TENANT LEAD: Just Love Coffee Café
As a sort of follow-up to my article from a few months back about the fragile state of the third place coffeehouse, I direct you to Just Love Coffee Café, a rapidly-expanding, Tennessee-based “neighborhood coffeehouse” franchise with 49 locations across 16 states. Unlike all of the “utilitarian caffeine dispensaries” (UCD’s) that have been materializing in recent years, Just Love is positioning itself as a third place that “beckons… customers to return to socialize, work or grab a meal any time of day or evening.” In addition to what it describes as “artisan” coffee that can “satisfy the elitist of coffee connoisseurs”, its interiors feature a generically contemporary styling that strives to evoke a vaguely hipper, more urban space. At the same time, it strives to offer a more welcoming atmosphere “far removed from the stuffiness of traditional specialty coffee culture.” Of course, new, fast-growing concepts can always flame out, but if Just Love manages to strike such a balance, there would seem to be quite a lot of opportunity ahead. Some will recoil at the idea of a franchise in the space, but Just Love appears to be targeting small-scale owner/operators (who, it should be noted, are risking their own capital). Plus, keeping the lights on at a true independent coffeehouse, especially with the rise of the UCD’s, can be quite challenging. And Just Love is also willing to open in very small, underserved markets where such an amenity might otherwise be unsustainable, like Plainview, Nebraska (with a population of 1,400 and not anywhere near an interstate highway). In terms of site location, its cafes run an average of 1,800 square feet, in a variety of settings (including Main Streets), and while Just Love offers both breakfast and lunch, it does not require a full kitchen. If you’re interested, though, you might have to wait until your particular state is open to franchises — currently 32 of them are — and then, identify a possible franchisee. Feel free to reach out to me if you need additional guidance. (Note: Neither I nor my consulting firm are associated with this company in any way).