Opening a cafe or bakery? You'll need a catchy name to bring in guests and set the tone of your coffee shop. Of course, naming a cafe is easier said than done since there are many factors to consider. A cafe name can sculpt a specific experience for current and future guests. Alongside sculpting a guest experience, your coffee shop or cafe name influences your brand identity, affecting how guests experience your business.

If you name your coffee shop "The Dairy Cafe," guests will expect your business to prioritize dairy products on your menu. Dairy lovers would be disappointed if your restaurant only used the name to lure them in without offering the expected food or drinks.

To help get those creative and caffeinated ideas flowing, we've included 100+ cafe and coffee shop name ideas for different types of businesses and guest experiences. While some of the names are actual businesses and might be unavailable to use, you can still draw inspiration from the concepts. Just remember to name them correctly on your cafe POS system.

What makes a good cafe name?

While several factors contribute to a great cafe name, aspiring cafe owners should consider their potential audience and the type of coffee being served first. If you want coffee enthusiasts lining up at your front door, keep your cafe name as simple and direct as possible. Something like Joey's Beans or Westside Coffee Beans will bring in people looking for a cup of coffee above anything else.

And if you want to attract a different crowd, try a name that's outside the box. But stay within the usual naming conventions. "The Chocolate Mug" works better as a coffee shop than "Coffee not Beer." At the end of the day, a good cafe name is memorable and iconic.

How to choose a name for your cafe

Like choosing a restaurant name, there's a subtle art to cafe naming. While we aren't here to hold your hold on how you'll create and build your dream cafe, we've broken down the naming process into four simple steps.

1. Build a list of a unique coffee concept or ideas

Grab a pen and paper, then begin sketching out and listing feelings that you associate with the coffee shop and cafe dining experience. What are some of your favorite coffee shops? What about their concept or products do you find most memorable, and why? Is it the furniture? The music?

Get a strong list as quickly as possible without overthinking it. Then, review it over a cup of coffee (or tea) every so often. Keep this list close to you for the next few weeks as more ideas pop into your head.

2. Use a name generator to help brainstorm

Once you've got a good long list of your favorite coffee concepts, start thinking of names that would have coffee enthusiasts salivating at your front door. And when you're exhausted with names try using a name generator site such as namelix.com or ChatGPT to help find name ideas that best fit your concept.

Use Namelix to generate cafe name ideas

1. Go to namelix.com. You do not need an account to begin.
2. Enter your notes and click on Generate.
3. Review the examples of name styles and choose the best ones that fit your concept ideas, then press Next.
4. Alter the level of randomness for your expected results, then click Next. You can add extra keywords and business descriptions in a single sentence if applicable.
5. Remember to press Check Domains before clicking Generate.
6. Click the heart icon to save a cafe or coffee shop name.
7. To view your saved names, click on Saved at the top.
8. Click on Create New Names to generate more names with different settings.
9. Rinse and repeat until you have a list of names that fit your vision as a future coffee shop owner.

Discover fun cafe names with ChatGPT

1. Head over to chatgpt.com and create a free account.
2. In the message field, create a command that ChatGPT can use to list cafe names. Try to be specific when explaining what you want from ChatGPT. Only hit 'Enter' once you've typed your prompt command. Here's an example: Write 100 cafe name ideas for a French-style business that only opens in the morning. The style of the cafe is surf-themed, and we specialize in deluxe gourmet coffee drinks that appeal to coffee lovers and amateurs alike.
3. Review the list ChatGPT that best aligns with you, then save your favorite ones in a separate document or file.
4. As a bonus, you can tell ChatGPT to modify your list with another prompt to get more specific with its results.
5. Keep conversing with ChatGPT until you have enough names that feel right for you. Since ChatGPT can produce an endless list of coffee shop names, don't get too carried away with the specifics. You can always go back and edit or even delete names that don't feel right.

3. Get feedback from others

Feedback is vital when you're narrowing down your choices since it lets you see first impressions from people you trust and know. For example, alliterative cafe names might seem like a good idea on paper. However, if friends and family members are having a hard time pronouncing your coffee shop, then guests will struggle to remember your business name.

Always remember that different people will react differently to various name ideas, which is okay. Try telling them the name without explaining the cafe's concept, then notice their reactions to focus on what makes them feel a certain way. A close friend might love a business named "Spice Coffee Shop" because it reminds them of a coffee they tasted on Vacation. Meanwhile, a family member might claim the name leaves a bad taste in their mouth.

4. Do your research and narrow down your options

Once you've got a shortlist ready, we recommend double-checking if your coffee shop name doesn't already exist or sounds similar to a coffee shop. Simply type your different creative coffee shop names into the US Patent Pending website to see if any other businesses have a similar name. You don't want to spend all that time and money naming your coffee shop something familiar like "Steamy Beans Coffee Bean," only to get a notice from coffee shops with a similar name claiming you stole their intellectual property.

On top of building a brand experience and sounding original, remember that your coffee shop name also needs to make sense as a cafe website. Longer coffee shop names might be difficult to include as an entire URL website, so an abbreviated version might be best. We recommend using namecheckr.com to check domain availability. You don't want to sound like other websites that aren't aligned with your brand identity.

Cafe names idea list

Everyone wants to use aesthetic cafe names to bring in the most guests. However, that might only sometimes be the best idea given your cafe's identity. Would it make sense to call your cafe "Le Petit Café" if you don't offer a French pastry or coffee drink? Absolutely not. That's why we put together a list of different coffee shop names to inspire you for your cafe business. We know that the perfect cafe is about the name as much as the coffee and pastries.

Classic cafe names

There's nothing wrong with a classic cafe name like Steamy Beans or Bean Counter. They're great for showing your dedication to the art of brewing coffee. When you use these classic names, you show guests that it was always about the coffee and a splash of creativity. And that's a brand identity worth touting.

1. The Dark Roast
2. Jumpin' Java
3. Hot Mug
4. Joe’s Cafe
5. Cup of Caramel
6. Monk’s Cafe
7. The Hot Bean
8. The Coffee Coop
9. Coffee Asylum
10. Cream & Sugar
11. Bean Town Cafe
12. Cafe Noir
13. Morning Mingle
14. Cafe Monarch
15. Steamy Serenade 
16. Velvet Espresso
17. Steamy Sips
18. Bean Buzz
19. Froth & Foam
20. Brewed Delights

Creative cafe names

For some people, their dream cafe isn't just a cafe. It's a creative spot to hang out and talk about books and culture, all while drinking an Americano. Try to draw inspiration from artists, musicians, or writers to bring in that artsy crowd, like Kafka's Roach or The Rembrandt Cafe. Or just find a fun mix that your target audience might adore. Some guests might even wear a beret if you're lucky enough.

1. The Daily Grind
2. Cuppa Comfort
3. Muse & Morsel Cafe
4. Buzz Cafe
5. Gallery Gourmet
6. Artistic Alchemy Cafe
7. Imagination Inn 
8. Bard Brews
9. All Too Well
10. Dante’s Infernal Cafe
11. Artful Eats
12. Scultpor’s Sips
13. Plot and Pourover
14. Verse
15. The Daily Grind Cafe
16. Brew HaHa!
17. Blank Canvas
18. Left Ear Cafe
19. Brushstrokes
20. Cafe Dracula

Cool cafe names

When you think about a cool cafe, you might imagine a sleek and calm environment playing smooth jazz in the background. Most of these cafes and coffee shops often utilize elements of irony or self-deprecation in their names to give guests a sense of individuality and the feeling that they're not a part of the usual coffee crowd.

1. Dollop
2. Counterpoint
3. Cash Only
4. Hot Water 
5. Vesuvio Cafe
6. Cafe Tonic
7. Cup o Cool
8. Blissful Brew
9. Hipster Haven
10. Street Smart Sips
11. Urban Edge Cafe
12. Chillax Cafe
13. Albanico Coffee Roasters
14. Velocity Vibes Cafe
15. Pinnacle Tea House
16. Mocha Manor
17. Chef’s Hat Cafe
18. Bean Bazaar
19. The Top Hat
20. Java Jetty

Cute cafe names

The guest experience in a cafe is probably the second most important factor, besides the quality of the coffee. That's why many coffee shops aren't only presenting themselves as coffee shops. There are tea houses, boba stops, and other cute and bubbly places to meet for a drink and snack. Consider what your expected guests find cute when brainstorming for cute cafe name ideas. Again, think about recognizable objects or images. A quirky cup logo, nostalgic cartoons, puppies and kittens, or a unified pink color palette are all great inspirations.

1. Mocha Magic
2. Lantern Cafe
3. Summer Tea
4. Boba Power
5. Mi ‘N Tea
6. Twilight Tea House
7. Dreamy Drops Cafe
8. Mocha Meow
9. Rejavanation Cafe
10. Mug ‘n Smiles
11. Caffeine Haven
12. Rustic Bean Brew
13. Summer Moon
14. Paw & Perk Cafe
15. Espresso Express
16. Cup & Pups
17. Moomoocha
18. The Cozy Corner
19. Kawaii Koffee
20. Cafe By The Bay

French & Italian cafe names

The French and Italian cultures have a strong reputation for quality in the food and coffee space, which you can use to influence your cafe's personality. Try including a single word or phrase from French or Italian. These names invite guests to experience everything associated with Italy and France's typical bistro or cafe. However, be prepared to have some Italian and French pastries on hand so tourists aren't disappointed by the lack of sweets to match the coffee.

1. Cafe Elysium
2. Bistro de Paris
3. La Vie Douce Cafe
4. Le Petit Cafe
5. Tutto Gusto
6. Bistro Bellissimo
7. Bella Cucina Cafe
8. Espresso Amore
9. Noir Cafe
10. Cortado
11. Louvre Bistro
12. Sapori Americano
13. Au Revoir Cafe
14. Latte con Leche
15. Chateau Chocolat
16. Bon Voyage
17. Bonjour Mon Amie
18. Café Pour Chiens
19. Salotto Per Gatti
20. Casa Della Caffeina

Use tech to grow your business

Now that your coffee shop has an identity, it's time to get your name out there for potential guests. But did you know you can use your point-of-sale system to streamline your marketing goals and make life a bit easier for the rest of your coffee shop? With integrations for customer loyalty, instant data reports you can create at a moment's notice, and even an AI-powered marketing assist, you can rest assured that your business and your coffee are being served the right way.