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

I don't go to ones that dogs are allowed in. I like digs but it gives me the feeling that's it's unclean.

A lot of the requests on here are unfortunately not economical at all.

I was going to say this - lots of people posting clearly have no idea how expensive it is to run a business!

So
As long as you allow dog but don't allow dogs, allow children but don't, serve the largest menu in history including vegan, gf, diabetic, freshly made and sourced, including cheese scones but no cheese scones, with a child friendly area to play but with complaints that the child friendly toys won't be sanitary, comfy chairs but not so comfy you can't clean them , twee cups and saucers you'll be obliged to replace after each customer, swap your salt and pepper pots for equally twee, spend 975 hours a day making fresh cakes , have papers but no unhygienic papers, and serve every variety of tea and coffee known in the western world you'll be fine

Good luck !

A brunch menu! Perfect for weekends and after school drop offs!

Warm the scones
dairy free milk options

Teapots that pour properly. Ditto milk jugs.

We would also like food that is as ethical as possible. Free range meat and eggs as a minimum, organic wherever possible.

I know that is more expensive and not everybody could afford it/ not every market will support it but it’s what we look for and pay extra for. We go without other things instead.

As a bonus, organic ingredients are almost unfailingly taste great so customers will be happy. Simple food, don’t need many options if the basics are there. Couple of cakes choices, some sandwich choices. Cheese straws? Biscuits. Diabetic friendly food, so not just sweet choices. Large mugs.

No dogs and peaceful please!

Yes lovely fresh cakes of different sizes and not the usual ones from a packet. Lovely homemade (not dry) heated scones. Homemade soups, generous butter portions, nice coffee, vintage tea cups, pots of jam i.e. not those wee plastic tubs. Relaxing background music. Oh and no dogs (sorry to all the dog owners).

look at what type of beach you are near - if it is dog friendly, a dog friendly cafe - if it isn't and is more tailored to the family crowd, cater for that, if coastal but cold, and attract walkers cater to that

sounds obvious, however, the amount of cafés by dog friendly beaches which are not dog friendly, or ones by big walking routes that have furnishings and finish things that get filthy with people coming in and out with walking gear, or cafés geared towards families in areas where it's not predominantly families visiting. There is bizarre.

The cafés, which cater to the people who are likely to be their other ones that do really well. Of course the other customers to consider all your local all year round

finally plea - please do vegan and veggie - veggies often like a bit of cheese and butter... nothing more depressing than options being meat or vegan

Please make it wheelchair accessible. I live in a place with a lot of nice independent teashops etc, but at least half aren't accessible. So, step-free access and an accessible loo as a minimum, plus enough space between tables to maneuver. If you have to use a portable ramp and there's a good reason not to leave it out all the time, make sure there's a clear sign in the window to say so, and a bell to ring to alert staff. Nothing worse than waving at staff to try to attract their attention, or accosting passers by, just to find out whether or not I can even get into the place. If you have an accessible loo, don't leave cleaning supplies in it, and don't block the entry with highchairs/ general junk. Put in a non-pedal bin, and make sure the red cord hangs all the way to the ground.

Look at what is available in the area and what isn’t. I want dog free, but if there are already a few of those nearby then maybe dog friendly. Do think about the reason there aren’t the type already though.

one day when you are open later(may not be financially viable more days.

i don’t care and proper tea cups and saucers as I’m too worried I’ll break them.

Clean tables thoroughly at the end of the day, including under the edge of the table. Ditto the chairs. That way if you move the table (as a customer), or the chair, you don't grab a sticky underside.
Clean the table surface thoroughly between customers.
Ensure the loo is spotless with plentiful loo roll, and is checked regularly. The cleaner and nicer it is to start with, the cleaner customers tend to leave it.
Dogs outside and if you must have them indoors restrict to a couple of tables nearest the door. We don't all like dogs.
Things to amuse children. I personally don't like a play area as it encourages parents to let their kids go and shriek noisily. Colouring sheets and crayons/colouring pencils, do a monthly competition for the best in age groups and display them is a good one. A children's book library swap is good.
Tea - a decent choice not just breakfast tea and Earl Grey. I like a teapot and proper bone china cups.
Coffee - find out which supplier locally has the best
Cakes and Scones. Make your own freshly. Encourage customer suggestions for cake of the week new flavour etc.
WiFi and workers - personally I find one local cafe a no-go due to the workers, I'm sure they're loosing ££ on it, but if you can restrict them to certain desks or along a breakfast bar, it stops them hogging a table for 4. Just make sure they pay enough for their top-ups to cover your costs or don't offer WiFi

Good breakfast tea
Scones - plain, fruit and cheese, fresh, with BUTTER or clotted cream and jam
Toasted teacakes with butter
Victoria sandwich cake
Rock cakes, fresh or they are dry
Flapjacks
Clean loos
Dog-friendly area. If no dogs allowed, then no cat around either.
No music
No screens

This, this, this, this and this!!!. Stay open till 5 PLEASE. How many times have I been gasping for a cup of tea around 4pm and two or three teashops/cafes ALL CLOSED 😭😭😭. 6 would be amazing, but to be able to serve tea and hopefully cake at four seems like an absolute essential to me 😀

I will go in any outfit at all, smelly dogs, microwaved scones, no plant milk, anywhere - if you will only serve tea at 4pm 🤣

Decent cheese scones and savoury options - perhaps with home made or locally sourced chutney.
Coffee in a cafetiere as an alternative to frothy milky drinks.

Tea in a teapot. Hot cheese scones. Butter curls in a dish. Brown bread and butter rolled up like a Swiss roll with cream cheese and asparagus. Coffee cake (with walnuts). Toasted teacakes. Bookshelf. Family room where people with enchanting kids are encouraged to be happy away from old bats like me.

Lots have been covered, but maybe make a separate "child-friendly" section, so that the rest of us aren't disturbed.
Definitely lots of newspapers and books.
Good staff, who don't hesitate to politely request that people keep the noise down (ie no watching screens with sound on, no video calls).
No canned music.
No tablecloths, but proper cloth napkins are much better than paper.
Proper menus - no QR code nonsense.
Tap water and glasses provided automatically.
Obviously, good choice of coffee, tea, food.

But not those who are not keen on dogs. I actively avoid cafes and restaurants that allow dogs. They're invariably smelly.

Decent sized tables! And tables that don't wobble. Second vote for Lady Grey tea - it's lovely, don't care if cakes aren't home made. A nice selection of biscuits would be welcome, as cake is sometimes too much. Not bothered either way about dogs as long as they're well behaved. Gentle background music, not blasting, agree to some toys / games for kids to get involved with.

Good coffee & tea & cakes

Good acoustics - Low reverberation time so you can hear each other speak

Light - low calorie options for those of us who are on a diet

No dogs inside please - this is becoming increasingly difficult to find.

Activities for children (quiet stuff like duplo/ Lego, colouring)

Good luck - it will be amazing!!

Scones !
Clean tables and crockery.

Great coffee and scones. Not silly coffee like mocha choca caramel with unicorn dust though just proper coffee.

No dogs, I do a very quick 180 when I go for coffee and folks have stinky yapping dogs with them.

Separate family (noisy....) areas and quiet areas for reading, chilling.

Separate male/female toilets.

A teapot that pours into the cup and not all over the table!!

Great - all the more room for us 😃