What do you want from a teashop?

[littleteapotandcake]

I'm at the very early stages of looking at taking over a teashop in a small seaside town. I would interested in finding out what you like or don't like when you visit or any advice from anyone who has done/is running a teashop now. TIA

French press coffee in a pot for one - even if it’s decaf. I hate that as soon as you order decaf you get a crappy mug of instant.

Yes I suspect this is one of the reasons dogs are allowed everywhere - due to the aggression. I suspect if dogs are allowed people who don't like them just peer in, see them, and go elsewhere rather than getting stroppy with the staff about it.

But generally people are a pain in the proverbial so you'll need a thick skin full stop.

There’s a great café I know that does early morning bacon sandwiches for £2 for the dog walkers etc (add a fried egg for 50p etc). By lunchtime it’s a bit more up market with £7 paninis but they know their morning clientele will be back several times a week, whereas the lunchtime crowd are once or twice a month

yes this is a good point too. If you are eg near a parkrun, open up by 9.30 and offer a package of coffee/tea with a bacon sandwich or a teacake. You'll always be full :) It's really silly when you see a cafe close by which doesn't open until 10 - most of the runners will have gone elsewhere by then. Obviously this only applies if you are near a parkrun, but I think they've brought a lot of custom to local cafes. But you might have something similar near you like an outdoor exercise class or as the quote says, the regular dog walkers. See what the locals do and if you can tap into that market.

I think a lot of it is about clear communication with customers and then meeting expectations.

If you advertise as dog friendly I’m going to be upset if you actually mean not the courtyard seating or inside, just the pavement seating but no taking high chairs out there and there’s nothing to stop my 4 year old darting into the road. If you make it clear before I order/in your marketing its dogs in the pavement seating only then I’m fine with that.

If you advertise as family friendly I expect high chairs, space to move a pram, and something appropriate on the menu (it doesn’t have to be a kids menu - small cakes/half sandwich options would be fine and would also appeal to people like my MIL who has a small appetite now and worries about food waste).

Likewise if you’re marketing to the laptop crowd they’ll expect good Wi-Fi and maybe charging points, or selling yourself as catering for people with dietary restrictions they will expect a choice. So whatever you choose to do, do it well.

Proper bakery bread for the sandwiches, dressing on any side salad is a must for me and homemade coleslaw. Those three things combined are always what I’ve found in the best little eateries. It is always a sign of good food in my experience.

Lots of fresh cakes and proper coffee too!

Yes, good quality bread.

And loose leaf tea with a tea strainer - maybe as an option.

Not read the whole thread, but I’d say

clear communication/signage of how ordering, seating and paying works
do a few things well (including toasted tea cakes. I like crumpets too)
keep it simple - I remember trailing round Rye looking for somewhere that served a plain cheese sandwich for my dad who is a man of extremely simple tastes. Everywhere was really over-quirked. Don’t over-quirk unless that really is your market.
avoid those cakes that look impressive on the counter but are as dry as the Sahara.
no Comic Sans

cleanliness, friendly staff, decent toilet all goes without saying really.

Homemade everything. Decent bread. I want more than 1 butter pack with my teacake please. Tea in a teapot, decent coffee. A friendly feel with good staff so please pay them above minimum wage. A sense of community. Decent drinks for kids not just fizzy stuff but nice juice and simple milkshakes.

From a business perspective I would say don’t forget the tourist season is just that, a season. The businesses that are successful are the ones that remember the residents live there all year so I would definitely look in to running mum and toddler sessions, OAP mornings and linking up with some charities/support groups maybe for get togethers for carers, bereavement groups - the list is endless. You might also want to do some evening sessions in off season for a book club or bridge/chess club, general board games evening. Basically the more you can be involved in your local community the more stable the revenue for the business (and massively rewarding too!)

The thing is, and you can see it from this thread, different people want different things and they're often competing.. If you try to please everyone you'll please no one.

So you just need to decide who your target market is going to be. Early morning dog walkers? Mums off on maternity leave? Business people? Young trendy types? Elderly? Specialist diets? And then cater for that market and don't worry about the rest. You'll possibly put off the people who don't want e.g. Dogs, but you'll make up for it by being THE place to go for dog walkers.

Be really clear who your target customers are / who you want them to be. Who will your regulars be - old ladies, new mums, dog walkers etc? Or is it a tourist location and you're counting on that being your main trade? You don't need to only focus on that group, but make sure you cover the bases for what they need. I.e. I'm anew(ish) mum and my regular cafe is the one with step free access, lots of high chairs available, room around the tables to park multiple buggies, chairs with backs (for breastfeeding mums), easy access (and clean) baby change and friendly staff who don't mind sweeping up baby detritus from the floor. They also have great coffee and cakes, but there are other closer cafes who do this and i walk past them because they don't have the things above.

(Business strategy is my job so this is my work head response!)

are you likely to be open all year round? I love tea shops and cafes that are thoughtful enough to have blankets outside for those of us who can't come in and even patio heaters. I agree that dogs shouldn't be inside, but being able to sit outside with them would absolutely make me happy.
Love mismatched china, comfy chairs and ornaments..lots of greenery as well. Do NOT want to hear a loud radio, or DJ, but that's just me. I'd be there to talk and contemplate.

Decaff ground coffee. Skimmed milk as an option. Small portions of cake available. I just want a delicious little something not a huge slice that I won't finish and will be wasted.

According to my children, sofas! Maybe a theme would amke you stand out. We went to comicoffee on isle of wight this week, because of the comic theme.

Also all day brunch!

Comfy chairs
teapots that don't drip
a decent cup of tea - Yorkshire/ringtons
nice cake

What annoys me is when you want to just buy a cold drink or cake and you have to wait for the laborious process of the person in front ordering several proper coffees I love coffee but it’s such a pain waiting in line for shots and frothing etc when they order more than one. I just wish there was a separate queue.

Clean and no crumbs! I’m in Devon and there’s a few that are a bit sticky and gritty feeling. So I’d say fewer (or strategically placed) ornaments so you can clean.

I also prefer less choice but fresher/homemade cakes. 3 seasonal home made cakes is way better than 10 from the fridge!

include shortbread/cookie something under £2 for a fussy toddler :)

loose leaf tea is a treat, and yes please to proper coffee.

If you’re in a seaside town don’t forget your year round locals!

Maybe encouraging people to come with laptops might get you year round trade (muses)

Oh and quick to clear and clean tables. Went to sit outside a Costa yesterday and every table had cups on them, we walked.

Dog owner here- I don’t expect to take her into cafes but nice if there’s a table outside or just a takeaway coffee is good. Dogs take up too much space and they smell.

There is a place in Penzance that has turned the alcove under the stairs into a playpen/baby & todler cage. It is fantastic! I get to enjoy my tea, DD doesn't get bored. I wish more places had something like this. They also do great tea and coffee.

I would also ad my voice to those asking for tea pots.

Really depends on the type of location - if it's the kind of place mostly for a drink and light snack then the requirements are clean, clear signage and reasonable prices. Options for specific diets welcomed but to keep your place profitable don't neglect the majority either (I've been in what looked like a lovely tea shop but the cakes all tasted odd, chemically and weird texture, found out they were all gluten free, haven't been back and it's since closed down, ditto the vegan coffee shop near me).

If you are serving meals then i would recommend trying to offer slightly different to your competitors, homemade style also keep menu short and good rather than huge and poor quality freezer food.

Remember you can't please all the people - I'm happy to spend £30 on lunch for two if it's good, others would walk away at £15!

Don’t allow people to hog a space without a drink .So annoying to get your coffee and have nowhere to sit but some person 5 people back in the queue has got their friend to sit down. Waitress service could stop this.

But it's odd reading this because a kids play area would put me off as do kids running around in general, my children always sat still and disorder worries my dd (has asd) so we chose quieter places with less children. Also hate mismatched China - you can't please everyone