After oil, coffee is the second most sought after commodity. Each day, over 450 million cups of coffee are consumed in the United States with the average person drinking around three and a half cups each day.
As the popularity of chain coffee shops, such as Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts, continues to grow each day, it might seem daring to take on these corporate giants. However, for shops like The Grounds in Laramie, WY, it’s quite easy to see the appeal of shopping locally.
Cheyenne, only 45 miles away, has very few local businesses compared to Laramie. The local businesses that they do have often struggle to keep up with the convince and pace of larger chains. Yet, Laramie’s small business population is booming with some of their businesses having existed for over 100 years.
“I love [working for a local business]. You get to know the customers really well, you get to know their orders and it’s a nice atmosphere,” said The Grounds barista, Jennifer Buetow, “It’s not too harsh like corporate businesses can be sometimes.”
Shopping Local
According to Adriana Lopez in Forbes magazine, one of the ways local shops can compete with corporate chain shops is by using alternative strategies that go far beyond brand associations.
This could be by adding something other than drinks to the menu, adding new and original flavor combinations, or in the case of The Grounds, adding fresher ingredients, wheatgrass, and power smoothies. This is their way of keeping up to date and modern with the latest trends.
Lopez also talks about how local coffee shops can offer higher quality goods to their customers than their chain counterparts. Being consistent is key because it will keep customers coming back and may even make it into their morning coffee routine.
“Making sure everybody knows how to make the drinks the same way so everybody is not doing something different,” said another barista at The Grounds, Kayley Hart.
One of the main pulls for local coffee shops is the consistency they have with their ingredients and their customers. Who doesn’t like being acknowledged and recognized by their friendly neighborhood barista?
“I like places like Starbucks because I know what I want on their menu, but I prefer the coffee in local shop’s coffee more,” said Mara Madsen, a Pharmacy student at the University of Wyoming.
Local coffee shops, and shopping local in general, are great ways to support your community. According to Amy Livingston on the Money Crashers website, local shops hire local workers such as local contractors, insurance brokers, and ad agencies.
Shopping local can also have many benefits for the environment. Many local chains have to ship products into their stores from all over the world to reach people. Local businesses are more likely to carry goods made by local people which means the good does not have to travel as far to get to the customer.
“I think people are getting more and more concerned about where their money is going and that people want to know that they’re supporting local businesses rather than big chains,” said Hart.
The town of Laramie is a college town through and through. One of the best ways to understand the unique culture of the town is by experiencing their local businesses.
A recent poll taken by the Tri Delta members at the University of Wyoming shows that 31 of 43 people prefer to go to the local coffee shops in town over Starbucks. The Grounds is part of this unique coffee shop culture.
“We are one of the only places [in Laramie] that does smoothies with fresh fruit. Plus we’re pretty quiet like it’s a quiet location, we have a lot of space for people to do homework,” said Hart.
“I know a lot of people who [come here] specifically just to have more of a personal atmosphere,” said Hart.
Want to learn more about The Grounds? Connect with them on their Facebook page here! Or to see The Grounds’ complete menu, visit this website here.
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