Google Trends Report: Sunbreak Valley Coffee Roasters (Mock Case Study)
Sunbreak Valley Coffee Roasters has thrived since our start in 2019 as an independently-owned and locally-sourced coffee manufacturer in Oregon. Our service and partnerships with coffee shops, cafes, and grocery stores across the country have flourished, gaining us national trust as one of Oregon’s best in coffee.
As we prepare to expand our business into the end-user market by opening our own drive-thru coffee shops, I have gathered data using Google Trends to find the best locations for our first ten storefronts.
Keywords Across Google Trends
First, let’s go through the keywords used to select these potential locations. I used “coffee,” “coffee shop,” “espresso,” “iced coffee,” and “drive thru coffee” to target customers that seek coffee-related businesses and goods across the country.
“Coffee” Results:
“Coffee” is a great go-to keyword. It’s often the one word people search while looking to buy coffee, and covers a broad range. Oregon sits at #3, but neighboring Washington is close at #5. Hawaii is the #1 state.
“Coffee Shop” Results:
“Coffee shop” is another go-to search for folks in pursuit of their daily fix. This keyword is more narrow, including the word “shop” which indicates people looking for a place to go get their coffee. Oregon is the #6 region, but we can also see Washington higher up there at #3 with Hawaii and Alaska in the top 2.
“Espresso” Results:
Now looking at types of coffee people often search for, I included “espresso” in the mix because it is a coffee lovers’ essential. Oregon is in the top five, at #4 and Washington is #1.
“Iced Coffee” Results:
I chose to include “iced coffee” because it’s not only a popular coffee drink of choice, but it adds more variety to the list. Since we’re based in the Northwest, iced coffee is not as popular here and in the typical top states like Washington and Alaska. Instead, we see places like West Virginia, Rhode Island, and Kentucky show up in the top 3.
“Drive Thru Coffee” Results:
Finally, perhaps the most niche of all the keywords, I chose “drive thru coffee” because we are opening stores with the drive thru option. Oregon is #1 in this list, followed by neighbors like Washington, Idaho, and Colorado.
Top Locations
Along with cities across Oregon, I have selected multiple cities in Washington, California, and Colorado as strong contenders for our stores in the coming year.
Oregon
To start where it all began, it is not only logical but beneficial to place locations throughout Oregon. As our headquarters are based in Portland, we have the advantage of brand awareness and loyalty with our customer based here.
While analyzing at each keyword, we can see that the cities that appear most are:
Portland: Oregon’s largest city and a cultural hub. Portland is a popular tourist destination, especially for coffee lovers, as the city is known for its coffeehouses.
Bend: Known as a paradise to nature-lovers, Bend is a unique combination of city and country.
Eugene: A college town with ample museums and cultural institutions, Eugene is another perfect spot to open shop.
Washington
A neighboring state with a similar, rich history in coffee, Washington is a strong choice for our stores. Coffee giant, Starbucks has its roots this fellow Pacific Northwest state, and there are plenty of renowned coffee spots for enthusiasts to explore.
Considering the data found in Google Trends, here are the top cities to consider:
Seattle: Known as the world center for coffee, Seattle is full of coffee enthusiasts and shops. It would be remiss to exclude Seattle from this list, given its reputation and the data above.
Spokane: As the largest city in Washington, Spokane is full of life, culture, and history. It would be a top contender for Sunbreak Valley.
California
Another neighboring state, California’s vast landscape is home to various industries like entertainment and tech that depend on the boost of energy and comfort coffee always provides. As its size and diversity suggests, Californians know a good cup of coffee when they taste one (and all the alternative flavors and milks to go with their orders).
Because of California’s massive size, Sunbreak finds itself in a unique and advantageous position by opening locations in California. Remember my former note about iced coffee’s lack of popularity in the Pacific Northwest? Cities like Los Angeles and San Diego provide a warmer climate that requires an ice cold brew.
Judging by the keyword data, our top cities in California are:
San Francisco: San Francisco is a large city in the Bay Area and is home to Silicone Valley and a cultural history that runs deep. The city is also known for its coffee and would without a doubt be a perfect home to one of our locations.
Los Angeles: The city of stars is also the largest city in California, providing a large range of customers with a taste for coffee.
San Diego: Located in the southernmost part of California, San Diego is known for its climate and cultural attractions for tourists.
Colorado
Colorado is home to some of America’s most famous sprawling deserts and canyons. It is also a popular coffee destination with respected coffee roasters that attract coffee enthusiasts from all over.
Another state that boasts warm climates and coffee knowledge, Colorado provides opportunities for a wider range of customer types. While reviewing Google Trends, these two cities stood out most:
Denver: The capital city of Colorado, Denver is a perfect central location. It’s the perfect location for culture and nature, full of museums, Old Western history, and adventure, seated in the Rocky Mountains, and a popular tourist destination.
Colorado Springs: A haven of breathtaking natural scenery in the Rockies, Colorado Springs beckons outdoor lovers to the red rock city. It’s the second most populous city and home to the University of Colorado, a great spot for a future Sunbreak location.