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

That sounds lovely.

About 25 but there is a garden area out back which I am hoping to buy/rent from the property next door which could add another 10 or so

I absolutely agree.

justasking111 The tourism grant sounds interesting . Where would I find out about that? You could PM me if you wouldn't mind

Well there's loads of lovely restaurant furniture floating around, ditto kitchen equipment second hand. eBay, FB market place. Drapes, linens obviously new unless you're going down the wipe down route. If you want lots of different style tables, auction houses, again eBay, FB. Say you get a larger group in you'll be pushing two tables together, try to be versatile.

Is there a liquor license?

I'd ask your marketing department, you say Yorkshire so say Leeds City council. They're a good starting point. Or even your planning department.

Here you get approval, buy what's been approved and present the invoice.

You can get grants for painting, updating the exterior as well

Plain scones not fruit, and always warmed.
Generous amounts of butter and jam (perhaps a choice of flavours too?).
Proper Diet Coke for the non tea/coffee drinkers, not a cheap or 'healthy' substitute. Cold drinks properly cold.
Teapot that pours without dripping from the join.
Decaff and skinny options for all coffees.
If you provide a free biscuit with a hot drink, not those nasty little Lotus things.
Home made cakes and a good selection of them.
Flexible on sandwich fillings/made fresh.
Comfortable chairs.
CLEAN.
Clean loos.
Don't run out of scones/cake by 3 pm.
Pleasant, efficient staff who get the order right.

Don't stint on the coffee beans. Find a good small business selling beans locally.

If you're going barista style there's free courses with the machines. Which need balancing often otherwise your gorgeous coffee might as well be instant.

Teas have at least three plus fruit teas.

Comfortable seats (sofas). A range of cup sizes. In most places, my tea is usually lukewarm within 5 minutes, which is annoying.

Lovely cakes. Friendly staff!

Agree with all this 100%

Also... the gluten free and vegan cakes should be in addition to the standard cake offer. Not taking the places of standard cakes. You need the full range of standard cakes.

Well-trained staff and enough of them to keep on top of clearing and wiping the tables down between customers. I hate having to sit down at a mucky table with someone else's smeary crockery and then suffer the antibac spray and dodgy looking cloth swiping round just under my nose. No matter how delicious the tea and cake it puts me right off.

I'd be expecting linen table cloths in a tea rooms

"Restaurant Table Linen| Tablecloths & Napkins | Vision Linens" https://www.visionlinens.com/dining-kitchen-table-linen?gad=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxuCnBhDLARIsAB-cq1rOAPfz_CsUWt2adNbWrAHjPyH6e_-hG5DW6iLboMaUSxys9AB0OHgaAgTSEALw_wcB#cat-description

@littleteapotandcake a bit of research for you

Opening times should be 10am to 4pm to include morning coffee, lunch and afternoon tea.

On my last holiday, I couldn't find a cafe open past 3 - 4pm which was annoying. I wanted a nice cuppa and a scone and nowhere was open long enough to serve me.

Mums like a coffee after school drop off. Ditto grandparents these days 😂😂

Loose leaf tea. There’s no comparison.

-Gluten free cake options - but fresh - not the long life wrapped cake bars etc.

• Clear labelling on the menu not just ‘ask us about allergens’,

-lots of tea options ideally loose tea - including a Moroccan mint tea and black tea with rose. Perhaps a nice Jasmine Green. -Decent amount of hot water to top up or refill of hot water, -a seat with a view / window seat.

I love the mismatched china vibe. I also like real milk (daily and plant based) rather than those UHT cartons. I don't like those really scrappy paper napkins where everyone takes too many because they are so tiny and unabsorbent.

Atmosphere is essential. There was a vintage goods and coffee shop near to where I lived which unfortunately closed because of the owner's ill health. You could sit on mismatched sofas, chairs and tables, the lighting was low, surrounded with vintage items you could buy. It was calm, relaxing and interesting. My partner who frequented it regularly with his client who is a wheelchair user, both coffee lovers, were sad it closed.

On the other hand a coffee shop a few miles away with a French, shabby chic decor closed suddenly. They had a policy no children and the tea I had in a perspex mug with a teabag in, charged my partner and myself £14 for 2 slices of cake, a coffee and a disappointing tea. We never went back.

A lady opened a cafe with books and a resident cat. The cat made the place famous he was very chilled and liked people

Artwork for sale can be a plus

I'm aware this comment will be controversial but I would love the option on the menu to just have a cup of instant coffee. I'm not a massive fan of filter etc coffee and just want a mag of Nescafé that I can add milk and a spoon of sugar too. It's not about the price either, it's purely a taste/enjoyment thing for me.

I will happily eat lots of cake to make up for it.

'I'm not a massive fan of filter etc coffee and just want a mug of Nescafé that I can add milk and a spoon of sugar too.'

I do prefer real coffee but anybody who has ever stood in a long queue while a not very good barista fiddles with brown water and froth that bears little resemblance to coffee and then takes another 5 minutes putting the order through the till can empathise with this comment SleepyFergus!

I've seen on cafe menus in various non-UK countries 'Nescafé' listed as a choice. I always wonder if it's for UK expats missing home, or if Nescafé is considered a luxury or a novelty in some places.

I love coffee but cannot bear waiting in a queue while it’s made. It takes so flippin long! I have an espresso machine at home for my fix and only get one out if there’s no queue. I really wish there was a separate queue for the coffee.