Anyone got a coffee shop as a plan b?

[MarillionFan]

Anyone?

Another talker, not a doer obviously.

[scooby]

Another talker, not a doer obviously.

Not really, looking at some accounts at the min for a cafe / coffee up for sale locally. But thanks for asking!

[MarillionFan]

Not really, looking at some accounts at the min for a cafe / coffee up for sale locally. But thanks for asking!

One set. Hardly any effort is it.

If you were serious you'd be doing
Lots of research.

[doodab]

One set. Hardly any effort is it.

If you were serious you'd be doing
Lots of research.

One step at a time.

You will need a proper machine.

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[SantaClaus]

It's beats me how anyone can open a retail business nowadays. The rents are so high, the only thing worth doing with a shop is being the landlord.

[Gentile]

I think I must have cheap tastes. The only coffees I really like are:

1. Gold Blend
   
2. McDonalds

Whenever I'm working in a place that has a fancy-schmancy percolator, I always find they make it way too strong for me to be able to appreciate the flavour. One place I was in the guy that took the most interest in it all used put about 10 heaped tablespoons of the stuff in per pot! - yuck!

But anyway, coffee shops: no, I don't think I would choose to run my own as a Plan B. There does seem to be plenty of money in it, mind. Starbucks were in the news a couple of months ago, trying to inflate their profits even more by asking customers their name, to personalise the transaction or something like that. I heard an apocryphal tale of one customer at the front of a long Starbucks queue being asked for his name, and a frustrated voice from the back shouting "don't tell him, Pike!"

[TestMangler]

I had a cafe for two years. Had to give up contracting for 9 months to get it off the ground (it had been closed for a year prior to me buying it).

After 9 months it was 'mature' enough to get two part time staff in and let the Mrs run it and I worked a Sunday when I was home.

The Mrs had to be there pretty much constantly when it was open, with a part time cook and the Mrs doing FOH.

Cafe had about 24 seats and a take away area.

It's really a f### load of work TBH and you need to do pretty well to making anything approaching contracting money.

Let me know if you need info about how to price food etc (it's not rocket science).

As others have said, get a decent coffee machine. I was lucky, the place i bought was fully equipped and if you have the time, you can pick up top class kit really cheaply at auction (catering businesses go bust all the time).

Be prepared to work though !!

[escapeUK]

Be prepared to work though !!

Dont you just employ a teenager minimum wager, ermm I mean Barista to do the actual work. Then just pop in now and then to supervise?

Me and the Mrs had talked about a coffee shop. The few coffee shops in town are always packed in the daytime with mums 'n babies nattering away all day. None of them are particularly kiddle friendy though and the one out of town place that IS geared for kids (jungle climbing thing) does a roaring trade but is a bit of a drive to get to.

So we reckoned a mums 'n bubs friendly coffee place with soft play area and stuff in town would be kerchiiing

The down side to this would be rent / rates for a bigger place. As you've said the smaller places in town and packed anyway, the out of town place obviously is much cheaper so they can do it as a feature. So probably the sums dont add up to combine the two.

The coffee shop idea is one I have had myself some years ago, when I was thinking Internet Cafe. but whether there is much call for that nowdays with mobile internet.

This website is kinda interesting though:-

http://uk.businessesforsale.com/uk/s...Shops-for-sale

[OwlHoot]

I think I must have cheap tastes. The only coffees I really like are:

1. Gold Blend
   
2. McDonalds

Whenever I'm working in a place that has a fancy-schmancy percolator, I always find they make it way too strong for me to be able to appreciate the flavour. One place I was in the guy that took the most interest in it all used put about 10 heaped tablespoons of the stuff in per pot! - yuck!

But anyway, coffee shops: no, I don't think I would choose to run my own as a Plan B. There does seem to be plenty of money in it, mind. Starbucks were in the news a couple of months ago, trying to inflate their profits even more by asking customers their name, to personalise the transaction or something like that. I heard an apocryphal tale of one customer at the front of a long Starbucks queue being asked for his name, and a frustrated voice from the back shouting "don't tell him, Pike!"

WSS for Gold Blend, also Arabica.

I reckon anyone planning to open a coffee shop now must be completely potty. For a start there must be ferocious competition, all the best pitches such as stations and busy high streets are no doubt taken, and in the present economic climate how many people want to pay a fiver or something for a frothy milky concoction they could make at home or in the office for pennies?

I prefer instant coffee anyway to filtered muck. (I also have a theory that filtered coffee can bring on piles, when microscopic coffee granules irritate the colon. So any regular filter coffee drinker who suffers from piles would be well advised to try giving it up for a while.)

[escapeUK]

[QUOTE=OwlHoot;1572959]WSS for Gold Blend, also Arabica.

I reckon anyone planning to open a coffee shop now must be completely potty. For a start there must be ferocious competition, all the best pitches such as stations and busy high streets are no doubt taken, and in the present economic climate how many people want to pay a fiver or something for a frothy milky concoction they could make at home or in the office for pennies?)/QUOTE]

I dont buy this stuff either, but thats not to say Im blind to the fact that when I go past them they are usually packed. Austerity is something for people who probably didnt buy this anyway.

You are correct re location though.