Top 10 Tips for Starting your Own Coffee Shop

Owning and running your own coffee shop is an attractive proposition for many people. It seems as though there is an insatiable demand for coffee, with shops and cafes regularly opening up in towns and cities. But it is precisely this plethora of outlets that mean if you are considering running your own coffee shop, you need to get it right from the start to survive a crowded marketplace. Below are some tips to get you started.

Beans

Your shop is only as good as its beans. Customers nowadays are very knowledgeable about the taste of beans and if you are serving a poor quality product, word will get around. Visit local coffee bean suppliers and taste their products. Determine what services, shipping and support policies coffee bean suppliers offer. It is better to serve a quality product at a slightly higher price than an inferior product just to keep the price down, and with wholesale coffee beans being increasingly affordable due to global competition and trade, you should be able to source a good, reasonably priced bean.

Location

Of course, you will try to build a reputation in your local community so people make a beeline for your establishment whenever they need a caffeine fix, but a lot of custom comes from passersby grabbing a drink on impulse. A location with a high footfall is something to look for, at least for your first location, although it may come with higher overheads. If your premises are not in the busiest location, word of mouth, advertising and personality will be key to getting customers through the door.

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Finance

You will need to get finance for the initial start-up costs. Banks will no doubt be the first port of call, but consider other possible options, such as private investors or crowd sourcing. Prepare a detailed budget, taking into account all costs - from rental of the property to an initial supply of your wholesale coffee beans – and a business plan.

Machines

You will need machinery to prepare your drinks. This can be a big expense so keep your eyes peeled for trade sales and foreclosure equipment sales – you can often pick up top quality equipment at bargain prices.

Layout

When planning how the interior of your shop will look, bear in mind how people may be queuing, how staff can walk between tables and the counter, and the ease of access between door and counter for takeaway customers.

Staff

Hire pleasant staff. You can teach someone to make great beverages, but sometimes a bad attitude can ruin the customer experience.

Menu

Keep the menu fairly small. You don’t want to over-reach yourself. But make it interesting. Do the basics well, but offer some more interesting options as well. This will add to the unique personality of your shop.

Personality

There are a lot of cafes these days, so you need to do something to make yours stand out. People will respond to a place that has a personality. You could fill the space with intriguing décor and antiques, or theme the posters you put on the wall. See what others in the area have done, and do something different so you are unique

Computers

These days, cafes are places where people expect to be able to work on their computers. Consider the number of wall sockets available to customers and think about installing free Wi-Fi.

Advertise

Some people will just walk by your shop and decide to come in, but to reach a large potential customer base, you will need to advertise. Look at local publications and the Internet. Setting up a Facebook and Twitter account is a great way to interact with your customers and provide a forum for feedback and notice of offers. Also, think about putting up a small website or a coffee blog like Bean Drinking Coffee to review various new coffee blends and bean varieties.