Running a coffee shop can be one of the most rewarding and profitable ventures, especially in this day and age. Coffee has become nothing short of a craze, so why not capitalise on it? We’ve compiled 5 tips that can help you build up your coffee-based startup.
- Get some work experience
As with anything, opening a cafe or working with coffee goes by the same notion: practice makes perfect. If you’ve never worked within a cafe or a coffee shop before, it’s a wise idea to gain some industry experience before you venture out on your own.
As well as this, it’s a good idea to gain some relevant work experience in order to see if you enjoy the job and also to see how much work is involved. You can also use this time to gain some crucial insider tips and advice from reputable sources, such as Kickstart My Coffee, which can help you decipher what to do and what not to do regarding running a cafe.
- Stand out from the crowd
This point is imperative.
With the ever increasing popularity of coffee, there has been an absolute influx of coffee shops to meet the demand. Some of these establishments are, of course, stellar. Some, however, are not so much. Ensure you give your business a fighting chance at success by standing out from the crowd. Offer something different, and offer it earnestly. Take your work seriously and provide good quality products and services at all times. This will make you stand out from the rest in comparison to all the other generic, high-street coffee shops.
- Location is crucial
Now is when that age-old saying comes to mind: location, location, location!
Coffee is, generally speaking, an on-the-go drink. Either you’re filling up your caffeine stocks on the way to work with a cup of your favourite Kimbo coffee, on the way to the shops or having a quick sit-down before heading off somewhere else. This is why it is paramount that you choose a location with a lot of foot traffic. Although this may be expensive, it will pay off in the long run. Especially in the first instance, you can’t expect customers to come looking for you. You need to be conveniently located for them.
- Size matters
Size is particularly important, as it will determine what type of operation you are running.
Are you planning on opening a small hole-in-the-wall for busy commuters to get their morning coffee, or do you want to offer a full dining experience to accompany your beans? Think about exactly what you need to fill your premises with, and how many people you expect to host. Here is a guideline:
- Small café (15-45 people seated – known as covers): 500-1000sq ft
- Medium café (45-100 covers): 1000-2000sq ft
- Large café (100+ covers): 2000sq ft +
- Know your food safety
Perhaps the most important item on this list, you need to ensure you are up to date with all the latest rules and regulations regarding food safety. If you are serving anything for consumption to the public, you need to be thoroughly aware of all relevant laws and procedures.
Establish all the key pointers to staff about serving food, including cooking, cleaning, chilling, management, contamination and keeping a food diary. As well as this, you should learn what to do should any of your food or coffee become contaminated.
If you are looking to break into the cafe market, ensure that you undertake adequate preparation. Ensure you do your research and gain some legitimate experience in the industry. As well as this, try to stand out from the crowd whilst also staying up to date with all current rules and regulations regarding food preparation and opening a business.
