Article: Coffee shops, not consumption, on the rise; projected growth in drive-thrus.

The number of coffee shops in the U.S., as of September, was up 7% from the previous year despite stagnant growth in the restaurant industry as a whole, according to the NPD Group, Inc., Port Washington, NY. Eleven percent of the growth came from coffee chains and 4% from independents. The U.S. has about 17,000 coffee shops, up more than 40% since 1999.

Although there is a great proliferation of coffee shops, consumption is not increasing. Instead, coffee chains have put a dent in at-home brewing and sales of coffee at convenience stores and diners.

"What companies like Starbucks have done is made it easier to have coffee," said NPD vice president Harry ...

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