If you’re looking for a bright spot in Alaska’s economy, just think about the place where a majority of Alaskans begin each morning: coffee shops.
According to the National Coffee Shop Association, 59% of Americans ages 18-years and older drink coffee daily and Alaska may have even more than that.
Anchorage ranks at spot No. 2 for number of coffee shops per capita, just behind Seattle which is No. 1.
In 2014, Alaska had nearly 200 individual coffee operators that employed at least one person, and that number does not factor in shops with more than one location such as Kaladi Brothers.
Between 2011 and 2015, jobs at snack and non-alcoholic drink bars grew by 20% as opposed to the just 4% overall job growth in the state.
In 2014 coffee shops alone accounted for 1,500 jobs.
*Graph courtesy of the October 2015 issue of Alaska Economic Trends.*