Thinking to open a small coffee shop, what do I need to know?

[glen]

You need one of these.
http://www.diedrichroasters.com/in-store.htm
I am a coffee roaster.

 

[Platypus]

Making espresso drinks properly is essential.
Having a lot of options is also essential.

For example: Having whole, nonfat, 2%, soy, organic milks
Decaf and Regular coffee
Flavoured syrups.

If you want some help with espresso drinks let me know, there are tricks and secrets to making a perfect cup everytime. Espresso is a very fragile coffee and has to be handled properly for taste purposes.

 

[glen]

all these things are details.
Besides location, the coffee is what is important.
Coffee has to be fresh, so you have to roast it in house.
Also, you should join the Speciaty Coffee Association
Go to a seminare by Donald Schoenholt on anythign he is talking about.
Go cup some coffee!

 

[BeauJangles]

One thing I love about some of the coffee shops here in boston is a nice atmosphere. Not like starbucks, but there is one that plays a movie every friday night, and has plenty of comfy chairs and couches. I think one of the things that will determine your success is how much of a community feel you can establish..,


good luck!

 

[glen]

Here is a link to the recentlyfinished cupping and auction of the best of the 2002 Costa Rican Harvest. The top ten were cupped and auctioned. A friend of mine won one of the auctions, so I will have some of this in my house soon. CR is my favorite coffee growing region.

http://coffee.stoneworks.com/cr/cr1.asx

 

[tallest1]

I advise you carry lots of bakery items, make sure the town intellectuals (college students, teachers, hippies etc) know you're there, and hire HOT (as in Natalie portman HOT) girls who aren't afraid to show lots of cleavage....., lots and lots of cleavage. Their first week of tips will make them employees for life. A sushi restaurant around here is known for having a hot waitress and my friends and I'm sure many other people go there just to see her.

 

[PsychoAndy]

Ok, your rent is $5k, thats how much $ per square foot? Including or excluding triple net?

How much coffee will you have to sell to make payroll?

And when I say that dont forget payroll taxes as well as the cost to set up initially (envormental impact fees, licensing, corporate taxes, etc...).

Most utilities, gas, electric, and water will require a deposit on the meter. That can add up.

A security deposit can be first and last months rent, so pad your numbers $10k for that.

Equipment you can find new and used. Depends on what you'll need.

Insurance is usually a bundle, consider getting a quote from an adjuster first.

Do you know who youre going to be buying coffee from? Are you going to roast on premises? Do you have the room to do so, as well as pay the additional energy bills associated? If you are, you may need some type of exhaust professionally installed. Last time i checked, contractors arent too cheap. Check with your fire department, they should tell you.

You want to get a license? You may need to consult a lawyer. They can help you incorporate, obtain licensing, etc... Some distributors will not even talk to you if you dont have certain paperwork.

 

[bmacd]

When we first opened the bagel/cafe, we had live bands every friday night until about 12am midnight. Granted, we paid a lot of money and they sucked, but it was still the idea. You're gonna need TVs for stock tickers/news and comfortable chairs.

BTW...what gives your place the edge over a starbucks or any other coffee house for that matter? What makes you think you're gonna succeed?

-=bmacd=-

 

[Cyberian]

Is this mall on a busy road?
Can your store be seen from the road?
Are there any people in this mall at 6 AM?
How many hours a day do you plan to be open?
Being next to a theater is nice, but most people go there in the evening.

Good luck!

 

[Yossarian]

Maybe it's a dumb idea but if I were going to open my own coffee house, I would get a job at a Starbucks for 6 months or so and just suck up all the knowledge I could.

 

[iamme]

Originally posted by: bmacd
location isn't as important as competiton. I worked at a small bagel shop..."Nosh and Schmear Bagel Cafe" based out of farmington hills, MI. We had great business...we made coffee/espresso drinks, bagel sandwiches, and that kinda stuff. The nearest competion was about 3 miles away and was Bean and Bagel, notoriously gross and dirty. We were doing great and had a great location, especially once a La Shish (extremely popular arab food restaurant) opened right next door. Howeverm Panera Bread opened right across the street and about three months after they opened, we were forced to sell, and before i knew it, we were all looking for another job.

BTW...we got our coffee/espresso from Espresso Source and the brand name was Lavazza. I'm sure a quick search will yield a couple names of distributors.

my $.02

-=bmacd=-

whoa, i've been to the Bagel shop and the Panera bread there......weird

 

[Ns1]

go to a bookstore and buy some books

or a library and rent some

 

[Skyclad1uhm1]

Oh, _that_ kind of coffee shop