and a cash register. [The] coffee brewing system should also provide hot water for tea and other heated beverages like hot chocolate.
[Church clients] may also want to include blenders, smoothie machines, microwaves, grills, ovens, a soft drink dispenser, refrigerated display cases for food, water and fruit beverages, and a water treatment system. Water treatment can be very important because [churches] are marketing a product whose taste can be severely damaged by bad tasting or high mineral water. A simple top-of-the line coffee maker costs only $150, but a more realistic budget is $12,000 to $15,000 for coffee shop equipment. [Church clients may] explore the option of leasing rather than buying equipment; [it’s recommended that they make sure [they] have a responsive equipment representative and access to quick service.
The service counter area should be placed toward the rear of the coffee shop so that customers must sample the ambiance of the shop and pass by impulse items and pastries while approaching the counter. This layout also enables employees to keep an eye on all activity within the shop while serving customers. Customers must be able to easily determine where they go to order, and where to pay for products. Customers follow their eyes—and they are [oftentimes] drawn to the Espresso machine, [so the] order area should be within two paces of the Espresso machine. The order area should contain a cash register and offer a clear view of the menu. [Clients may] place a food display cabinet near the cash register for samples, pastries and other impulse items. Customers should be able to order and move to the pickup area without doubling back and disrupting customer flow. Separate the cash register from the pickup area by six feet or more to prevent waiting customers from intruding into the order area. The condiment bar should be located beyond the pickup area.
The service counter area is divided into the front counter and the rear counter. The Espresso machine should be set up on the employee side of the front counter near the order station so that employees can overhear an order and can prepare the beverage shielded from customer eyes. Keep a little counter space between the register and the espresso machine to allow for exchanging money and serving the beverage. Cups, mugs, paper plates, plasticware should be placed in the area that they are used. The Espresso machine should have a boiler capacity that’s large enough for rush times and should be serviced locally. Ready-made coffee can be kept in glass carafes or airpots on the front counter so that employees can see their customers as they pour the coffee. Airpots help keep the coffee from exposure to heat and light, which quickly age the coffee. [Owners] should have multiple (at least two) airpots or carafes for each type of coffee [they] serve to prevent down time. Unlike Starbucks, church coffee shop/cafes need excess ready-made coffee on hand for the sudden rush of customers before and especially after events.
The back counter is used for food preparation and should hold microwave ovens, grilles, blenders, smoothie machines, and other food preparation equipment. Keep straws, stirrers, napkins and other paper products in the cabinet below the rear counter. All cabinets should have doors to prevent a spill from damaging supplies.
All equipment should be placed so that an entire product preparation can be completed without exchanging places with another employee. Efficiency is critical to prompt service and a reduction of accidents. Cleanliness, efficiency, and replace-ability are key factors in the design of a coffee shop. Use washable paint so that marks and stains can be removed. Flooring should be ceramic tile, VCT or possibly wood-patterned laminate flooring. Wood patterned vinyl planks are also effective in capturing the warm of real wood flooring. Look for furniture and equipment that is easy to clean and maintain. Nothing will [repel] customers faster than a dirty [or unclean] area.
The back-of-the house is out of view of the customers. It contains dish-washing equipment, a janitor’s sink, a small office, a break room, and both refrigerated and dry storage.
Don’t forget to check with health, food service and building agencies to ensure [compliance] with [local] licensing, laws and ordinances. [The] health department will oversee menu and food preparation issues. All food service equipment must have a National Sanitation Foundation label, and health regulations dictate grease trap and floor drain and flooring requirements. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that a percentage of tables and counter space and all restrooms comply with ADA requirements. Stand-alone coffee shops will require restrooms, while most churches already have adequate restroom capacity. Check with the building department to ensure that[clients] comply with parking, zoning, and fire protection requirements.
The cost for remodeling, equipment, furniture, decor, signs, and fixtures to set up [a] coffee shop may range anywhere from $3,000 to $400,000. Starbucks normally invests more than $300,000 to open one of [its] shops. Church coffee shops generally run about $50,000 to $70,000.
Coffee as ministry
A church-operated coffee shop/café can minister at several levels. A coffee shop/café can be a source of employment for church members that helps them meet the needs of their family. A church coffee shop/café acts as a third place for people to gather and build relationships. [The space] can also make the church more sustainable through additional revenue from its operation. And ideally, a church coffee shop/café should be supporting ministry internationally, as well. Dominion Trading Coffee [of Liberty Lake, Wash., is one resource to] help churches achieve the goal of international ministry.
Dominion Trading Coffee is a full-service trading company that partners with farmers in Ethiopia and other developing countries to help bring their products to market. It follows the principles of Transformational Trading, producing quality coffee that transforms communities by building long-term relationships, creating solutions that fit the need, and changing the lives of farmers and their families. Net profits from Dominion Trading Coffee are shared with the Ethiopian farmers and with New Covenant Foundation, a ministry dedicated to helping Ethiopians proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The ministry is committed to empowering the local Ethiopian church through community and economic development to meet their own needs without foreign aid.
Dominion Trading Coffee and New Covenant Foundation have assisted the Ethiopian people in establishing “Community Health Evangelism,” which has transformed Ethiopia through the sharing of vital preventative health education through the church community to the local community. Ethiopian Christians are now delivering Neighborhood Transformation both locally and worldwide through the revenues from Dominion Trading.
On the author:
LEE CORCORAN P.E., LEED AP BD+C, Director of Church Development, Collage - Construction/Integrated Services, lcorcoran@collage-usa.com
[Editor's note: This report was originally published in Church Designer magazine in 2014.]
