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How to Start a Coffee Bean Roasting Company – Sample Business Plan Template

Are you interested in starting a coffee bean roasting business with little or no money? Do you need a sample coffee bean roasting business plan template? If YES, then I advice you read on. Coffee is a very popular beverage and a large percentage of people consume more than one cup of coffee daily. This is why you can never go wrong with starting a coffee roasting business.

Drinking roasted coffee as opposed to ready-made cups of coffee allows your customers access to fresh coffee and they would also be able to have a feel and taste of coffee from other parts of the world.

How to Get Good Coffee Beans

To start a coffee roasting business, you would need to have access to different kinds of coffee beans from different parts of the world. To be sure that you are buying good and genuine coffee beans, it is more advisable for you to buy your coffee directly from a trusted coffee bean grower in any country you choose.

You can either handle the importation yourself or rely on trusted importers to do it for you. This would not only give you access to the best quality of coffee beans; it would also help you to save money. Another option to consider is buying from wholesalers but you have to be careful and ensure that you are using a trusted supplier who sells only top quality coffee beans because the quality of the raw coffee beans would affect the quality of coffee you supply to your customers.

Types of coffee beans

There are two major species of coffee beans, Coffee Arabica and Coffee Robusta. Arabica coffee beans are native to Ethiopia and were first discovered in 1753. 70% of coffee consumed in the world today is made from this specie.

The other popular type of coffee beans known as the Coffee Robusta was discovered in Congo in the late 1800’s, specifically 1898. Though Robusta is not as popular as the Arabica Coffee, it is said to be of a lower quality than the other type of coffee beans.

There is another type of coffee bean specie that is relatively unpopular compared to the Arabica and Robusta coffee beans, this one is known as Liberica and is native to West Africa. This can also be found growing in Malaysia. As a coffee roaster, it is important for you to be aware of the different species of coffee beans available and how they are used and blended to produce quality coffee roasts.

Roasting Types

Roasting is the process of using heat to convert coffee beans into a consumable state. Raw, unroasted coffee comes in green colors without any special flavor or aroma but as soon as it is roasted, it changes into a dark brown color with a very strong fragrance. Roasting helps to drain out the moisture from raw coffee bean seeds and bring out its special flavor and aroma. The types of roasts include-:

  • Light roasts which are mildly roasted and non-oily
  • Medium roasts which are medium brown in color and non-oily too
  • Dark roasts which are deeply roasted, have oily surface and is very bitter.

Starting a Coffee Bean Roasting Business – Sample Business Plan Template

1. Learn how to roast coffee

It is important for you to learn and master the skill of coffee roasting before you throw your doors open for business. You don’t want to serve your customers with under-roasted or burnt coffee. There are lots of training programs that you can register for, so that you can learn how to roast coffee excellently.

You should also practice as much as you can during your period of training, so that you can get honest reviews from friends and family. When you get to a point where you get more positive reviews than negatives, then you should know that it is time to start your coffee roasting business and throw your doors open to customers. Another option to consider is hiring a professional roaster to handle the practical aspect of the business on your behalf.

2. Setting up your coffee roasting café

When you are done with training, the next thing to consider is where you should set up your coffee roasting business and what your café should look like. There are two main factors to consider when setting up your coffee roasting café:

  • Location
  • Furnishing

First, you should consider renting a space in a public place, somewhere suitable for restaurants or fast food business. Another good place to set up your coffee roasting café is in business or shopping districts. Then, you should make sure your environment is comfortable with less distractions and noise.

This would make it possible for your clients to relax while they have their drinks. You should also try to supply some soft music and not too bright lights. If you just want to roast coffee and resell to other cafes or retailers, then you can set up your business anywhere, even your kitchen if the law permits.

Equipment needed to start your coffee roasting business

  • Coffee Grinder
  • Measuring scales
  • Brewing machines
  • Espresso machines
  • Cappuccino Machines
  • Storage containers
  • Coffee Beans
  • Take-out bags with company logo
  • Ventilation pipes
  • Heat Sealers
  • Napkins
  • Paper cups
  • Cup holders
  • Refrigerator
  • Business Telephone
  • Computer

The types of equipment you would need would also depend on whether you want to set up a coffee roasting café or you want to sell packaged roasted coffee.

  • Air Quality Regulations

Coffee roasting causes air pollution through the release of volatile organic compounds and acids which are very dangerous to human health. This is why the coffee roasting business is highly regulated to ensure compliance with air quality regulations.

This means that you would have to make a visit to the relevant regulatory authorities who would give you an idea of the licenses and permits you need to obtain, as well as the facilities to put in place to control emission of harmful substances from your coffee roasting café.

  • Who are your customers?

Before you start any business, it is important for you to figure out who you would be selling your products to. This is where a coffee shop marketing plan comes into play. There are two sales strategies you can adopt for your coffee roasting business.

The first one is to package and supply in large quantities to supermarkets, retail outlets, owners of café and restaurants as well as hotels and the second idea is to set up a coffee roasting café where people can hang out , relax and have their freshly roasted cups of coffee.

The most important keys for success in this business are knowing how to roast good quality coffee and knowing how and where to sell your products.