Boston's Caffeine Craze: How Local Cafes Stand Out Against Corporate Coffee

BY Kyle Finn, Sonalika Goswami, Mia Macaluso Nick Prunier, Camila Vasquez Onorato

Did you know that small business coffee shops are currently struggling? How is this happening? Small businesses are keeping consumers loyal by maintaining a positive customer experience; the owners of Farmers’s Horse, Sultana's Cafe, and Pavement Coffeehouse will explain what they have done to maintain a loyal customer base while adapting for what the future lies ahead. Chain coffee shops like Starbucks are relying on convenience and brand recognition. Former Starbucks baristas will explain the changes they experienced while working and how chain cafes are starting to take over.

Farmer’s Horse Coffee

In less than 1,000 square feet, Farmer’s Horse Coffee cultivates an environment of connection that spans the globe while embracing the local community. Owner Meran Atoufi combines single-source Ethiopian coffee with a neighborhood feel to create an experience for customers that goes beyond the drinks and pastries.

High quality coffee with strong character distinguishes Farmer’s Horse from larger chains that cannot afford to offer a single-source, carefully roasted product. Atoufi’s wife, who manages the store, prepares the food with the same care as if it was for their children. It is not just the coffee and pastries that set Farmer’s Horse apart, however.

Hundreds of messages written on the walls by customers, board games available to play, and homey features like an old-fashioned fireplace connect patrons to an atmosphere where they become part of the shop.

This dedication to a welcoming environment and authentic coffee and food helped Farmer’s Horse survive the COVID-19 pandemic, during which the shop opened for limited hours and paused dine-in services.

Despite these disruptions, Atoufi credits customers’ appreciation for the store’s environment as a factor that helped them through difficult times. It is the overall experience of Farmer’s Horse that makes it more than a place to get your next cup of coffee.

“I wanted to have a place that is not following the standards, but something that is following the humanity, something beyond just the business. Somewhere that people would love to go, just to be there," Atoufi said.

Sultana’s Bakery & Cafe

Anastasia Dogar is using the power of technology to excel her small business. Dogar has faced many challenges as a business owner. “I had good experience from my first business because it was right in the middle of South Campus Boston University, a great location,” Dogar said. Since then, Sultana’s Cafe, located at 1585 Commonwealth Ave. in Boston, has been a staple of the Brighton community.

Dogar and her family have focused on expanding their online reach. The COVID-19 pandemic forced her business model to change to comply with city regulations. Despite disappearing regulations, she continues to use online resources to expand the store’s website, social media, and outreach.

Her website allows for online ordering, whether for coffee, food, or catering, with the ability to pay. The website includes a brief description of the business and the ability to contact her directly. On Instagram, her goal is to post at least once every three days about food she knows her customers will like and use the story mode.

Her biggest goal is to keep her online rating above 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Reviews and Yelp. “If you have less than 4.5 in reviews, they don't like to come and visit your place, doesn't matter how much effort you put or how good the food is,” Dogar said.

Pavement Coffeehouse

When competing against big chains such as Starbucks that is globally known as the biggest coffee house, local coffee shops in Boston have to find ways to distinguish themselves.

Pavement Coffeehouse, an independent coffee shop, has eight locations around Boston where they sustain themselves against their competitors by selling bagels, according to Macey White.

White, a shift leader at Pavement Coffeehouse Boston University location, honed her barista skills working her way through Starbucks and now works at Pavement since October of 2021.

According to White, Pavement sustains itself by selling more bagels than it does coffee, which was a big shock when White made the switch from a multinational chain to a locally owned business. Pavement had to find its own niche market in bagels as well as distinguish itself with different interior decorations regarding their stores' location.

“Each Pavement location has its own kind of vibe and it's not as homogenous as Starbucks,” White said.

Pavement's owner wanted each store to have its own personality and step away from the common coffee shop expectation, said White. Pavement also loves showcasing how all of their products are local. Their coffee beans are imported from all over the world, such as Colombia and Kenya, but are roasted in Brighton and their milk is provided from a local farm in Massachusetts.

The sense of community and family oriented environment is one of the many things customers enjoy about Pavement.

Starbucks

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, massive chains like Starbucks have felt the blow of lockdowns and restrictions; however, most locations have continued to stay open and serve customers.

Although Starbucks used a phone app for mobile orders before the pandemic, use of the app skyrocketed as the pandemic forced the chain coffee shop to make many stores become drive-thru only. Even though most locations are open normally again, the app continues to host a sizable percentage of customer orders, and many people continue to use it for its convenience.

“I know this is what I like and it's easy to get."

There's a noteworthy struggle between local cafes and international chains. With international cafe chains like Dunkin' and Starbucks opening up on every other corner of Boston, sometimes it is hard for the local cafes to make their mark.

Gitanjali, a math major at Boston University, said that she goes only to Starbucks because she is an employee there. She gets certain benefits and convenience points that are not usually provided by local cafes. “I know this is what I like and it's easy to get,” said Gitanjali.

Having multiple locations across the city makes chains cafes more available than their local counterparts. When people like a drink from these cafes they keep it in their mind and even when moving to new places, they know that they can find a cafe that serves what they like.

Without the resources of large chains, one-off coffee shops like Sultana’s Cafe and Farmer’s Horse rely on customer experience to maintain business. Pavement follows a similar philosophy, tailoring the atmosphere of each location to provide a unique experience for each customer.

The convenience and familiarity of places like Starbucks pose a serious challenge for small business owners, but Dogar and Atoufi continue to adapt to the evolving market with the consumers in mind.