ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Tips For Naming a Coffee Shop

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Last Updated on September 29, 2020

There are close to 500,000 coffee shops in the United States alone. So, it’s no surprise settling on a unique coffee shop name can be frustrating. 

Picking the right brand name gives potential customers an idea about the services your coffee shop provides, creates a good first impression, and helps you stand out from the competition.

Are all the good names already taken? How do you come up with something fresh? And is the business name available and legal to use? 

Related: 

If you’re not sure how to answer those questions, you’re in the right place. Keep reading to learn my top tips for choosing a great business name, idea of what names other successful coffee shops are using, and how to make sure your favorite choices are available and legal to use. 

Let’s dive in!

Tips for Choosing a Catchy Coffee Shop or Cafe Name

If you’re struggling to choose a creative name for your coffee shop or cafe, one of the best things to do is to just start brainstorming. As you go through the tips outlined below, make a list of words, phrases, and terms associated with your business. 

From there, you can narrow down the list and cross off ideas you don’t like. 

Once you have several top considerations, we’ll walk through how to make sure you’re allowed to use them. This last step helps you narrow down your list even more so you can make a final decision. 

Quick Reference

1. Consider your product

There are countless types of common terms to describe coffee, so you may consider using them in your own coffee shop. Words around coffee range from iced to espresso to mocha to caffeine to bean, etc.

Add the different types of services you want to offer to your brainstorming list. 

Remember to avoid anything limiting your business’s future growth if you decide to go in another direction down the road. 

2. Location-Specific Terms

Most coffee shops are specific to a geographic service area. So, if that’s true for your business, you could consider using your location’s name for your business. 

You can consider things like:

  • City nicknames
  • Neighborhoods
  • Regions or states
  • And descriptive terms like Rooftop Cafe

However, consider what happens if you expand your local coffee shop to another community. Does the name become limiting? If so, it’s best to avoid it if you plan to expand or change directions later. 

3. Avoid Business Names That Are Hard to Pronounce, Hear, or Spell

Despite the technological advances of voice search, assistants like Siri and Alexa struggle to understand slang and other confusing words. 

This could limit how often your business shows up in voice (and text-based) search if your name is hard to spell, pronounce, or hear. Because of that, it’s important to avoid complicated words, industry jargon, and using numbers in place of letters.  While having a unique cafe name is good, being too unique may not be so good. 

Using a simple name makes it easy for your target audience to remember and more importantly so they can easily find you. 

4. Consider Alliterations and Rhyming Words

Another way to come up with a memorable name is to used alliterations and rhymes. Because of that, they can make for creative coffee shop names. 

That said, it’s not always easy to come up with them. Start with choosing a few of your favorite words from your master brainstorm list. 

Then, you can Google “words that start with C” to come up with a name like Caffeine Café or J for Joyous Java or whatever letter you’re using to create an alliteration. Alternatively, you can search “words that rhyme with _____”. 

It can be time-consuming, but it’s an excellent place to start. 

And don’t forget to add any exciting finds to your brainstorm list while you’re at it. Try not to overthink the names you come up with in this stage.  Just write them all down as some of the more interesting ones may spark better ideas later.

5. Steer Clear of Initials or Obscure Acronyms

Initials and unusual acronyms are hard to remember, so they typically don’t make a great name for a business. They can also be challenging to pronounce and confusing for voice search as well. 

Furthermore, there are 325 different two-letter combination possibilities in the English language. And the odds of your customers remembering the specific letters you chose are pretty small. 

6. Imagery Words

Another consideration when brainstorming name ideas is whether there are industry-related words that could also lend themselves to also be used in your own unique logo. For instance, a coffee shop could use a coffee mug or coffee bean and focus the name around the image

Related: 

7. The Owner’s Name

If you’ve made it this far and are still struggling to find an amazing name, you can always consider using the business owner’s name or the name of a family member. Doing so works well if the owner plans to also be the face behind the business. 

Something to keep in mind is that using the owner’s name as the business name can make it more challenging to sell the business in the future. 

8. Existing Coffee Shop Names

Here is a long list of possible names from existing coffee shop businesses across the U.S. While many of these catchy coffee shop name ideas may be available for you to use, be sure to check first to be sure it can be used.

Tips on how to check business name availability are after the list of names!

  • 11th Hour Coffee
  • 1951 Coffee Co
  • 4 Paws Coffee Co
  • 401 Brew Street
  • 602 Coffee House
  • A M Coffee 
  • A Taste Of Heaven Coffee Shop
  • Able Roasting
  • Acre Coffee
  • Activity Coffee Co 
  • Alexa Coffee Please
  • Algorithm Coffee
  • Alibi Coffee Co 
  • Ambrose Cafe
  • Amsterdamn Coffeeshop
  • Anfilo Coffee
  • Anna’s Coffee Shop 
  • Ark Coffee Co
  • Aroma Coffee
  • Aroma Mocha Coffee
  • Asip Coffee Roasters 
  • Auburn Coffee Co 
  • Aztec Coffee & Games
  • Bad Ass Coffee
  • Bad Coffee
  • Balboa Perk
  • Bardstown Coffee Co
  • Barista Dan
  • Barista Society
  • Bark Roast Coffee 
  • Barrel Aged Coffee 
  • Batavia Coffee Bar
  • Beach Club Iced Coffees 
  • Bean Creek Coffee 
  • Beanberry
  • Best Roast Coffee 
  • Better Buzz Coffee Roasters
  • Better Coffee 
  • Beverly Drive Coffee Co
  • Big Pot of Coffee
  • Big House Beans
  • Bigbee Coffee Roasters
  • Bird & Bean
  • Bison Coffee
  • Black Cabin Coffee
  • Black Lab Coffee 
  • Black Rose Coffee & Tea
  • Blackstone Ave Coffee Co
  • Blackwood Coffee
  • Blendz San Carlos
  • Bloom Coffee
  • Blue Bottle Coffee
  • Blue Skies Coffee 
  • Blue Streak Coffee 
  • Bluwater Coffee 
  • Board House Coffee
  • Bold Brew Coffee 
  • Bolder Coffee
  • Bootstrap Joe Coffeeworks
  • Boss Coffee
  • Boutique Coffee
  • Brave Coffee
  • Break Caffe Espresso Bar
  • Brew Fix
  • Brew Ha Ha
  • Brew Yaya
  • Brewja Coffee
  • Brewton’s Barista
  • Bright Bean Coffee 
  • Bright Eye Coffee Co
  • Bunch Coffee
  • Burlap Coffee 
  • Cafenated Coffee Co
  • Caffeine Canteen
  • California Bean
  • California Coffee Authority
  • Cameron Park Coffee & Deli
  • Canoe Creek Coffee
  • Canyon Coffee Co
  • Captain Kirk’s Coffee
  • Carmen’s Coffee Co
  • Cas D’Amore (house of love)
  • Catfish Coffeehouse 
  • Cats & Caffeine 
  • Cento Coffee 
  • Chico Coffee Co
  • City Heights Coffee House
  • Clementine Coffee Roasters 
  • Cloud 9 Coffee Co
  • Clovernote Coffee Co
  • Clutch Coffee 
  • Coastal Coffee Connection
  • Code 3 Coffee
  • Coffee Assistance
  • Coffee Attic 
  • Coffee Bean Collective
  • Coffee Blocks 
  • Coffee Can 
  • Coffee Commissary Glendale
  • Coffee Concept 
  • Coffee Corner Co 
  • Coffee Cultures Soma 
  • Coffee Cup
  • Coffee Del Mundo 
  • Coffee Dose
  • Coffee Drive Up
  • Coffee For Sasquatch
  • Coffee Expresso
  • Coffee Gram
  • Coffee Hub
  • Coffee Love
  • Coffee Method
  • Coffee Milano
  • Coffee Mill
  • Coffee Mission
  • Coffee Movement
  • Coffee Muse 
  • Coffee N Kream
  • Coffee N Talk
  • Coffee Of Champions
  • Coffee Road Plaza 
  • Coffee Saloon
  • Coffee Shop Newport Beach
  • Coffee Studio
  • Coffee Time
  • Coffee With A Cop 
  • Coffeenow
  • Coffeeology 
  • Coffeeteria
  • Collaborative Coffee 
  • Collage Coffee 
  • Common Good Coffee Roasters
  • Common Grounds
  • Constellation Coffee
  • Contraband Coffee
  • Coolbrouwen Coffee 
  • Coop’s Coffee House 
  • Cornerstone Coffee
  • Coro Coffee Room
  • Craftsman Coffee
  • Cream & Coffee
  • Crostini & Java
  • Cup Of Coffee
  • Cuppa Cuppa 
  • Curbside Coffee
  • D H Espresso 
  • Daily Brew 
  • Daily Grind 
  • Dale Bros Coffee
  • Dan’s Roadhouse Coffee 
  • Dead Eye Coffee Bar
  • Deja Brew
  • Devil Mountain Coffee Co
  • Double Time Coffee
  • Downing Coffee
  • Dragon Brew Coffee
  • Dream Coffee 
  • Dripp Coffee
  • Driven Coffee Co
  • Duet Coffee
  • Duff Coffee Productions 
  • Dukes Hawaiian Coffee
  • Dutch Bros Coffee
  • East Bay Coffee Co
  • Eco Delight Coffee
  • Eco Trek Coffee Co
  • Elements Coffee 
  • Elixir Specialty Coffee
  • Epic Coffee Lounge
  • Equilateral Coffee
  • Espresso Cuts 
  • Espresso Tek
  • Estate Coffee
  • Farm Cup Coffee
  • Farmhouse Coffee 
  • Fast Cat Coffee
  • Feral Coffee Co 
  • Fig Tree Coffee
  • Firehouse Coffee Shop
  • Foam Coffee
  • Forum Coffee House
  • Fourth Wave Coffee 
  • Fox Coffee House
  • Foxwood Coffee 
  • Freedom Eagle Coffee Co
  • Freshpresso Coffee 
  • Fressino Roar Cafe
  • Friendly Joe
  • Full Nerd Coffee
  • Fulton Street Coffee Roasters
  • Garden Coffee 
  • Gi Gi Coffee
  • Giving Coffee Co
  • Global Coffee Trading
  • Goat Coffee
  • Golden Goat Coffee
  • Golden State Coffee Roasters
  • Good People Coffee Co
  • Grand Parade Coffee
  • Granolas Coffee House
  • Grind Coffee 
  • Grind Time Coffee
  • Grindhouse
  • Ground Floor Coffee
  • Happy Grounds Coffee Co
  • Harbor Coffee 
  • Hashtags & Coffee
  • Hasta Muerte Coffee
  • Hawthorne Coffee
  • Hermosa Coffee Roasters 
  • Hidden House Coffee Roasters
  • Higher Ground Coffee 
  • Highlight Coffee 
  • High-Top Coffee
  • Hitched Coffee Co
  • Hive Coffee Bar
  • Holy Grounds Coffee House
  • Honeycomb Coffee
  • Hot Shots Coffee Co
  • House Of Black Coffee Co
  • House Roots Coffee
  • Human Bean
  • Humbug Joe Coffee Depot
  • Industrial Grind Coffee
  • Jake’s Coffee Bar
  • Java 23
  • Java Break
  • Java Doc
  • Java Dream 
  • Java Gold Coffee Roasters
  • Java Guyz 
  • Java Joe’s
  • Java Junction
  • Java Junkie 
  • Java Resource Co
  • Java Stardust Productions
  • Java Tech
  • Jazzy Grounds Coffee Bar/Cafe
  • Jitters Coffee House
  • Joe’s Coffee & Deli
  • Joybrewed Espresso
  • Joyful Cup
  • Joyhouse
  • Kafae Coffee 
  • Kaleidoscope Coffee
  • Kamson Coffee 
  • Kin Coffee & Tea 
  • Kindness & Mischief Coffee
  • King Coffee
  • Kingdom Koffee 
  • Kingston Coffee Roasters
  • Kipsy Coffee
  • Kit Coffee 
  • Kraken Coffee Co
  • Kuju Coffee
  • Kuppa Joy
  • LA Colonia Coffee Co
  • Lafayette Coffee Shop
  • Land & Water Coffee
  • Lavish Coffee Bar
  • Lazy Eye Coffee
  • Le Petit Coffee Shop 
  • Level Grounds Xpresso
  • Light Bulb Coffee
  • Local Cup
  • Longevity Coffee
  • Los Olivos Coffee 
  • Lotta Java
  • Love Coffee Bar
  • Lucky Coffee
  • Mad Mike’s Coffee
  • Madison & Park Coffee 
  • Make Good Coffee Co
  • Malibu Brew Coffee
  • Manhattan Mocha
  • Mantra Coffee
  • Matador Coffee
  • Moonshot Coffee
  • Native Ground Coffee Stop
  • Old Town Espresso
  • Perfect Blend
  • Provision Coffee Bar
  • Relax Coffee Shop
  • River Perk
  • Rosshouse Coffee
  • Royal Coffee Bar
  • Scooter’s Coffeehouse
  • Second Cup
  • Steam Room
  • Think Coffee 
  • Tiny Coffee House
  • Top Fuel Espresso
  • Wings Coffee Co

Checking the Availability of Your Top Considerations

At this point, you should have several top considerations to choose from. And the best way to narrow it down further is to check each one for availability. 

This step is vital, because using a brand name that someone else is using could be very costly, time-consuming to rebrand your business and possibly embarrassing. There are several places to look to check whether a name is available to use, so let’s walk through each one. 

Trademark Search

Trademarks are the most critical, so we’ll start here. 

If a name or phrase is trademarked, you’re not allowed to use it in a similar capacity. So, run a trademark search for each business name you’re considering and cross off those that aren’t available. 

Popular coffee shop names like Starbucks and Cafe Du Monde are just two that are trademarked. 

Learn more about 

Local Search

Just because there isn’t a federal trademark on a name doesn’t mean the name you want is available.  That’s because there is a trademark known as a common law trademark. A common law trademark isn’t filed anywhere but provides someone who is using that name in commerce some limited rights in their geographical area to use the name.  It can be hard to define how far geographically these rights extend as each industry is different, but at a basic level, someone can’t open a business and name it the same or similar name as a competing business in town. If you think the name could potentially create confusion with customers, it is usually best to just find another one to use to avoid potential legal issues down the road. 

To do a local search, open up the phone book (if you still have one), and do a Google search to see if there are any local competitors with a similar business name to the one you want to use. 

Cross off any similar names from your list and take the rest and let’s keep checking.  

State Entity Search (If Applicable)

If you plan to register your coffee shop as a corporation or LLC, you have to register with a unique business name. Each state requires every corporation or LLC to register a unique name for their entity.  This doesn’t necessarily protect your name from anyone else using it, but nobody can register a corporation or LLC under the same name in your state.

Related: ?

If you find the name is in use, cross it off your list and move on.

Domain Name Availability

Website addresses aren’t as critical as the first three searches, but it’s still worth doing. Typically, you want your domain name to be “yourbusinessname.com” without any numbers, dashes, etc.

It’s easiest for customers to remember, but these are hard to come by.

However, you can explore other configurations and extensions if your preferred domain name isn’t available. Just remember your customers may have a more difficult time finding you online.

You can start with . Type in the domain name you want to use to see if it’s available. The tool also returns other possibilities you may want to consider.

Social Media Profiles

Next, especially if you are stuck between a couple of names, check and see if anyone is already using your potential coffee business names on social media. Consider which platforms you plan to use and start with those. 

Keep in mind you may have to shorten your company name for some platforms. Twitter only allows 15 characters, for example. 

Start with your preferred platforms and do a quick search for your name. If nothing pops up, that likely means no one is using it, and you’re good to go. 

Example: Someone is using startingyourbusiness on Instagram, so I would have to choose a different handle, making it more difficult for customers to find me.

Vanity Phone Number

An inexpensive way to make your business stick out and is easier for your customers to remember is to get a custom phone number with your business name.  These are affordable too, with pricing typically around $10-$30 per month, depending on the level of features you need.

Companies like  or  let you type in words to quickly see if a local or toll-free number is available.

Hopefully you now have a short list of good coffee shop names. Once you have this list narrowed down to just a few and researched that they are all available, start asking friends, family, and potential customers their thoughts to get feedback and then pick your perfect coffee shop name! 

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