Reply to: Anyone got a coffee shop as a plan b?

[AtW]

Saw plenty of coffee shops doing well in Amsterdam

[TestMangler]

Yes, cus it never works for Starbucks or McDonalds or in fact anywhere thats big and making lots of money already doing this. Id probably employ one on a quid an hour more and give them a nice title.

So many geeks live in their own little bubble, look around you. See whats going on, it might give you some ideas of how to get on in life.

Is that what you're doing then ? You seem to forget that I've actually done it, rather than spouting opinions about it.

Starbucks and McDonalds don't employ a numpty on min wage and just 'leave them to it' as you're suggesting. Most McDonalds are franchises and you'll have some poor sod who's invested his life in starting it up. Just because they're not visible to you doesn't mean they're not there. Other than that, opening a cafe or a coffee shop doesn't give you the massive infrastructure to absorb losses and theft. Think about it.

[escapeUK]

Yeah, good luck with that take someone who you openly mock as being a minimum wager and leave them in charge of YOUR business. I think you may have just the business model you deserve there

Yes, cus it never works for Starbucks or McDonalds or in fact anywhere thats big and making lots of money already doing this. Id probably employ one on a quid an hour more and give them a nice title.

So many geeks live in their own little bubble, look around you. See whats going on, it might give you some ideas of how to get on in life.

High street retail is extremely tough.

The combination of rent, rates, insurance is a fixed cost that cannot be negotiated. Then the variable costs of staffing, coupled with your product costs.

Though I do think this is right, which is why we see more and more of the high street closing for business. Though so far coffee shops are seeming quite hardy.

[MarillionFan]

High street retail is extremely tough.

The combination of rent, rates, insurance is a fixed cost that cannot be negotiated. Then the variable costs of staffing, coupled with your product costs.

It is actually very easy to model and
Luckily for me, in the three shops I've had the model and the actual business where pretty accurate so there were no surprises. The main issue as TM says, is the amount of time involved. If you leave it to staff you'll fail so you need to be involved. Coupled with the fact as contractors we aim way above minimum wage it's not worth the loss of time IMO

[BolshieBastard]

A retail outlet? Need serious working capital for the first 6 - 9 months.

Don't forget to get serious amount of Public Liability insurance to.

Oh, and expect lots of half eaten pizza, burgers, puke and worse things to be posted through your letterbox as midnight deliveries!

[TestMangler]

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?

Yeah, good luck with that take someone who you openly mock as being a minimum wager and leave them in charge of YOUR business. I think you may have just the business model you deserve there

[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.

[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]

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

[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 !!

[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!"

[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.

[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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[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.

[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!