Coffee genre

We don’t often think of coffee shops as having genres. But of course, they do.

Dunkin’ and Starbucks serve coffee, but they’re not the same thing. One is optimized for speed and routine. The other sells an experience. Same product, different genre.

Genres exist everywhere. They help us navigate the world. We don’t confuse a Hallmark movie with a Richard Curtis rom-com–even if they both tell love stories. A dive bar and a speakeasy both serve drinks, but they attract different people with different expectations.

The question is: what genre are you creating? And is that the genre your customers believe they’re in?

Are you running a third-wave, hand-crafted, pour-over café that draws in connoisseurs? Or a high-energy, drive-thru-only coffee stand that thrives on speed?

Are you building a business that invites people to slow down and savor, or one that fuels their rush to work?

The mistake isn’t in choosing the wrong genre—it’s in not choosing one at all.

A diner with bottomless coffee has a different promise than a café that sells $7 lattes.

Neither is better, but each is better for someone.