Post-Pandemic Business Ideas: Why Starting A Coffee Shop With Hard Bean Could Be Your Best Bet
As the world recovers from the pandemic and with more uncertainty on the horizon, many entrepreneurs are looking for post-pandemic business ideas that offer stability, growth potential, and a sense of community during trying times. From our experience, starting a coffee shop is one of them.
When the pandemic hit the world like lightning, many businesses did not see it coming. Industries all over were paralyzed by rapidly escalating quarantines, mask mandates, and the uncertainty of it all – and you would think coffee shops would be in trouble. Instead, many of our coffee shops nationwide became a lifeline, and the independently owned and operated coffee shops of the Hard Beam family actually thrived.
How Hard Bean Coffee Thrived During The Pandemic
By design, Hard Bean is a small company. Unlike franchises endlessly adding locations, our selection process is very different, and our process gives owners the flexibility to adapt.
During the first year of Covid, we opened 6 locations. From those locations, I’m happy to say that most did better than expected – maybe even better than normal. Our existing stores took some hits, but not too bad. One owner told me that he was concerned when he suspended inside seating, but his business grew 15% that year.
In 2022, one of those stores earned “Best In The County” for the second year running, another “Best Coffee Shop” for several years running, and SBA and the City of Pittsburgh awarded another “Entrepreneur Of The Year.” All of their sales are continuing to grow. Two are opening a second store, making it clear that among the many post-pandemic business ideas out there, starting a coffee shop with Hard Bean is one of them.
How You Can Join The Hard Bean Family
Hard Bean provides everything you need to start a coffee shop without a franchise. Our mission is to help you get into your own independent coffee business at an affordable price.
To get started, you should have at least $50,000 in liquid capital, a net worth of at least $250,000, and feel confident financing more than $200,000.