Talk to me about owning a coffee shop

[feralunderclass]

This is all in my head theoretical. I'd love to open a coffee shop, with a sort of theme/inspiration of a city I love in the ME. It would have quite an extensive tea/coffee menu, but simple food/sweets that I'd buy locally. No cooking necessary I'd do that in my house in the evenings. My cat would be asleep in one of the chairs. I'd have beautiful reference books on a shelf for people to peruse. It wouldn't feel like work, because in between chatting to customers I'd sit and have a coffee myself and read.

Has anyone had a coffee shop, and what was it like?

My fav coffee shop in town is completely lined with 2nd hand books from floor to ceiling. You can read them, and I just found out you can buy them too. But the best thing is the keep the place acoustically lovely - add in the excellent hot drinks served in gorgeous handmade pottery cups, and generous cakes and its a very busy successful cafe.

No cat though 🐈‍⬛🐈‍⬛🙀😾

😀😀😀I have a friend who runs a bookshop/cafe. I was very envious of her, until I visited. She literally never stops working. Most of it is paperwork, unpacking books, dusting, and very boring stuff.

The only cafe I know near me which does incredibly well profit wise has opening hours 10 til 5 every day of the week. It also sells ice cream.

Mine is a second hand book shop, sells locally made artisan gifts and artwork by local students, it also has an alcohol licence and in the evening has folk/singer songwriter/classical music acts. I got as far as seeing potential units - got a business plan etc. no cooking in the evening for me, part of the ups is the smell of freshly baking cakes in the oven.

Unfortunately the capital to start up wasnt more than my risk adverse nature would contemplate, though technically I had the money

Oh and no cats because my dog would be curled up by the log fire

Yes, I was thinking that!

Agree with this. Ex-DH owned a coffee shop and I used to open it at 6am when he couldn’t get there (commuter customers) and we’d work until midnight to get the shop ready for changes of season or events. It was insanely hard work, not that profitable and many of the customers treated us like downstairs servants. Many of the customers would be foul to me on the days I worked there as I wasn’t there often (I had a full time job too) and I used to love the look of horror dawning on their face when ex-DH arrived and kissed me and they realised I wasn’t just the new waitress for them to be rude to. I have realised that I am entirely unsuitable for work in hospitality, unless it’s as an extra in Fawlty Towers.

Have you thought of getting a job in Waterstones, OP? No cats allowed (thank god) but you'd make a profit, unlike with your plan.

As well as the wool shop, I also own a late night dessert business (opening hours approx 8pm - 11pm) so I'm looking for premises, if you'd be open to an evening takeover (evenings to be agreed but probably not Saturday as I watch Strictly then). Most of the desserts are chocolate related, I do hope that won't be a problem. I can cater for other dietary requirements on request.

Plus endless problems with unreliable staff and managing old pervs hitting on our pretty Saturday girls.

It sounds wonderful op and definitely the best place to open your cafe is where you have already sown the seeds of your idea... your imagination 😀

in all seriousness hospitality is knackering, long hours and thankless. Don't bother xx

My demograph will be the MN type

Good idea, OP. A bunch of of yummy mummies buying 1 skinny latte each, (but no cakes because they contain calories, obv) sitting around gossiping for hours, taking up all your tables & blocking the space between with pushchairs while their DC run riot & trash your premesis and you wonder if you’re running a cafe or a crèche. They leave the place looking like a bomb site & there’s £20 in your till.

Been there, done that. Not a cafe, but a pub restaurant which hosted children’s parties in the afternoon. Until management decided they were more hassle than they were worth…

Fleabag.

Ace. ☕🍰🍸

You should write a chick lit book and I'll defend these books to the death as when I'm feeling low (sadly more than is healthy ), they allow me to escape and believe i too could sell my simple yet delicious baked wares and rebuild myself (with or without the help of the hunk next door though ) whilst being charmingly endearing to the who collage including the stubborn Violet who comes in daily but nobody knows her story. Of course she warms to me when I help her after a fall. Sorry. Carried away there. Crap day so I'd best reach for a Katie Fforde

Could all the naysayers clear off to Caffè Nero with your dogs please. I want to reiterate that my shop will not have any rude, aggressive or pervy customers. I will hang bunches of smouldering sage above the entrance every evening to ward them off.
@Libertass you misunderstood my demograph. They are only like MNetters wrt to cleanliness, phobia of public toilets and neuroticism about respecting books. That's as far as it goes - we don't cater for the mothers of Hugo and Persephone who loudly tell everyone about 3 year old Hugo's passion for learning Mandarin, or that 5 year old Persephone dreams of working for the NHS to "help poor people". No skinny lattes either, there will be no coffee machine.
@OhComeOnFFS I've had to boycott Waterstones of late, since they took the reading chairs out. How do they expect people to read for three hours whilst standing up? I had to resort to the toddler table to save my back but a member of staff asked me to move 🙄
@ProvisionsOnTheDock you are most welcome, I don't like Strictly so I'll cover Saturday nights. Not overly keen on the all-chocolate menu, can you do anything with filo pastry?
@Cumulonimbusincus we won't have any problems with unreliable staff, in fact there's a waiting list to volunteer work there. You must remember that the shop is a very important part of the lives of the community.
@Pollyparkin perhaps we could have a tea together to discuss the chick lit book proposal? Sorry you aren't feeling great 💐

Have you ever worked in a cafe? It’s shit.

In that case OP I’m happy to volunteer from
time to time, if there’s free coffee and a cat to stroke.

I’ll give you a hundred quid if you can prove your cafe lasts a month.

Investors need to commit to a minimum of £10k initially, but thank you for your offer. Call in for a free tea anytime.

I have visions of buying a bookshop and reading all day and telling all the customers to go away and stop annoying me

The reality is every business is hard work

@feralunderclass perhaps I could bring you some of my gluten free and regular baked goods to sample (the only resemblance to my character is that I can bake - gluten free is a recent necessity since a familial coeliac diagnosis - not a health whim). Tea or a lovely strong coffee please. I'm easy. Thank you ☺️

It all sounds like utter bliss until you factor in the grumpy, entitled customers who'll complain on Trip Advisor about finding a cat hair in their cookie.

I will be spending oodles of time and money at your craft mezzanine if you sell drinks in big mugs. Can't be having with fiddly little tea cups that barely hold a thimble full. Can you please also do hot chocolate made with 70% cocoa real chocolate? Then I would pretty much just move in.

This sounds lovely - I will come everyday - for morning coffee and/or lunch. I can help serve other customers as well. Probably I will come on my own and when not needed to serve read a newspaper or knit