People in all corners of the United States love coffee. That’s why there are many cafes across the US and a lot of chains are opening new coffee shops. Currently, specialty coffee is one of the biggest trends in the sector. However, thanks to technologies and innovations, the industry is shifting. Nowadays, a large percentage of revenue comes from online deliveries. Adding more value through latte art or coffee and breakfast bundles are also ways for coffee shops to increase their profit margins. But all this is dependent on finding suppliers that are reliable and offer a wide range of products used by cafes on a daily basis. In this post, we’ll share more about coffee shop supply stores and how distribution works in this sector. Make sure to also read our articles on how to increase cafe sales and seasonal coffee drinks.
Key takeaway: Coffee shop supply stores are wholesalers that sell brewing equipment, barista tools, and disposable items to cafes, food vendors, and other businesses. Besides deliveries of products, these distributors often provide services like equipment maintenance and workshops for employees.
What Are Coffee Shop Supply Stores
These are brick-and-mortar or online stores that offer various products used by cafes and other businesses. From disposable supplies like paper coffee cups in large quantities to modern equipment, these distributors have everything needed by different types of cafes. Although a lot of customers still prefer to visit physical stores, online sales make up the majority of revenue for these wholesalers. Thanks to eCommerce innovations, a coffee shop supply store can easily expand its geographical reach and benefit from modern marketing strategies and sales channels. In addition to offering products to cafes, these suppliers also serve catering businesses, street food vendors, and even restaurants with a well-developed coffee program.
Coffee Shop Supply Distributors
In recent years, physical coffee shop supply stores have been losing market share to distributors of cafe and restaurant supplies. These wholesalers usually use warehouses as their only physical location and don’t have brick-and-mortar stores. Instead, they have a well-developed distribution network and deliver or ship goods directly to their customers. By not having physical stores, coffee shop supply distributors can have better profit margins or offer lower wholesale prices.
How to Choose a Coffee Shop Supplier
There are various factors to consider when choosing a distributor of coffee shop supplies. Here are some of them.
- Services. Businesses with coffee programs need additional services such as staff training and equipment maintenance.
- Variety of products. Managers in the cafe and restaurant industry prefer to work with a limited number of suppliers. That’s why it’s important to choose a coffee shop supply store that offers a wide range of products. From bulk coffee cups to vegan dairy products and plant-based milk options.
- Innovations. Companies want to partner with wholesalers that have integrated modern technologies. That’s why a distributor of coffee shop supplies can use innovations not only to improve their efficiency but also as part of their marketing strategy.
- Flexibility, terms, and conditions. Some suppliers prefer to only work with chains or large businesses. They are not an optimal choice for small or starting coffee shops.
- Following the trend. Coffee shops, restaurants, and other food service businesses are constantly changing (check out our post on restaurant industry trends). That’s why their distributors need to know the latest trends in these fields. For example, one of the popular trends in recent years has been that of sustainable suppliers.
Products Sold by Coffee Shop Supply Stores
Although these distributors are primarily associated with coffee-related goods, they offer a variety of other products to their customers. Here are some of the main categories of items sold by coffee shop supply stores.
- Brewing and barista equipment. From espresso machines to nitro cold brew coffee makers, various types of equipment are used to make different varieties of coffee drinks. In addition to sales, distributors often provide maintenance, repair, and staff training services for brewing equipment.
- Disposable goods. Straws and paper coffee cups are the most popular products in this category. Other disposable goods include packaging supplies, napkins, and tableware. Read more about wholesale tableware and the trends in the tableware market.
- Other beverages and equipment. Coffee shops also serve soda, tea, and various other beverages. Thus, many coffee shop supply stores also offer soda dispensers, different types of tea, dairy-free milk varieties, and other drinks.
- Baked goods. Although some cafes make their own pastries, many coffee shops don’t have the space or the equipment to make delicious scones, desserts, croissants, or other baked goods. That’s why they order these products from commercial bakeries or from their cafe supplies distributor.
- Ingredients. This category includes dessert mixes, condiments, decorations, extracts, and other ingredients needed to make baked goods and beverages.
Frequently Asked Questions about Coffee Shop Supply Stores
If you’re interested in increasing your wholesale sales, you’ll find many useful resources on our website. We cover a variety of topics in different niche markets. Below are the answers to some of the popular questions regarding coffee shop supply distributors.
What Services Do Coffee Shops Distributors Offer?
In addition to selling a variety of products like coffee shop pastries and disposable cups, suppliers that work primarily with cafes also offer different services. The most popular one is related to organizing barista training. These workshops help staff members of coffee shops improve and learn about the trends in making different coffee and espresso drinks. Latte art has become an important part of coffee shops’ marketing. That’s why a lot of coffee roasters and coffee shop supply stores also organize latte art classes. Equipment maintenance and repair are also crucial services offered by cafe suppliers.
Why Use Coffee Shop Distributors Instead of Broadliners?
The main benefit of ordering from a coffee shop supply store is that these wholesalers can consult you on the different products and categories offered. Furthermore, they offer a wide range of products that are not in high demand. On the other hand, broadline distributors offer the most common goods such as bulk coffee cups, coffee beans, and other supplies. Coffee shop supply distributors also organize training workshops and provide equipment maintenance services. They are more flexible and often have lower minimum order quantities (read more about what is MOQ) compared to broadliners.
What Are Barista Supplies?
Barista supplies are the main category of products offered by coffee shop supply stores. They include tools and equipment such as espresso tampers, filters, gooseneck kettles, or brewing equipment. Wholesale reusable coffee cups or disposable ones can also be considered as part of the barista supplies category. Other major categories offered by coffee shop supply stores include wholesale pastries for coffee shops, packaging and take-out supplies, janitorial equipment, and ingredients. Although the term barista supplies is often used interchangeably with coffee shop supplies, it’s only a category of products offered by wholesalers.
BlueCart: The Bulk Ordering Platform for Every Coffee Shop
If you operate a coffee shop supply store and wish to increase your B2B sales, signing up for BlueCart will help you. Our wholesale ordering software is used by thousands of bulk buyers in different fields and sectors. Furthermore, thanks to BlueCart, distributors can automate various processes, manage prices and inventory more efficiently, and easily create eCommerce catalogs. Whether you want to compare prices between different suppliers or sell goods to businesses, BlueCart is the one-stop shop for you. Schedule your demo today and witness how our software solution connects distributors and wholesale buyers.