If you could run any kind of shop/cafe, what would you choose?

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A quirky little shop unit is up for rental in a nearby street. It’s been a sort of general store for decades, although with a lot of local competition I’m not sure how it continued. Anyway, they’re retiring and I’m daydreaming of playing shops 😂Practicality aside, what would you choose if you had completely free rein?

A vegetarian cafe- no fake vegan cheese or the like- real cheese and eggs. Cakes and puddings and vegetarian Sunday dinners.

That sounds absolutely lovely.

A children's book shop. I'd do story time after school, and multi-sensory story sessions for toddlers and children with SEND. And run book clubs for older primary and lower secondary children.

Mine would be an old-fashioned apothecary. It would be all tiled walls and dark wood cabinets, with amber glass bottles full of essential oils, carrier oils and bases. And I’d spend all day mixing up blends for people. Aromatherapy without any touching.

Can't cook/bake well enough and hate cleaning up after people so no food/drink.

Nothing smelly like soap, a shop full of that all day would give me a headache.

No tech, finance, beauty/hair etc as dont have the skills.

Maybe a fancy pet shop (not selling actual animals). Or a toy shop.

Maybe a specialist wallpaper shop.

Something like this:

If you're going to serve hot drinks, can you please invest in tetley tags (I'd even accept PG tips). I'm fed up with only being offered breakfast tea!! The only places to get decent tea seems to be McDonalds and the like.

Other than that, a tea shop/ craft shop would be ideal 😀

A florists with a cafe in it. There used to be a florists which also had a little cafe in it near us. It was lovely having a coffee in amongst all the flowers. Now it's just a cafe. It's still nice but the specialness of being surrounded by flowers has gone.

Kitchenware, cookware and home supplies.
I’d do wedding lists, catering rental, small appliances like toasters, barbecue and pizza equipment and all types of porcelain.
Staub and Le Creuset, Stainless steel pans and gadgets like Alessi or Joseph Joseph.

I go into Lakeland with money to spend and find nothing. I’m sure I could do better.

Bookshop, bakery & cafe with an evening bar licence so it's open all day & night. I was on holiday a few weeks ago in Wales and half the restaurants & cafes operated on a p/t basis. I had money to spend but there wasn't any where open to take my money!

A cafe that sold healthy, low calorie versions of everything which had a full nutritional breakdown including Weight Watchers and Slimming World Values. I love eating out but have had to lose baby weight 3 times over the past few years and love finding ingredients, recipes and tricks to make delicious, healthy and wholesome fakeaways.

I liked this one I saw in Trondhiem, Norway .... a coffee shop in an antiques store....

Cheese shop.

Yarn shop.

Cheese and yarn shop.

Florists/indoor plants/candles I wouldn't want a cafe in it because I hate the smell of coffee.

An Australian style cafe. I really miss brunch since moving from Oz back to Ireland. Amazing coffee, eggs benedict, pancakes, fritters and salmon, fruit salad, smoothies. Wholesome, made to order stuff.

Record shop. I've been in a couple lately and forgot how much I loved them. The one I went in today was rammed with all ages and I'm not currently in an area known for it's hipness or youthfulness. It was such a feel good experience.

the launderette-cafe! Why doesn’t my town have one of those?

I love the sound of the fancy cheese / wine place but even I couldn’t be in cheese smells aaaalllll day.

An entirely gluten free cafe with lots of sandwich and cake options. Or a gift shop. Or a combination of both. With a sea view.

a second hand luxury boutique with a smattering of high end high street.

Definitely a toy shop.

Another for a bookshop/cafe/wine bar/jazz club.

Large sofas, lots of different roasts of coffee but no lattes/cappuccino type crap. Deli counter and cakes. Wine and cocktails after 7pm and jazz playing low in the background, regular jazz nights for local musicians.

I'd welcome dogs and people who want to work there, but I'd ban all children and it would be strictly over 21's 😁

By Gone Days tea and coffee shop because I have loads and loads of vintage tea and coffee sets in bone china all with matching cake and sandwich plates. A dinner service too for 24. I'd need someone to do the homemade baking though.

This sounds lovely.

Yarn shop or stationery shop, combined with a café.

Cold sandwiches. I can make them for pennies and sell them for pounds, giving me a nice healthy profit.