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How to Open a Coffee Bar Consider these essentials to help make your caffeinated dreams come true. Plus, a list of the leading coffee franchises.

By Jennifer Wang

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Hard to believe, but achieving gold status at Starbucks does not an independent café owner make. A lot goes into a great cup of coffee, and it's the same for a great coffee shop, says Matt Milletto, vice president of Portland, Ore.'s Bellissimo Coffee InfoGroup, a company that's trained thousands on the art of opening and running a successful retail coffee business.

"The coffee bar is often that third place outside of work and home to relax, and creating the right ambiance is critical to success," Milletto says.

Aside from the patience to learn as much as you can before getting started, here's what else Milletto says you'll need: