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?

Genuinely can not tell by your post and responses if you’re deluded or actually taking the piss. First thought absolutely delusional but the more you respond to people the more you sound like your taking the piss

I suppose running an unprofitable business is no different from any other hobby, if you have very deep pockets.

The other thing to remember is that people are filthy buggers. They leave tables messy, the floor ends up with cake and biscuit crumbs all over it and the toilets become disgusting. Don’t ask how I know. 🤢🤮

OP

I run a virtual cafe on here. I have excellent customers who will step up if I'm not there.

I don't have a library but I might add one.

Currently the ice rink is in play, it is a swimming pool in summer.

I don't have a cat but I do have kittenbees, they are kittens the size of bees with wings that nibble the pastries if you let them.

I recently saw on instagram a club called a silent book club. You turn up, read your own book (or the ones off the wall if you can be trusted not to get them all biscuity) then either have a chat at the end or just slope off. You could have hordes of well behaved, quiet readers all with a cup of tea and biscuits. They might all bring their own cats to curl up on their laps too

Neither. It's a warm and cosy fantasy with a dash of feline whimsy.

I’ve requested this be moved to Classics - it’s totally made my afternoon. Lovely, OP.

I read a nice little book, which heavily featured a coffee shop and every day people made friends in it and we're super polite and ate lots of home made cake. They were all retirees or in various states of life meltdowns, re-evaluating life and wondering how to spend unexpected windfalls. Nobody was sick in the loo or shit up the bathroom walls. Nobody got angry and said there was a hair in the cake. There weren't any cats and definitely not a kittenbee in sight.

Thanks for sharing the vision fellow dreamers ☕💐. I drove past a nice B&B today and it made me think that the coffee shop will need rooms above it to accommodate customers that will be visiting from overseas (they have heard about it from travellers around the world, and obviously want to come and do their bit for the community).
This AM I was in a high street coffee chain (market research purposes) and there was a barista in training who was taking ages as she kept having to check what to do with the other barista. There were huffs and puffs from other customers and she was quite anxious about it. Our shop will never have customers like this, we are warm and inclusive, and ALWAYS ready to go the extra mile to give someone a hand.
@Northsideoftheriver that book sounds great, can you remember the name?

Sorry to disappear everyone, I'm back again. Had a gorgeous cup of black tea recently with cardamon and cinnamon stick, it was a woman from East Africa who made it and I'll definitely be adding it to our menu.
Please tell me what beverages you offer ☕