As the social media manager of Chattahoochee Coffee Company, I have been tasked to help the management decide the best route for opening up 10 drive thru coffee shops. The Chattahoochee Coffee Co. (CCC) is a Georgia-based and locally operated coffee company that is looking to expand into the end-user market.
I began by thinking about the type of coffee chain we are and what our values are. We hope to become cities and towns favorite local artistry coffee company that provides a nice working or meet-up area and also a quick place to grab coffee with the drive thru. Our vibe is hipster and relaxed, and we like to incorporate local art and talent in our unique space.
To begin my research, I looked into general search terms on Google Trends. The first key phrase I looked up was “coffee shops near me”. In my experience, that type of google search is something I do a lot, so it came back with a lot of information. Generally, that search term is something that people are looking for in every state. For our company, which is based in Georgia, we have a lot of options for which states we want to venture out for the other drive thru retail spaces. All of the states around Georgia also had analytics about the search term “coffee shops near me”.
Just from looking at the map above, Tennessee, Alabama and South Carolina will be the three states that we could decide to open up the other drive through spaces. Even though Florida borders with Georgia, geographically it is too far from the home base of the company, which is in Atlanta.
In addition, the related topic that came up after “coffee shops near me” was “drive through,” which had a +140% increase in traffic. So, from this data alone, it shows that we are making the right decision by having a drive-thru at our coffee establishment. During this time of COVID, less people want to get out of their cars and go into a retail space, so if there is a drive-thru that is great for customer appeal.
In addition, Google Trends also shows the popularity of the search term “coffee shops near me” in relation to the pandemic, when no one was going anywhere. The search results from March to May 2020 dropped drastically.
Next, I decided to dive into the analytics in Georgia, specifically, and then venture on to the neighboring states. From the data given by Google Trends, Atlanta is the metro area where people are looking for coffee the most (as shown in the map above). Tennessee was the next state I looked at, and Knoxville and Nashville were the top metro areas in that state.
In Alabama, the metro-Birmingham area would be the best target city for other drive-thru options for CCC. I was surprised by South Carolina’s results – the Myrtle Beach area was the top spot for that state. Columbia, which is where the University of South Carolina is located, was the fourth city on the list with a score of 52, so the search term was almost half as popular as Myrtle Beach.
From this info, as the social media manager, I would recommend opening drive-thrus in Georgia, Alabama and Tennessee. More specifically, I believe the smartest option would be to try and open stores near local colleges, as students and young people love local coffee shops.
In Georgia, I would recommend opening a coffee shop in downtown Atlanta, near Piedmont Park and somewhere near the Betline (bike path that goes through the city). This area is populated with young people and is near Georgia State University and Georgia Tech. The two other locations that I believe would be best are in Kennesaw, Ga., which is near Kennesaw State University. In addition, I believe opening a drive-thru location in Alpharetta, Ga., would also be a great location, which has an abundance of character.
In Tennessee, I believe the best spot to open CCC drive-thrus (2) would be in Nashville. This city is very diverse with multiple colleges in town, along with a famous music and art scene. I believe the company could also open 1 drive-thru in Knoxville, Tn. This city is home to the University of Tennessee, which would be great for the large student population.
In Alabama, I believe Birmingham would be a great spot for two CCC drive-thrus. Birmingham is also home to a couple of colleges.
MAGGIE PRUITT 