Has anyone opened a cafe or coffee shop?

sawyer

I'm sick of working for someone else! I've a tidy bit money saved up and me and my girl have discussed this in the pass. Anyone done it or something similar? I'm talking a quality type affair. Not a greasy spoon or converted caravan. No offense to such establishment's,I do use and enjoy them ha. My daughter works in a small Starbucks and they rake it I'm with 6 staff.  I'm 51 and feel in my bones I should try something. Qualifications as wood machinists but im done with that now due to arthritis in my shoulders. Not a clue with tecnology so im bit stuck:(. Any success stories or horror stories? Any other ideas? I've considered making bespoke speaker cabinets or cool guitar cases but don't know if the demand would be there. There are literally no proper jobs here in the North East. Not unless you want to work 3 shift patterns for min wage on temp contracts. Other jobs are 16hours a week or less. People are going to work and receiving benefits to make them up to a liveable wage! Not right and I'm sick of it. Have a massive need to do 'something' to be my own man. Not scared of work. Worked hard all my life hence shoulders injured:(

57Deluxe

Lilly Allen's Dad and his celebrity wife have...



https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/15386294.pictures-tamzin-malleson-and-keith-allen-launch-american-style-diner-in-former-stroud-chip-shop/


but let this be a warning - do not eat your profits!! She used to be as fit as a Butcher's dog in Teachers and Bodies...

https://66.media.tumblr.com/f5286307cfce16d0209989667081eea5/tumblr_pnwfbfKhuG1qmw08po1_400.jpg

fretmeister

Do your business plan.
Take it to your bank and talk about needing a business load- even if you don't think you need a load to open.
They will go through your plan in great detail and will tell you if the maths add up.

You'll need all the info - rents / insurance / power / gas / employees / Suppliers of food and drink and the price you will pay for them etc etc

And as always the best place to put a coffee shop - is pretty much next to one that is already successful. Where footfall is high.

Jalapeno

Think a cafe would be hard work - that said the artisanal shops near me a doing really well -busier/as busy as Costa branches nearby.  All do far better food than Starbucks/Costa, which I think is key.  The best one does huge and highly decorated sponge cakes that look delicious. Vegan/Gluten free also seems to be a thing. Getting the yummy mummy trade seems to be the knack

Speaker cabs, odd piece of bespoke furniture, solid ash doors - I'd prefer that. Even hanging doors for people is a trade

sawyer

Mm. How much would you pitch a bespoke cab for. Say 1×12 or 2×12. Birch ply and 'nice!' distinct covering? Im thinking two tone or fake leather graind/tooled?

fretmeister

57Deluxe said:

Lilly Allen's Dad and his celebrity wife have...



https://www.stroudnewsandjournal.co.uk/news/15386294.pictures-tamzin-malleson-and-keith-allen-launch-american-style-diner-in-former-stroud-chip-shop/


but let this be a warning - do not eat your profits!! She used to be as fit as a Butcher's dog in Teachers and Bodies...

https://66.media.tumblr.com/f5286307cfce16d0209989667081eea5/tumblr_pnwfbfKhuG1qmw08po1_400.jpg

She's not far off 50.

Teachers and Bodies was 18 years ago.

Nothing fucks you as hard as time.

Jalapeno

sawyer said:

Mm. How much would you pitch a bespoke cab for. Say 1×12 or 2×12. Birch ply and 'nice!' distinct covering? Im thinking two tone or fake leather graind/tooled?

Less than or near to Zilla prices - offer as many Tolex options as you can and optionally various speakers (sure you can get them to order from Blue Aran)

sawyer

^ I've a friend who's an upholstery whizz and I'm handy with timber. Seems a marriage made in heaven. Sent him a text but suspect he won't be up for it. Although he's in the same frame of mind as me ha

lovestrat74

Good luck to you matey! I have not done anything like this but believe me the thoughts have circulated around my head many times in the past. 

Are you sure there is a demand for "a quality type affair" in your area? From the picture you paint it doesn't sound like such an establishment would be well received - no offence intended

EricTheWeary

lovestrat74 said:

Good luck to you matey! I have not done anything like this but believe me the thoughts have circulated around my head many times in the past. 

Are you sure there is a demand for "a quality type affair" in your area? From the picture you paint it doesn't sound like such an establishment would be well received - no offence intended

I sometimes go into Dudley town centre which is now pretty grim. Yet Costa Coffee is huge and busy. Perhaps people feel the need to spend a few £ on a little luxury. 

The drummer in my band was a carpenter and went into selling bespoke kitchen cabinet doors on eBay. Huge amount of work; very little of it local so he spent a lot of time driving around Britain but went from nothing to a full time business pretty much in a few weeks.   

mgaw

I know quite a lot about this business.....very obvious way is to run a daytime café which is straight forward enough BUT also run a night time eatery …...my thinking being, assuming the site is right and the running of it are right, then daytime makes your living nighttime is the cream on top,   plus assuming again you do things well from the very beginning, you will pay for a café but when you come to sell the turnover achieved in the site will be way higher due to extended trading etc your capital investment be it free hold or lease will have risen nicely....

sawyer

No offence taken ha. Grim up North as it is many places:( I'm actually in County Durham where you walk through the estates and streets stinking of pot since Durham Police don't think its worth bothering with. Kids playing in the street knowing what it is so normalising it for them. It's a gateway drug whatever they say. The tw4t next door stinks of it sitting out front of his house then out in the car under the influence. I despair at what this country is becoming. Remember growing up when jobs were advertised in the paper and you filled a form in to get a full time job. If you were into cocaine you'd keep it to yourself and be ashamed,not use it 'recreationally' or in the workplace as I've seen 'lets have a key' im sick to death. 'Jumpers for goalposts' ha. Think this is becoming getting old type rant at the world ha.

ToneControl

These guys took over the tin-roof cafe on a remote caravan site about 4 years ago
Now they are in the  michelin guide

https://www.themarramgrass.com/our-story/
 
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/apr/08/marram-grass-cafe-anglesey-restaurant-review-marina-oloughlin

ESBlonde

You will need some good/key staff to cover you when you are sick or take a holiday. It's very much a people business so one of you needs to have plenty of those skills, the other can hide in the kitchen and do interesting things with food.

munckee

If you can run it with your missus and build a few cabs/stands etc on the side on quiet days sounds a pretty nice way of spending your life.

Assuming you like your missus of course : )

mgaw

sawyer said:

No offence taken ha. Grim up North as it is many places:( I'm actually in County Durham where you walk through the estates and streets stinking of pot since Durham Police don't think its worth bothering with. Kids playing in the street knowing what it is so normalising it for them. It's a gateway drug whatever they say. The tw4t next door stinks of it sitting out front of his house then out in the car under the influence. I despair at what this country is becoming. Remember growing up when jobs were advertised in the paper and you filled a form in to get a full time job. If you were into cocaine you'd keep it to yourself and be ashamed,not use it 'recreationally' or in the workplace as I've seen 'lets have a key' im sick to death. 'Jumpers for goalposts' ha. Think this is becoming getting old type rant at the world ha.

unless you are going to move from the above shithole:) then dont do a cafe

Kebabkid

Does a mobile coffee business interest you?

A friend and work mate was recently made redundant but as he had advanced warning, he attended loads of franchise fairs.

He's now decided to be a mobile barrister  oops, Barista, and that required him to buy the kitted out Mercedes van. The company have given him a tried and tested pitch (industrial estates etc) and I don't believe he has to use their products.

They're training him in all aspects and will support him. Beyond that, I don't know if he can go 'off pitch'. However, you're probably looking at about £35-40K outlay and yet to start and so I don't know how good it is. The funny thing.....he hates coffee and hasn't touched a drop for 25 years!!!

I found this link - https://www.franchisedirect.co.uk/coffeefranchises/179

Good luck in whatever you decide to do

ToneControl

Kebabkid said:

Does a mobile coffee business interest you?

A friend and work mate was recently made redundant but as he had advanced warning, he attended loads of franchise fairs.

He's now decided to be a mobile barrister and that required him to buy the kitted out Mercedes van. The company have given him a tried and tested pitch (industrial estates etc) and I don't believe he has to use their products.

They're training him in all aspects and will support him. Beyond that, I don't know if he can go 'off pitch'. However, you're probably looking at about £35-40K outlay and yet to start and so I don't know how good it is. The funny thing.....he hates coffee and hasn't touched a drop for 25 years!!!

I found this link - https://www.franchisedirect.co.uk/coffeefranchises/179

Good luck in whatever you decide to do

you had me there: "mobile barrister", Is that like Judge Rinder?

ToneControl

I once worked out that a sandwich van is a good one
Get up, make butties, drive around a few business parks until 2pm, sell even 100 butties and you have a job

Kebabkid

ToneControl said:

Kebabkid said:

Does a mobile coffee business interest you?

A friend and work mate was recently made redundant but as he had advanced warning, he attended loads of franchise fairs.

He's now decided to be a mobile barrister and that required him to buy the kitted out Mercedes van. The company have given him a tried and tested pitch (industrial estates etc) and I don't believe he has to use their products.

They're training him in all aspects and will support him. Beyond that, I don't know if he can go 'off pitch'. However, you're probably looking at about £35-40K outlay and yet to start and so I don't know how good it is. The funny thing.....he hates coffee and hasn't touched a drop for 25 years!!!

I found this link - https://www.franchisedirect.co.uk/coffeefranchises/179

Good luck in whatever you decide to do

you had me there: "mobile barrister", Is that like Judge Rinder?

oops..barista

relic245

I have a friend who opened a niche themed cafe. They have their head screwed on and have run business before. 

It was always packed, they had events in the evening and from the outside, it looked like a very successful business.

It closed after about 3 years. They said they had paid back all of the money they borrowed to start it but hadn't made a profit. All the staff had been paid but they hadn't paid themselves a penny in all of that time. 

I suspect a lot of business look to make more money than they actually do.