"HOW TO OPEN A FINANCIALLY SUCCESSFUL COFFEE, ESPRESSO & TEA SHOP" by Elizabeth Godsmark, Lora Arduser and Douglas R. Brown.

Coffee is a huge industry across the country and around the world. In the introduction of "How to open a financially successful coffee, espresso & tea shop" the authors point out that the coffee industry is a $5 billion industry, which is growing more and more every year.

Anyone who is interested in starting his or her own coffee, espresso, or tea shop is going to be fascinated in this book. The authors start at the beginning with developing a business plan. The give examples and even offer a CD program that has preformatted documents. Licenses, business name, choosing suppliers, and equipment requirements are all discussed in the opening chapters.

Many aspects of running a successful coffee, espresso & tea business are discussed throughout this book. The authors have done a tremendous job in giving an introduction to opening this type of business. They talk about profit planning and advertising, as well as choosing the best equipment and managing your operating costs.

Without a doubt this is a definite must have book for anyone even thinking about starting this kind of business. The author's are able to skillfully introduce all the major concerns with opening a coffee, espresso & tea business. They provide a wealth of information that will help clarify a person's views of what is actually required to open, operate, and run a financially successful coffee, espresso & teashop.

How to Open a Financially Successful Coffee, Espresso & Tea Shop" by Elizabeth Godsmark, Lora Aduser, and Douglas R. Brown is great for beginners looking into possibly opening a coffee shop. The book touches on a lot of information that is generic to any business, but it is a good starting point. It provides basic information on writing a business plan, scouting out a location, buying equipment, hiring a staff and more.

I wish the authors would have delved further into the various aspects of writing a business plan. As it is, it simply lists what types of topics should be covered in a business plan and basic information on what the terms mean. There is nothing comprehensive about how to create pro-forma income projections or any of the more intricate parts of the business plan.

While parts of the book seemed to just be stating common sense knowledge, the authors did provide a number of helpful websites and resources. They talk in-depth on ordering coffee, but I wish the book would have included more coffee/espresso specific information - such as numerous drink recipes, maybe tips from those that have started their own coffee shop. Things like that would have been useful.

The book's flow is also a little disappointing. Many times the writing seemed redundant because the topic had already been touched on. For some reason the authors will discuss a subject, such as using a website to enhance your business and then touch on the subject again a few chapters later without adding anything significant to the mix..

All in all, I think the book does provide a good deal of useful information to anyone looking to open a business in the food industry. I just wish it had more meat to it or that the authors would have gone more in-depth on a few key issues.

Organized in a simple to comprehend and use manner, this book is likely to be beneficial to anyone who is thinking about opening a coffee or tea shop. It starts by helping to clarify the all important business plan. Chapters follow a logical sequence which helps someone who is new to the business to fully understand everything that is involved.

This book helps the reader prioritize all of the different steps that are needed in order to begin a thriving business. It covers the basics of buying the product, equipments, and how to figure out pricing of the items. CD-ROM is choked full of many different forms which are needed in order to run the business smoothly.

The book also completely covers the basics which are needed in any business, including employees, customers, marketing strategies, bookkeeping, and laws and regulations. Easy to read and simple to follow, this book will help anyone who wants to start a coffee or teas shop.

While adoring coffee or tea may help, it is not enough to make your new coffee and tea business an instant success. This reference book, written by successful authors Elizabeth Godsmark, Lora Arduser and Douglas Brown, should be your starting point. The predictable chapters are here - inventory and labor cost control, location assessment, public relations and bookkeeping - but there are also tidbits of information not found in similarly marketed guides. These include Internet marketing strategies, the pros and cons of buying a franchise and strategies for recruiting and retaining skilled employees. The personnel section is particularly helpful as employees are often the cornerstone of success, especially in a business where exemplary customer service is imperative. If you are not familiar with beverage and food service operational details, you will want to make it a priority to bookmark chapters 5 & 6 as they provide helpful hints on selecting gourmet coffee, choosing appropriate equipment - such as grinders, espresso machines and steamers - and a quick "cheat sheet" on tea types. On the included CD-ROM you will find a sample business plan for "Cupa Joe", as well as pertinent business forms and a coffee and tea shop supply list. This book is easy to read, offers invaluable tricks of the trade and helps prepare you for the rewarding task of opening your own coffee and tea shop. Highly recommended.