Pu’er Coffee

 In recent years, a strange phenomenon has become more and more obvious: Two coffee shops on the same street — one keeps raising prices and customers still happily pay, while the other has to keep offering discounts, giveaways, and promotions… yet business remains slow. Most people think the difference lies in “cost” or “how good the coffee tastes.” But the truth is usually this: It’s not about the coffee. It’s about which track you place yourself on. The coffee business has an extremely low barrier to entry. And in low-barrier industries, owners often get pushed into two opposite directions: Either you go up and create value, or you go down and compete on price. The middle ground is the hardest place to survive. 01. Coffee Shops That Can Raise Prices Aren’t Selling Coffee — They’re Selling Irreplaceability If a café can keep raising prices while customers continue to buy, it always shares one trait: People can’t easily replace it with another shop. This irreplace...

 Before opening a coffee shop, the first thing you need to figure out isn’t the menu—it’s who you want to drink your coffee . When it comes to starting a café, the most overlooked factor isn’t cost, location, or even the menu. It’s a simple question that ends up determining 80% of your shop’s future: Who do you hope will walk in? Or to put it more directly— Who are you brewing for? In many owners’ workflow, this step barely exists. They start with equipment, roast levels, interior style, or screenshots of café aesthetics from Instagram. But here’s the problem: You can do everything well and still have no one willing to drink your coffee. Not because you’re not good enough— but because you don’t even know who you’re making it for. 01. A café “without users” becomes nothing more than the owner’s personal portfolio I’ve seen many shops where, the moment you walk in, you can sense one thing: This café is made for the owner , not the customer . He loves dark roasts, so eve...