A new coffee shop opened up on the corner near my house. It’s one-off, and locally owned.

I got a double espresso, to go.

It was three bucks, and, I found out after I left, undrinkable.

Not because I’m some sort of effete coffee snob, but because it was literally undrinkable.

It tasted like the one time without telling me my wife cleaned my drip coffee maker by running white vinegar through it, and forgot to flush it with clean water after.

Not knowing any of that, I made a pot of coffee. The first sip from my cup was an actual spit take.

This espresso was THAT bad.

I consistently make an effort to support small, local businesses.

But it’s not enough to be small and local to earn loyalty. You have to actually be good, too.

In contrast the coffee I just put down the sink, next door to the hotel I stay at when I’m in Calgary there’s a small family-owned independent coffee shop.

Not only are the people who own it very nice (and the people at the new place by my house are nice too, don’t get me wrong), but their coffee is AMAZING.

It’s so good that when I’m travelling with colleagues, I take them with me to the coffee shop, and they all declare “You’re right, this IS really good coffee.”

It’s not enough to be new. It’s not enough to be different, or local, or even innovative.

More than anything else, you need to be good.