To start a coffee business in the United States, pick your model—café, drive‑thru, cart, or roastery—and line up permits, build‑out, and unit economics before you sign anything. Form an LLC or corporation, get an EIN, state sales tax permit, and local business license; shops and carts need health department approval, a certified food manager/food handler cards, and often a commissary agreement for mobile units, while roasteries require FDA food facility registration and local fire/air permits for roasters/afterburners. Choose a site using hard data: traffic counts, daytime population, parking, co‑tenancy, and drive‑through stack; negotiate TI allowance, free rent, and exclusivity in the lease. Engineer the menu and pricing to hit targets: COGS 25–30%, labor 25–30%, prime cost under 60–65%, average ticket $7–12; standardize recipes, portioning, and brew ratios. Specify equipment (2‑group espresso machine, 2 grinders, batch brewer, water tower, ice machine, water filtration, backflow preventer) and budget ($30k–$80k cart, $200k–$500k café, more for roastery ventilation). Implement a modern POS with loyalty, tip prompts, and online ordering; claim your Google Business Profile, local SEO, and SMS/email for repeat visits. Hire for speed and hospitality; set schedules to sales per labor‑hour targets. Soft‑open, pass inspections, then watch KPIs: transactions/day, average ticket, yield, waste.
