Who is CrimsonCup?

Simply stated...We roast and package The World's Best Coffee and teach others how to be successful in the specialty coffee business. We've been roasting and packaging coffee for over 17 years in Columbus, Ohio. We have taught over 300 coffee houses how to set up and run a profitable coffee shop business. In 2007, CrimsonCup exceeded $6.5M in sales. 

Is CrimsonCup® a coffee franchise?

No, all CrimsonCup® coffee shops are independently owned and operated and there are no royalty or franchise fees required. 

Common Grounds
Carbondale, IL
Owners: Jason & Jennifer Bourque

“Before opening up a coffee shop I didn’t have a clue about what was in a latte or a mocha or anything like that, and with CrimsonCup they give you the reassurance and the confidence that it was going to be okay, and it was. With CrimsonCup you get all the benefits of a franchise without the franchise cost, and for us that was a big thing because we were looking at franchises and different things and we really liked the whole independents thing where we weren’t answering to another corporation or giving profits away, back to a franchise. They have been great to work with and [even] after we got everything open they have been extremely supportive with everything we’ve done.

How is CrimsonCup different?

It’s the combination of knowing the coffee & espresso business and our passion for our community of owners that sets us apart from other roasters, consultants and coffee franchise businesses.

Customer Testimonial from Black Diamond Coffee
Shrewsbury, MA
Owners: Jackie Marcello

“The support that they offer, you can’t trade that for anything.  You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, they are highly motivated.  They’ve thought of ideas for you and their happy to have your ideas.  We have people drive very far to get our coffee everyday, even though they are passing Starbucks, and Dunkin Donuts on the way, so that makes us feel good knowing that we are serving something good.  I never question that, ever...you always know you are getting something good from CrimsonCup.”

Should I become a coffee franchise or not?

Currently, there is only one coffee company that can claim strong brand recognition and consumer awareness in the United States, and they do not offer franchise opportunities. Therefore, why pay franchise fees and royalties with a coffee franchise, when you can have a partnership?  In addition to CrimsonCup®’s coffee shop expertise, The Community of CrimsonCup® coffee shops is a strong and rapidly growing Community of The World's Best Coffee shop owners who share great marketing ideas and promotions among The Community without franchise fees or royalties. 

Customer Testimonial from Coffee Chaos
Midland, MI
Owners: Kim & Denise Krantz

“I just think that with the concept of CrimsonCup of what their doing and their approach, letting us still be individual coffee shops, but their giving us the tools to be consistent in quality, and service, and cleanliness, and all the tools that we need to do that just makes my job a lot easier... You know when you are an independent sometimes it’s a shot in the dark you know, these guys have gotten their experience, their proven methods, they have taken the guess work out of it for me, so I am confident when I get something from them it will be successful...Listen to the consultants at CrimsonCup. I mean if you’ve got the desire, and everything else, they will give you the tools and direct you to make sure that you are going to be successful."

What is The CrimsonCup® Coffee Shop Community?

Your participation in this Community gives you on-going access to The World’s Best Coffee shop training and marketing, a network of our coffee shop owners, and The World’s Best Coffee shop products.

Customer Testimonial from Sheri's Coffee House
Norwalk, Ohio
Owners: Bill & Sheri Thomas

“[Joining The CrimsonCup Community is] the Best Thing I ever did. They do like Coffeehouse for Dummies. It’s like coffeehouse 101. They take you from start to finish. They are just absolutely, amazing, wonderful people and I love working with all of them. I would like to say ‘thank you’ to CrimsonCup for all that they have done for me in helping to make our coffeehouse successful.”

What are some of the Benefits of Belonging to The CrimsonCup Community?

    * World's Best Coffee & Tea Products
    * No franchise fee or royalties
    * Coffee house business & financial plan
    * Real estate expertise - site location assistance
    * Ongoing training, marketing & operations support
    * Coffee bar & equipment layout
    * Menu board design & pricing structure
    * State of the art proprietary point of sale (POS) system
    * Network of successful coffee house owners & operators
    * To learn more, click here.

Customer Testimonial from Attic/Book Cellar
Iowa Falls, Iowa
Owners: Bob & Jan Morton

“We entered The CrimsonCup Community of The World’s Best Coffee Shop’s in July, 2005, when we moved to our new location. Since that time, our daily coffee bar sales have increased $200 a day – That is an increase of $72,000 annually!

Our community is thrilled with the Coffee Attic. They bring in families, friends and out-of-town guests. They want us to succeed. The locals come back from vacation telling us how they craved our coffee while they were away. They say that Starbucks, Caribou and unidentifiable independents can’t beat the products that we are serving. It’s what makes them come back to us. We even have people from Minneapolis and Des Moines come in and shake their heads in disbelief. They tell us ‘We don’t have anything like this at home. It is as if we just stepped into a coffee bar in New York or Chicago.’ The CrimsonCup Community gives us a professional edge. It makes our customers feel like they are in a big city.”

How Do I Join The World's Best Coffee Shop Community?

    * Review our Qualifications
    * Fill out our Candidate Questionnaire
    * We'll contact you, it’s that simple!

What is the Seven Steps to Success?

The Seven Steps to Success, is a book written by Greg Ubert, the Founder and President of CrimsonCup, which illustrates the fundamental philosophy for success in the coffee shop business.  We have helped coffee house startups for 17 years and know what it takes to succeed. We know what works and what to avoid. The book includes a fully realized coffee shop business plan that is written specifically for the coffee shop business.

Customer Testimonial from Spill the Beans Coffee Bar
Lakeside Marblehead, OH
Owners: Jude & Dave Foulk

“ I could hardly wait for that book [Seven Steps to Success] arrive. I’ve read it three times, my husband has read it a couple of times, and my daughter also has a business and the Seven Steps applied to her business as well.  We actually own three copies of that book [Seven Steps to Success] and all three of my kids have read it a couple of times.”

How much money will I make?

This brings up something else that we might as well cover here. Your biggest question—and we can't blame you—is usually "how much money will I make?" Profits are important for every business and there are numerous factors that contribute to a profitable business.

Therefore, it's a question that we can't entirely answer. The best we can do is to point you toward what other coffee shops have done in the past. Keep in mind every coffee house is different and the future is undetermined, however, it's these unique characteristics that make it great to be a part of The CrimsonCup Community.

Should I hire a coffee consultant?

One must ask if a coffee consultant truly has your long-term interests in mind.  Even good intentioned coffee consultants come when you pay them and leave when you don’t.  CrimsonCup® wins when our customers win. 

Customer Testimonial from Via Cappuccino
Rocky Mount, NC
Owners: John & Gayle Fatheree

“The best advice I can give you to start off with is -- before you do anything else -- call our roaster, CrimsonCup Coffee in Columbus, Ohio. They have a program that's similar, but far more intensive when it comes to the actual nuts and bolts of the coffee business than you'd get from [other coffee consultants or coffee franchises]. In fact, the reason that the past few weeks have been particularly busy is that we just finished a special promotion -- all conceived and paid for by CrimsonCup -- designed to give our business a boost. You see, you'll get nominal advice and fairly good training from [other consultants or franchises], but the folks at CrimsonCup stay with you to make sure you actually succeed.”

How do I determine a good coffee business consultant?

Any credible coffee shop business consultant or coffee shop franchise should have many years of solid experience in the coffee shop business with plenty of success stories (link to this).  A great coffee consultant combines successful past experience with current coffee shop expertise and the world’s best products to meet ever changing consumer demands.  CrimsonCup® offers over 100 years of consulting experience, supports more than 300 coffee business operators nationwide, roasts and distributes The World’s Best Coffee & Tea, and operates its own coffee shop to bring you up to date and advanced training.

Who picks the location of the coffee shop?

Location is crucial to your success in the coffee shop business.  The best way to come to the site selection process as a new candidate is to have a general geography in mind, then let our professional staff bring sites to you for consideration.

Customer Testimonial from Brewster’s Coffee House
Sebring, Florida
Owner: Bruce Rogers

“Choosing a location took a lot of hand holding from CrimsonCup.  We  
looked a three locations, and we were advised not to purchase two of  
them.  In fact, one of the locations I wanted to pursue, before CrimsonCup advised us not to, became a coffee shop that went out of business within 9 months. Our current location is great! We have higher traffic counts and  better visibility than the other locations we looked at.  The book, Seven Steps to Success, lays out rent ratios.  Stick to those ratios because they work.”

How do I get coffee shop business training?

When opening a coffee shop with CrimsonCup®, each new coffee shop owner and new coffee shop manager will learn the basics required for running a coffee shop business.  Coffee shop training consists of:

* location assistance
* coffee shop lay-out and design
* coffee shop business plan review, on-site barista training
* customer service training
* coffee knowledge, menu/product guidance
* grass roots marketing techniques
* financial coaching

Customer Testimonial from River Road
Granville, Ohio
Owners: Mark and Dave Forman

“The training was great. We learned a whole lot of little things about efficiency, to make us faster, without sacrificing drink quality. As a result, we were able to shave 3pts off our beverage cost due to proper milk management. Additional added efficiencies have allowed us to eliminate 6-8 hours per week in labor. ”

“Before joining The Community our espresso based drinks made up 58% of our beverage sales. Espresso based drinks now make up 64% of our beverage sales. And, 95% of new guests are now ordering espresso based drinks, which has increased our average beverage ticket.”

Where do I get all coffee products and coffee equipment when opening a coffee shop?

CrimsonCup®, of course!  Great coffee is a “must have” when opening a coffee shop.  CrimsonCup® roasts only the top 5% of coffees grown in the world and we’ve developed a distinctive  and tasty coffee, Armando’s™ Blend, that consumers love worldwide.  In addition, the coffee brewing equipment plays a vital role to ensure the delivery of The World’s Best Coffee or Tea drink.  For over 16 years, we’ve been testing state-of-the-art espresso machines and coffee brewers to determine which equipment guarantees longevity and produces the perfect coffee drink, every time.

Customer Testimonial from Edelweiss Coffee
Iron Mountain, MI       
Owner: Jeni Zeni

“CrimsonCup is much more than a “Vendor” or “Coffee Supplier”. I could purchase my coffee, syrups, cups, etc. from Sysco, Great Lakes, or any number of vendors, but that is all they would be…a supplier. CrimsonCup adds expert advice, superior products, marketing support…just a vast knowledge of the coffee business and only the coffee business. They are dedicated to the success of each independent coffee house in The CrimsonCup Community and they prove that day in and day out!”

The coffee market has grown 40% in the last five years to a projected sales of $ 12 billion in 2007.   According to NRN Weekly Newsletter, coffee and tea drinks captured three out of the top five categories for fastest growing beverages from 2006-2007:  1) Bottled Water  2)  Hot Coffee 3)  Iced Tea  4)  Non-Carbonated Soft Drinks 5) Cappuccino/Latte/Espresso. Americans drink more than 300 million cups of coffee everyday, and more consumers want a better coffee and tea.

Starbucks® opens six new coffee houses everyday. Caribou Coffee® opened 48 stores in 2007.  It might surprise you to know that CrimsonCup opened over 40 independent espresso coffee shop businesses in 2007. To view our coffee shop locations, click here.

The number of independent coffee shops accounted for 57% of the coffee shop market at the end of 2005.  It’s people who have a passion for brewing the best coffee, for making a difference in their community, and for running a profitable business.


Do I have to qualify to become part of The CrimsonCup® Coffee Shop Community?

Yes.  Since our program revolves around partnership, we want to be sure our Community is right for you.  That being said, there are financial qualifications as well as a personal commitment to serve The World’s Best Coffee and Tea drinks and to maintain standards of operation consistent with the Seven Steps to Success.