to think that hot food is unnecessary for the launch of a kitchen/ bathroom shop

[Shelly32]

My husband is opening a kichen/bathroom showroom on Saturday and want to have Prosecco and snacks to offer browsers. He thinks we should put on quiche, mini pizzas etc etc. I think it'll either go to waste or stink the shop out and put people off. Surely people don't expect food like this? I was thinking more along the lines of bowls of 'posh' crisps/pretzels. What do you think?

Yuk yuk to anything communal that people are sticking their hands into.

I think mini quiches and pizzas would be quite nice

Canapes would be better than either IMHO.

Oh, husband was probably right then. Canapes sound good! I'll check out
Iceland Waitrose a little later on. Thank you

Yes just to clarify I assume you meant canapé style mini quiches /pizzas - please don't go ordering a pizza hut and serving it along with some hacked up quiche- that would be odd!

Canapes are a very good idea and will leave a better first impression; is it a 'posh' bathroom store or not? I'd say it depends on your ideal clientele what you want to go for but crisps are at the lower end of the scale.

Yes it is a posh store. I did mean those multi coloured root vegetable crisps by the way, not onion rings and Monster Munch

We've never had a showroom before so this is a first and I just want to make teh best first impression.

Where is it? I need a new bathroom .

Canapes and prosecco sounds lovely, I think it is a great idea to make a really good first impression.

I can't imagine it wold go to waste. Most people like free food.

I have a shop, and we do things like this too.

However, hot food would be a PITA. You will have to pay someone to make it and look after it - your OH needs to be able to concentrate on the punters and the shop floor.

Also, you will get greasy paw prints all over the lovely new stuff. And crumbs.

Giving the something is great though, because it makes people take their time. We tend to give them a glass of something bubbly when they come in (look for special offers at Sainsburys - their cheapest always seems very drinkable. And they do free glass loans) which means they have to stay long enough to drink it, so they look at more things.

We then also have something sweet to offer (posh chocolates, jelly babies, cakes, mini cup cakes, mince pies - we've done it all) but that's far less popular than the booze. We don't bother with fruit juice now as it was rarely asked for, but I suppose it'd be good to have some. We made our own bellinis once - that went well. If you have a kitchen that 'works' you could get a load of peaches and a blender to make them fresh - always more impressive (and no work at all - peach in blender, blend peach, pour into glass, add champagne, plonk in stirrer)

Anyway, in my experience people want a drink and a free hand to look at stuff. They don't want a drink and a paper plate / napkin with food on it because it leaves them with no hands with which to feel the quality :)

Remember to ask everyone to sign up to your mailing list (even if you don't have one yet) - collect their name and email addresses so you can contact them to remind them how lovely you are later. (Use mailchimp - free and lovely)

I've often thought of doing a free continental breakfast buffet on a Sunday morning but we don't have the facilities. Maybe you do if you sell kitchens?

Good luck - let us know how it goes.

Worcester Ragwort Come on over! I'm nervous as DH has asked me to offer the drinks/chat to the customers. I hope we get some customers but at the same time, 'working the room' and being charming are not high up on my skills list!

tip for an ultimately posh cocktail: prosecco + dose of Aperol + sparkling water.

I would follow through the Italian theme for the canapés (prosciutto, parmesan...), perhaps have some olives and displaying the food in the items on sale in the shop.
Individual special olive oils flasks are also a nice gift for the guests.

Machadaynu Your post has so much useful information. DH is always moaning that I'm on here too much. The golden advice you've just given me will vindicate me and all my hours on here. Thank you, it's much appreciated!! I will let you know

No probs - I should add that it's always nice to be able to offer food, but it doesn't get taken up too much - perhaps because it's generally sweet. We do it that way so there is something for the kids.

We have someone on the door to offer a drink, give out a card with the special offers on (plus web address etc etc) and just tell them that there are cakes or whatever available and to help themselves. We then have the cakes on the counter along with some napkins; generally people take the cake as they leave so it rounds off the visit nicely: arrive (get given nice thing) look at stuff / buy stuff, leave (with nice things and a cake) - it sets people up to come back. If you front load with all the free stuff they've sort of forgotten about it by the end.

At trade shows we go to there are quite often bowls of sweets and things around, which is always nice. if you have a few kitchens you could leave them about so people can help themselves, but it is always good to round off with a free thing - we're evolved to like sweet food, so a parting cupckae is ideal. You might be able to find a local cupcake co. that will make cakes with your logo on or something on - but timewise might be tricky now.

Cupcakes sound like a great idea. There is a bakery three doors down from us and Waitrose also do some lovely cupcakes. I'm just not sure how many to buy/order. I guess having too many is better than not enough and I imagine you can freeze cupcakes..
Putting the food on the kitchen sides so people can help themselves if they want it is a far better idea than me wafting around trying to tempt them with things they might be too polite to refuse!
Thanks again!!

Shelly32 - that's not too far away - I will try and visit !

where is waitrose in worcester surely you mean malvern?

anyway canapes sound like a better idea. and if its a kitchen place maybe a demo to show how to make them.

good luck on your opening.

How did the launch go?!

Yes, it was Malvern but I never how much to give away on the internet.

Thank you everyone for all the great advice! I bought enough canapes for around 50 people and found some really cute mini cupcakes. It all went and interest in the shop was really reassuring!

Did you make it in Ragwort? My DDs (nearly 3) would have loved to meet you!
Thanks again all!!

Oh no - I was in Malvern on Saturday and could have called in ; are you easy to find?

If you know Malvern a little, you might know where it is. It's Newtown Rd , near the pet shop and Threshers. Pop in when you're in Malvern next!! If you have little one/s we have a great play area at the back

I will come and find you - my 'little one' has just started secondary school though .

Do you have an website, are you allowed to tell me the name or could you pm me?

A kitchen smelling of actual food is a nice thing. A bathroom.... jury's out.

I would certainly do some non-communal nibbles of some description, but they need to be either meant to be cold and be cold, or meant to be hot and be fresh hot (not microwaved).

Ragwort, I will

Aldiwhore I'm not sure about kitchen shops smelling of food. My DH mum wants to do cookery classes after hours ( a long way down the line in her mind/ over my dead body in my mind) but to think of the kitchen shop smelling of food and having splatters to clean up just isn't my idea of how it should be.
If I was going to buy a kitchen or bathroom, I'd want it to smell fresh and clean. Maybe coffee but that's where I'd draw the line (apart from on the launch day). But that's just me, I guess.