For thinking a cafe should not be asking for donation's from their customer’s

[Bambooparty]

Would love to hear other opinions on this .

Lovely little cafe near to where I live. Overinflated prices, but I don’t mind paying as it’s small local business with good coffee. Owners are mid 20’s.

It’s busy all the time, they pay staff, have lots of corporate clients etc.

I was quite shocked when I went in today as there were quite a few posters asking for donations for a kitchen renovation. They had QR code which directed us to a site asking for them to help pay for a new kitchen, stove, flooring etc. and help with costs as they will be closed for a week.

AIBU for thinking this should be something they should save or ask the bank for a loan ?

As long as it's only on the posters and they're not pointedly directing you towards donating then I think it's fine. Just ignore it if you're not interested.

I wouldn't donate to this either, my continued custom would be my contribution to their business.

I agree, that's distinctly odd. Are they a nonprofit or something? I suppose people can ask for anything but I'd be unsure how legal that is.

Seems strange...is it a charity or business....

I wouldn't care as long as it wasn't forced on me. I wouldn't donate personally, but others might and that's their choice.

No, not a non profit. It’s actually in more of a low income area which is why it’s shocked me so much.

Lots of businesses crowdfund these days. It sounds like they're trying to do that but badly, since there's usually a reward involved for anyone who gives money.

I contributed to a crowd finder for our local Indy bookshop to do up their new bigger shop. I see the bookshop as a nice thing for us to have in our community. I guess some people might feel the same about your cafe. Margins are pretty tight in hospitality and Indy retail. It could take years for them to make enough for a new kitchen.

Are they hassling people at the till or when they’re sitting at tables? I would hate that.

I was about to say YANBU until I read they were just posters, and not staff asking customers for donations.

If people are happy to donate (I wouldn't) then it's all good.

I think it’s a case of “if you don’t ask you don’t get”
no one has to donate but I suppose every little helps
if I really loved a place and went there often and saw a poster like that I’d probably donate something

Might one assume that their age means that they think that they are influencers in an Instagram world where they don’t need to save up and everyone else should pay for what they need? Sadly, this doesn’t surprise me but it does make me cross that they can’t see that their business costs are their responsibility 🥹 and not yours.

YABU. In this day and age, small businesses have to be creative to survive. You don't have to donate.

If they're a 'boutique' style pricey cafe in a Joe's Greasy Spoon-type location (and I love a good greasy spoon cafe!), it doesn't take a genius to work out why they aren't getting enough turnover to afford things like a new kitchen from their ongoing profits.

They maybe should have done a little more research beforehand and opened the kind of business (or in the kind of location) that the locality would want, rather than the one that they wanted.

they can ask, you don't have to give.

Animal crossing vibes

Honestly as long as they weren't mugging me at the till or banging a drum I wouldn't care

Times are tough for independent businesses - I’d have no problem at all in helping our local cafe out with a small donation. I have done similar when the cafe/dog park that we go to very regularly sustained severe flood damage. The support that they received from the local community/other customers was phenomenal - it was really lovely to see.

In summary - if it was a small business that I regularly go to and support then yes, I’d be more than happy to help out. If it was somewhere that I’m not really familiar with then no, I probably wouldn’t feel the need to donate.

They’re not forcing you to donate anything. I really can’t see the issue.

crowd funding is the way things go these days - lots of businesses are doing this. I would not object as long as it is not being forced on you.

If it's just a poster on the wall asking, that's fine. If they asked you verbally, that's not fine.

Just think if a random person that came in for a cup of coffee had let's say £10 million. Donating a grand or two from that, to a place they love to come to for coffee, is perfectly feasible.

I think they've gone about this fine, so long as it's just the poster and no pressure.

They can try. Seems a slight misunderstanding of how businesses would usually organise their capex, but hey, maybe it works.

They could always offer a Patreon-style incentive for generous givers - a free slice of cake or pot of tea for a year if you give £X or more.

That way, it's more of a subscription-style deal, rather than begging.

It was just a poster, which people are free to ignore. I don't see the issue.

YANBU!!

I also find this strange and wouldn't donate, but God loves a trier I suppose!

I used to have a small shop and tried to get loans to help upgrade and keep it going - nothing was available, and most annoying were the constant emails from funding circle and the like which would beg me to apply and knock me back every time.

I did as much creative advertising as I could to lure customers in, and when a loyal but very occasional customer realised how much I was struggling, they kindly tried to organise a crowd funder to help. I got wind of it and was mortified and managed to get a mutual friend to ask them to take down a post on FB that they'd hidden from me before it went any further. I wanted customers not charity and at that point realised the writing was on the wall when we live in a world where small bricks and mortar shops are absolutely obsolete because big Chinese online platforms and general economic decline. It was very sweet in its way, but also wouldn't solve my long term issues which were simply lack of custom despite everyone in social media world loving the idea of it, but not actually coming through the door.

So I can understand why they're trying this route, it might well be because they need to upgrade to build the business but banks etc won't lend to them. It's hard to generate enough profit to cover refurbs plus everyday running costs and of course things like cafes and restaurants have environmental standards to comply with too.

We live in very peculiar times and people are encouraged to try all sorts of creative measures to stay afloat.

It could also even backfire with regular customers wondering if their hygiene and food safety are up to snuff right now, if they need a new kitchen so badly. They might worry that Environmental Health had paid a visit and given them a stern warning and a deadline.

And if it's just that they rather fancy a nicer kitchen, or one that's a bit more up-to-date, why the urgency that means they have to fundraise from customers?

Not saying that this would be my first thought personally, but rumours can start over very little indeed.