So you’re thinking about starting your own coffee shop? This has always been a desirable business idea, especially if you have a new concept in mind that will fill a hole in your local market. However, even with great ideas, about 80% of coffee shops close within a year. But if you’re sure your business is destined for greatness, you might be confused with all the things you need to handle. Here are a few useful tips to keep in mind before opening a coffee shop:
Find a good location
For any business, especially a café, location is essential. You can serve the best coffee, have the friendliest staff and have the most amazing interiors, but if you’re far away from the customers, you can forget all about success. Make sure to do an analysis of the location and traffic. Research the market demands for your location, because you need to have access to paying customers all the time. Most experts think that a new business district is a good idea for a coffee pick up, while the downtown is good for a chill café where you can sit, chat and people-watch. Also, when renting a place, keep in mind that landlords and their staff can be very tricky to navigate, so hire your own help if you’ve never had to deal with the law before.
Check your funds
Launching a café takes a lot of money, so make sure to know how much capital you have at your disposal. For instance, can you withstand the first few months of paying your own salary? Can you pay the staff until your business picks up? Do you have a calculation of sudden losses? What will you do in case of a decrease in customer flow? These are all things you must consider before you open your doors to customers. Create a good business plan, stick to it and keep everything realistic. If you need to make some adjustments to your business plan, do it now, and you have a good chance to prosper in the future.
Consider the furniture
Countries that have a developed culture of coffee drinking like Australia and New Zealand know the importance of finding a café you can visit regularly and feel comfortable in, like at home. The best thing you can do for your café is to furnish it with cozy furniture that will invite guests to stay for another round or go there for their remote work. You can grab classic Bentwood chairs in Melbourne for your outdoor area and create that romantic Parisian café feel. These chairs are attractive, comfy and durable—perfect for harsh weather like Australian. For your interior, you might want to opt for something more lavish like armchairs or something modern like tall bar chairs.
Create an interest point
Many visitors today are looking for photo opportunities to enrich their Instagram profile, so your café needs to have this instagrammable spot to attract influencers and aesthetics chasers. Neon signs with witty captions are very popular today, but you can go with large murals, interesting installations or statement furniture. Find your aesthetics and use it all over the place to create a coherent establishment with a soul.
Consider entertainment
People mainly go to coffee shops to enjoy a good cup of coffee before work or catch up with their friends, but your café could be different if you introduce some later evening entertainment. You can organize special evenings with live music, open mic nights or book readings. Trivia is very popular all over the world today, so you can consider throwing in a few nights of entertainment a month. These events will attract a new crowd, give your regulars something fresh from your menu of services and create long-term bonds between customers and staff.
Get reliable business partners
Your customers come to enjoy good coffee and snacks, so don’t disappoint them. You need to sign contracts with reliable parties so all your ingredients always arrive on time and provide users with the same quality taste. It only takes one time for a customer to be disappointed to give you a boot forever.
With a creative concept, hardworking staff and good location, your coffee shop can really attract many new customers and become a new ‘it’ spot in the neighborhood.
