Opening small Coffee Shop

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CafeCulture

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I have recently got a lease on a Coffee Shop within the public area of a professional office area.

I expect to have between 100 and 150 transactions per day- i.e. customers- members of the public and staff etc

Any ideas re. what menu options i should consider?

Also a number of other full service Spar type shops etc are located nearby.

Any advice or ideas welcome...

Thanks
 
I would suggest starting with a menu consisting of some standard items and some new things you like doing yourself or think your customers would like.
This is just stage one. The main trick is to find out from your initial customers what they would like your to do in the future, and then keep them coming back.
 
Good coffee, friendly staff, get to know your regulars.

Offer a variety of breads-sliced pan, bagel, ciabatta, pannini etc.
 
Home made scones etc

Thanks for those ideas. Appreciate that.

Any idea where i could learn to make home made scones etc?
 
Coffee is black gold. Statoil (while the cofee isnt great) are minting it with their self service style sections. Close to two fifty and you pour your own.

Maybe look at this option?

BM
 
No not Capel Street. Wouldn't have the resources to go there yet- but are there any opportunities there?
 
Sorry - just that a coffee shop opened in our building and I just wondered if it was you. Looks like a very competitive business even if everybody is jacking up the prices lately! :(
 
Just curious - did you consider these issues before obtaining the lease? Did you draw up a business plan?
 
Scones are the least of your worries. How good are you at making muffins - blueberry/cranberry/chocolate? Do you have a decent coffee machine?

Marion
 
CafeCulture said:
So anyone any ideas on home cooking? where do i get help - for scones etc?
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Best of luck with the new venture. I think there are hygiene regulations regarding home cooking and selling the product onto the public.
 
Thanks for the info.

Does anyone know a bakery in West Dublin towards city that i could buy pasteries, scones, muffins etc?
 
As the others have said, I think the main essential areas would be-

GREAT coffee, fresh produce, friendly staff and quick service - if your based in an area with high % professionals, these people will require prompt service. While they may have an hour for lunch they don't want to be queueing for 15mins, waiting another 15mins for food and then trying to rush their food in 10 mins before they have to get back to the office. If you serve and seat them quickly they may stay and enjoy a coffee before they head back to the office - heck on a Friday they might even splurge on a slice of cake! ;-)

Smoothies and Fruit Juices are another great idea and usually retail at about ~€4 - dilute them down with plenty orange or apple juice and you should have a nice little earner! You could also target the new health conscious consumers by offering the addition of health shots (idea stolen from a Juice Bar!) Add shots of ginger, vit C or Echinacea - help fight off colds & flus.

Nothing beats the smell of freshly baked muffins - too tempting to resist. Back to the GREAT coffee required - please ensure when your staff are making milk based coffees like Cappuccino and Latte etc that the milk used is HOT and so the customer gets a HOT coffee - it infuriates me to get a cold or luke warm coffee. I also think the little things can make a big difference - like a free refill. The cost is small relative to the feel good factor for your customers.

Nothing like a bit of market research - go out at lunch time to a busy coffee shop in a similar area, sit next to the ordering area and see what people are ordering!
Hope this helps,
 
Who makes their own stuff anymore? Not in a small stand alone coffee shop anyway. I know a local coffee shop, probably the best in town and as I see it they have a few simple golden rules that keeps customers (like me) coming back. First off is the quality of the coffee- I'd judge any coffee shop by its Americano- strong, rich flavour and good aroma with a little froth around rim of the mug is what you want! The shop I know uses a fair trade coffee which is really very good. Muffins, chocolate brownies and scones are all very popular and are all bought in, they always offer to warm them up in the microwave with a bit of cream on the side- which is a nice touch. As for savoury food- the usual pannini, ciabata, bap and roll with the usual fillings. The menu doesn't change much in the place I frequent, although they do a daily special. I've been frequenting my local coffee shop for 4 or 5 years, 2 or 3 times a week and they are consistent; their friendly efficient staff is their biggest asset- and they offer really good value for money, in fact their prices are the ones by which I judge everyone else. Typically an Americano is €1.60 for a large mug, pannini with (small) side salad and potato wedges is €5.50. Ok it's not Dublin but it's no greasy spoon either. It all sounds so common sense that EVERY establishment should be run like this, but they're not obviously. So do the small, simple stuff well.
 
CafeCulture said:
Thanks for the info.

Does anyone know a bakery in West Dublin towards city that i could buy pasteries, scones, muffins etc?
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Better possibly to go to lots of other coffee shops, try out what they have, decide what you like and then contact the manufacturers (if it's a packaged muffin, it'll have the name on it, if not a little casual conversation along the lines of "those muffins are lovely, do you make them yourself?" should get you some idea). The manufacturers will then have details of wholesalers where you can buy their products.

As has been said above though, these are really all the things you should have considered and done before signing a lease - how did you decide to pursue this without any research beforehand?

Also, make sure you have great hot chocolate for those of us who don't/can't drink coffee but still like to have a warm, frothy drink from time to time.
 
Janet said:
Also, make sure you have great hot chocolate for those of us who don't/can't drink coffee but still like to have a warm, frothy drink from time to time.
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Don't forget the marshmallows! I must say I LOVE the real choc flakes that Butlers add to their hot chocolate!
 
Since you are in a 'professional office area' maybe provide free wi-fi access.

As for food, do visit the Muffin place in dundrum shopping centre,top floor where they make all muffins on site, and the place is always packed.
 
Good luck with your venture Cafe Culture. Is your coffee shop, sit down, or take away. If you're doing take away snacks etc. be aware that you will have a busy period between 12.30 and 2 and a slack period before closing. that is assuming you are catering for mainly city office workers.
So get your bread delivery in early and have things set up for the rush. If people have to queue for long at lunch hour they won't come back. I'll watch this space *s*. Good luck
 
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