How To Come Up With Coffee Business Names: 8 Great Ideas

Effective coffee business names should stand apart from the giants and franchises like Starbucks.

Coffee business name
Take some time to think about naming your coffee business

The name of your coffee shop can make or break the business. No matter what, it offers a first impression that draws customers in.

Good coffee business names should stand apart from the giants and franchises like Starbucks.

So, how do you come up with catchy coffee business names? There are quite a few methods you can use to find the name that perfectly suits the vibe of your coffee house.

1. Use Business Name Generators

Using a business name generator might be one of the easiest methods to use. Every business name generator works a little differently, but you can be sure the names generated by the AI or program will be unique and having all of these options will help you whittle your choices down to the best ones.

Namelix is an AI business name generator that produces choices based on keywords, the number of letters you want, and even the naming style, such as using words that are easy to brand or foreign phrases. It will also suggest visual imagery and iconography.

Similarly, BNG will generate name ideas using keywords to find phrases and wordplay. We plugged words like a bistro, espresso, cuppa, Joe, java into this business name generator. In less than 30-seconds, we came up with these catchy coffee shop names:

  • Bistro Leaf
  • Javvy Savvy
  • Hearthstone Espresso
  • Espressodeck
  • Fresh Cuppa

This tool connects to GoDaddy, in case you want to create an online brand, too.

Business name generator
Namelix. Business Name Generator

2. Embrace The Pun

Puns are snappy ways to find a unique name for your coffee shop. In fact, some of the best coffee business names might be found in a pun, such as Deja Brew or Mugnificent. If you can find a pun you like, use it as a theme for your entire shop.

Naturally, puns also work best when they’re written out, so you can even work puns into your menu or play with longer puns for a business name, such as Love You a Latte, No Time for Espresso or Grab a Cuppa.

Consider playing on popular coffee drinks like Espresso or Latte. Remember, to check that the resulting company name is original otherwise, you may have to change it later.

3. Reference Popular Media

You can draw inspiration from just about anywhere, but if you’re not afraid of capitalizing on a gimmick or a theme, popular media could help you find more creative coffee shop names.

Java the Hutt has a pretty nice ring to it, right?

Whether you’re pulling from Disney or figuring out how to make any literature work, you can easily use popular media to name your business.

And this doesn’t mean that you need to limit yourself to making play-on-words work, either. You can reference popular media in your logo or take inspiration from the naming conventions that have been used.

For example, you can mimic the simplicity of Luke’s Diner from Gilmore Girls and simply name your place after yourself. If it works on TV, why can’t it work for you?

For example, “Hearthstone Espresso” would work as a cleverly themed World of Warcraft coffee bar.

4. Draw From Historical Notes

knowledge, book, library
Take notes from famous coffee-drinkers in history

Are you up on your coffee history?

If you know a thing or two about the history of the coffee bean, then you may be able to find a name for your business there. Or you can take notes from famous coffee-drinkers in history.

For example, you could name a shop The Coffee Cantata after Bach, who loved coffee enough to write a short opera about it.

If you pick the right historical figure or fact, you can even work it into the backstory of your business and draw on that theme for other portions of your branding, such as decorations.

5. Try Acronyms

Acronyms can help you find a topical name for your business. For example these popular figures of speech reference coffee in unusual ways: LUVJAVA or TIME4JOE

When brainstorming your acronyms, consider any associated social media accounts or domains. Will the acronym make sense when not in context?

6. Experiment With Name Lengths

It’s also important to experiment with the length of your name. While it might be your first instinct to keep your coffee business name to short syllables, you may have more luck if you’re willing to add articles and prepositions to your business name.

After all, there’s a pretty big difference between the vibe of Java Bean and The Java Bean, and that can make a difference for the type of customers you will attract.

Fun fact: Facebook was originally known as The Facebook.

7. Get Creative With Name Styles

You can also get creative with name styles, by brainstorming on made-up words, rhyming words, or words of real objects and people. Keep a thesaurus or dictionary to hand.

Take a note from a business like Lyft and try misspelling the name of your business to make the name of your business more unique and memorable for customers.

Coffee Roasters R US anyone?

8. Use Geography

buildings, city, coffee shop
Location of the coffee shop should be easy to locate

Where is your coffee shop located? You can easily find a business name by mashing together the cross-streets close to your coffee bar, which will also make your shop easy to locate.

If your business happens to be near a popular landmark or by a unique building, then you can try using those locations, too. For example, Tower Coffee Shop or Rosewood & Maple would be good geographically-based coffee business names.

The Boston Barista and Lava Java are two other examples; both are successful businesses.

The Final Word On The Best Coffee Business Names

When it comes to finding coffee business names, there are a lot of paths you can take.

Whether you rely on business name generators or draw your inspiration from popular media, history, or clever wordplay, the journey of finding a name relies on your personality, preferences, and vision for the business.

If all else fails, you can always change the company name or rebrand your startup.

That said, the tools in this guide can help you pick one that encourages someone passing by your shop to walk inside and order a cup of coffee.

Author

  • Aisling O'Connor

    Aisling is an Irish food and drinks writer and journalist fueled by coffee and herbal tea. She followed up her journalism degree with nutrition studies. Find Aisling on LinkedIn.