Help me indulge / flesh out / give up on this fantasy please

[TheWayTheLightFalls]

There's a small weekend market in a park near me. Coffee, artisanal bread and croissants, overpriced olives, butcher, veg, handmade pasta, maybe a soap stall/woven baskets/kids clothes once in a while... that sort of thing. Quite a lot of footfall, wealthy residential area, kids' playground 100m away.

I'd like to run a tea stall. Literally a stall selling various hot teas. Partly because the coffee stall is just for coffee/hot choc and also incredibly, achingly slow, so you can have a queue ten deep; and partly just because I've gotten it into my head now so, you know, there it is.

• I know there are insurance requirements to do this, that is fine.

• I have money to throw at it (within reason) so if I end up with 5,000 compostable cups and enough tea bags for the rest of my life that's fiiine.

• I know the market organisers (ish - through running a stall there ages ago to promote a local charity) and that they are open to enquiries, though I don't know about this kind of stall specifically.

• DH is not thrilled about the idea because we both have actual jobs but has learnt to pick his battles, and I wouldn't look to do it every weekend.

• Cost of the pitch is £70ish/week, with electric hook up.

Well? What am I missing?

I just can’t see china mugs being feasible, however hard I try.

Both because the local elderly don’t die fast enough to keep up a steady supply of them in the nearest charity shop, and because if people are buying a hot drink to take with them and also have a three year old on a bike, a newborn in a sling and a tub of olives it’s just not going to work.

There is a small seating area (4-5 tables) in the middle of the market, and other benches etc nearby.

Also with china mugs, you'd need somewhere to wash up adding time and faff to your day and they wouldn't be as easy to store or transport as compostable cups.

If you don't do china mugs, I'm not coming to buy your tea <sulks>

If you go for it, then ye olde worlde little cakes might go nicely too. Jam tarts, butterfly cakes, fondant fancies, macaroons, battenberg, that sort of thing. Most places sell huge great slices of gateau or massive cupcakes these days, when sometimes all you want is a little nibble. And bunting. Plenty of bunting, although not so much that you make it look like a Midsomer Murders set

Hmm. I’m a big tea drinker. But I rarely have tea away from home. It’s just never quite right.

Could you have decent crockery reusable cups as an option and if people buy them at the more expensive price you will refill them cheaper every week?

Ooo yes and it could be branded all quaint and tea-roomy! I'm there!

Bring your own mug maybe? With a range of takeaway mugs to sell?
Have a website and a big sign saying you don't provide disposable cups because of the effect on the environment?

If you don't do china mugs, I'm not coming to buy your tea sulks>

But what if I throw in a macaroon??

Just to provide some balance 😀I don't want tea in a china cup if I'm sitting outside, it goes cold too quickly. At every festival I've ever been to I've found myself sitting in the cold and/or wet drinking tablespoons of cold grey milk or greasy tar from a tiny china cup, and doing all the rigamarole of tea and milk over and over because the cups are so small. I like a thick glass caff mug.

Speaking as a tea drinker, we are a terrible pain in the arse OP, are you sure you're prepared? ☕

You may have to do a food safety certificate course. If it's consumed by humans, there's usually a course that needs to be done for it!

Plus, I understand from my fellow market people, insurance for consumables is quite high.

If you go for it get a SumUp machine. 80% of our market sales are card payment now. People don't carry cash anymore

I'd offer china or compostable cups so people can choose

are you sure you're prepared? ☕

Nah, I just want the customers to facilitate this lovely fantasy of mine, so no complaints and plenty of repeat custom please.

I actually have a food safety cert @UnreasonabIe <preens>. Not for this. I can store ambient goods and read fridge thermometers with the best of 'em.

This sounds amazing - I love my tea and can never get a decent cup at these type of markets.....
I am gonna need china cups though.

Macaroon or macaron?