When your goal is to start a coffee company, you first have to learn everything about coffee. Becoming a "subject matter expert" on origins, flavors, roast profiles, extraction, business, financials, and marketing is a never-ending pursuit. We are students of coffee for the entirety of our careers.
But there's always more to learn. Broadening the scope of what you read, watch, and pay attention to will help you understand consumer habits, stay on top of retail trends, and think about business beyond the sometimes narrow scope of the specialty coffee industry.
I love Substack newsletters for quick and informative weekly emails that cover topics like branding and the beverage industry. Here are a few I'm currently subscribed to:
Snaxshot by Andrea Hernández
Andrea Hernández knows your next favorite snack before you do. Her wry, tongue-in-cheek observations about the world of consumer packaged goods (CPGs) are super sharp and surprisingly prescient. She predicted the absurd yet totally obvious shift to whole food protein sources like David Cod, and also called the rise of creatine in foods marketed to men like Man Cereal before anyone else.
From a coffee perspective, there's a big overlap between the "functional" food space and what ends up on coffee menus. Think adaptogens like mushroom blends and add-ons, protein cold foam. Staying up to date on the rise of these products is a savvy business idea no matter what you personally like to drink. Whenever I'm wondering "what's coming next" for food trends, I look to Snaxshot as my own little crystal ball.
Dry Atlas
Dry Atlas covers all things non-alcoholic. The low- and no-alcohol space is one of the fastest-growing markets in the beverage industry, and as the new kid on the block, I think it's where some of the most interesting and creative design and marketing is happening. With articles about distribution (a recent analysis on "What it Actually Takes to Get into Whole Foods" would be particularly interesting to coffee brands), success stories, occasion-focused marketing, and private equity, Dry Atlas provides a behind-the-scenes look at an emerging and booming market.
There's plenty of crossover between the non-alc space and specialty coffee (think signature coffee beverages utilizing Seedlip or coffee shops stocking Athletic NA beers in their cold case next to grab-and-go cold brews). Historically, craft beer has been a great space to review for eye-catching bottle and can design. These days, non-alcoholic and THC drinks are stealing that thunder. If you're designing a coffee bag or an RTD product in 2026, pay attention to what the spirit-free products are doing.
The Dieline
As the world's most-visited website for global packaging design, The Dieline is a treasure trove of great branding. Polished, eye-catching case studies from major companies get the spotlight, as do big rebrands and packaging updates. This is the space to become more acquainted with what designers call "precedent", knowing what else is out there, so you know what you want to do similarly or differently. You'll also find coverage on new trends (hello, Parm Bar) and articles that focus on the grey area between packaging and art.
Browse Dieline to absorb truly beautiful design work and understand the impact that design elements have on us, the everyday consumer.
Other food writing
I always say that coffee people aren't just "coffee" people; we're flavor people. We love all things sensory. Food and restaurants are at the core of my interest in flavor. They are things I consider to be part of the joy of human experience. I read a lot about food movements, institutions, cooking, techniques, ingredients, and establishments.
During a time of decline for major print publications, more worker-owned and independent outlets like Ravenous, Gourmet, Caper, and Best Food Blog are emerging as the new voices for the food industry. I often see crossover stories from the world of coffee in these newsletters, a great reminder that we're all part of the same vast world of dining and hospitality.
Finally, a word of advice from Angie here at Mill City: Don't forget to let yourself be marketed to. Stay alert as a consumer and a customer. Notice how brands you enjoy are finding you and crafting their messaging to you. If your goal is to sell anything (coffee, roasters, consulting services), study how other brands are selling things to you and your prospective customers.
Follow other coffee brands online, track their marketing campaigns, and subscribe to their newsletters. There's no point in trying to reinvent the wheel. Figure out why other people's wheels work so well, then use that information to steer your own.
