Say the words “coffee shop” and what comes to mind? It depends upon how old you are. If you are a baby boomer, an inexpensive dining establishment where working class people chow down for a reasonable amount of money comes to mind. Picture men in working boots and jeans hunched over a formica counter, sipping their coffee with a full meal of turkey, mashed potatoes, stringed beans and bread before them. This type of coffee shop usually boasts middle-aged waitresses who treat their clientele like their own family. Its décor is usually out of the 50s with booths sporting tears in their cushions. If you are from New York, Chock Full of Nuts comes to mind as a classic example of a coffee shop. Now defunct, in its prime it could be seen packed with all classes of people eating raisin bread cream cheese sandwiches and drinking its patented coffee.

But today? What do the baby boomer’s kids think of as a coffee shop? They most assuredly know of Starbucks and those establishments brave enough to compete with them who serve gourmet coffee, cappuccino, espresso and tea at slightly elevated prices. They usually have computer terminals in them, and sometimes are equipped with couches and easy chairs. They are magnets for writers, students, and musicians.

Be aware that while coffee shops often thrive, 50% of all Americans do not drink coffee. So, if you are considering opening a coffee shop, do not call it a coffee shop. Call it a diner which is really very similar to a coffee shop.