6 Tips for Sourcing the Best Coffee Beans for Your New Café

Coffee is the one thing people expect when they walk into a café. If you have recently opened a coffee shop, you need to make sure you are serving only the best brew, hot and cold beverages that will keep your customers coming back for more.

Purchasing the finest quality of whole coffee beans wholesale is an excellent start to serving customers great-tasting brews in your shop. By using only premium coffee beans, you will constantly satisfy your customers. This will go a long way in persuading them to come back and with getting new paying guests.

Moreover, by buying whole coffee beans in bulk, you can save money on your supplies.  You will also ensure you will never run out of stocks, which is something that you don’t want to happen, especially since you have only opened your business.

A Guide to Sourcing Wholesale Coffee Beans

Finding the best quality of coffee beans to buy in bulk can be challenging for new entrepreneurs. If you need to get the perfect brand and products in the shortest time possible, follow these tips:

1. Start your search online

With dozens of brands, origins, or varieties to choose from, narrowing down your options can be pretty overwhelming, not to mention time-consuming.

To pick out the best possible choices, go online first. Look for highly-rated coffee brands and beans by coffee shop owners and brew aficionados. List down the ones with the best reviews that are within your budget.

While online, you can also start getting details about each product such as their origin, type of coffee roast, etc.

2. Know the various origins

The country where the coffee beans grow plays a significant role in how they taste. Their location gives them a distinct flavor and qualities.

Additionally, variations in the soil, elevation, amount of rainfall and sunshine, and the way that farmers grow their beans can change the flavor profile as well.

The most commonly used coffee beans in both large chain and independent cafes come from these countries:

• Colombia – Coffee beans from this country have a mild taste with well-balanced acidity. It also has hints of caramel sweetness and some nuttiness.
• Brazil – Coffee beans from this part of the world have more diverse flavors. They are often used for espresso since they have a nutty, full-bodied taste that tends to linger in the mouth.
• Hawaii – Kona coffee is the most famous variety that comes from this state. Due to the regular rain showers and constant sunlight the region receives, the coffee beans have a rich flavor that comes with moderate floral aromatics.
• Ethiopia: This country, which is the birthplace of coffee, is best known for its Arabica variety. However, there are many wild and yet to be cataloged varieties of coffee and different processing methods that there are still plenty of choose from. Ethiopian coffee beans are regarded for their fruity, heavy, and wine-like flavors. Some even have floral, tea-like tastes and aromas.
• Kenya: Coffee beans from Kenya are grown without shade and some are processed using a fermentation soak. Because of this, their coffee has distinct savory-sweet flavors.

If you want your café to stand out, give some thought into which variety or types you want to serve and be known for.

3. Understand the three main types of roasts

Aside from the origin, the way the coffee beans were roasted will affect the flavor of your brews, too.

The four primary types of roasts are:

• Light – This type is the best choice for a mild cup of coffee. The beans are lighter since they are not roasted too long. Because of this, they contain more caffeine than darker roasts.  
• Medium – Coffee beans of this type are medium brown with a non-oily surface. It is the kind used for brewing a traditional cup of joe.
• Medium-dark – This type of roast has a richer, darker color. It also has a bit of oil on the surface. Coffee beans that are medium dark have a bittersweet aftertaste that is not too overpowering.
• Dark – Commonly used for making espressos, dark roast coffee beans are nearly black in color, shiny, and oily to the touch. It has less acidity but comes with a strong flavor

4. Experiment with different origins and varieties

Since you have only opened your café, it is acceptable to stock only one or two origins and varieties first. However, once the dust has settled down and you have a steady business, experiment with other coffee bean types.

Try coffee beans from other countries or even ones that are locally grown. Taste different types of roasts as well. Use them for various types of hot and cold beverages.

If you like their flavors and think others would appreciate them, consider adding them to your menu. You have the option of pulling out these items anytime if they are not popular and are costing you money anyway.

5. Opt for whole beans

After deciding which varieties and roasts to stock up on, the next thing you have to keep in mind is to always buy whole coffee beans.

Whole coffee beans produce the most flavorful brews. When you buy them pre-ground, they will go stale fast. They will lose taste and freshness quickly as well.

To serve great coffee all the time, buy whole coffee beans and grind them early in the day to prepare them for brewing. By doing so, the beans will retain their oil and flavors, giving your customers excellent brew all day long.

6. Avoid overstocking coffee beans

Although you always need to have coffee beans available to make your brews, do not purchase too many bags. Keep in mind that even if they have long shelf lives, their freshness won’t stay the same within the specified period of time.

When you have too many supplies and do not use them immediately, the coffee beans will lose their freshness. This will produce less than stellar, satisfying beverages.

Because of this, make sure you only have enough supplies for a week or two. Order new bags only when you are sure the remaining ones will be used up real soon.

Having a POS system with excellent inventory features will help you keep stock of your inventory and replenish your supplies at the right time. This will also help you avoid wasting coffee beans and money.

Ordering your supplies from a trusted distributor will also allow you to replenish your stocks on time, thereby ensuring you never run out of products to serve your customers.

To have the great-tasting beverage offerings to serve your customers, follow the tips above to buy the best coffee beans. Keep experimenting with different products and menu items as well to have a café that stands out and will be popular among coffee aficionados.

AUTHOR BIO

Jad Asaad is the Marketing Manager at Bidfood UAE with more than eight years of experience in digital, online and offline marketing. He started his career in Beirut working in a creative agency and then moved to Dubai to further expand his career. He created and implemented award-winning high-impact digital and offline marketing campaigns that consistently generated revenue streams and improved performance in targeted segments.

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