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 ?

I think I might know the place! If I'm right, there was a big post about it on their inatagram, about how all the costs add up because it all needs doing at once and their loss of profit because of the necessary closure, so there was a link for donations.

It did put me off a bit to be honest, most places need to close occasionally for a refurb/maintenance and don't need donations to pay for it (a local pub did a couple weeks back!), it makes me feel like they aren't running the business very well.

This would really put me off a place.

It would put me off a bit. I sympathise about the cost of running a place like that, but the whole point of going to a Cafe is to relax, not worry about the state of the economy.

They shouldn't have to, and it does make me question whether they're being honest about the viability of the business...

On the other hand, do you like the cafe, would you miss it if it were not there. Do you prefer a small, independently run cafe vs a starbucks or costa?

If you don't use it and support it, you may well lose it.

I would donate -I live in an area with a dearth of cafes and decent restaurants.

When it is done are they going to be giving away free stuff?

What’s the issue? If you want to donate, do so. If you don’t, don’t 🤷‍♀️

If they don’t get enough donations they’ll surely get a loan anyway. So don’t donate and your desired outcome will be more likely to be achieved. Don’t stress the small stuff!

Me too.

YANBU. It would completely put me off going there.

Any spare cash I’ve got goes to food banks, homeless charities, etc, and not by giving free money to young entrepreneurs. Although I totally get it must be very difficult to run a small business these days.

Yep, it's all just part of running a business, really.

You can't be charging 'business' prices - i.e. standard cafe prices that are obviously much more than if you bought the basic food and drink in a supermarket, to account for all of your additional costs and profit, and then still be asking for more to help you run your business.

They'd be better putting their prices up a little bit - that's the only reasonable way really to get your customers to cover your costs.

Either it's a very cheap not-for-profit community concern with volunteers and maybe donations of supplies from local community-minded businesses or it's a profit-making business that hopefully makes them a decent living; you can't have the best of both and the 'worst' of neither.

Because that's not how my brain works.

Put it this way: having the notice there changes the atmosphere.

How is it unreasonable to ask? It's just a poster. They aren't coming round wafting a tablet opened up to their Go Fund Me in your face I assume.

I think asking for any donations is ok if they are directly asking just posters. If they have a lot of corporate clients I guess it’s more aiming on them.
However it would make me wondering about current state of the kitchen and they’re general approach to business.

I'm really surprised that this would bother people!

It wouldn't bother me per se, but I just think it looks like you don't know how to run a business and set your prices properly.

I wonder what they would do if somebody offered them several thousand pounds but then wanted a share of the business in return, like on Dragons' Den? Wouldn't it be humiliating to decline their proposition whilst still asking for money - so you can invest (please do), but it's our business which we're perfectly capable of running, thank you, so you don't get a slice of it.

I'm surprised they aren't embarrassed to do this; or maybe they are, but they're struggling and this is make or break for them.

I know it's the opposite end of the scale, but can you imagine if Sainsbury's put up posters asking for donations towards a normal business expense? Very different in scale, but not really at all in principle.

I understand and agree with that. It does change the atmosphere because it would make me think that the business in on the way out. Typical route for business fundraising is via a bank, and the customers aren't made aware of it.

It's ok to do a poster I suppose, but perhaps not very business-like?

I have just recently donated to a crowdfunder for our local cafe. Difference is that they have been in situ for 30 years and the owner has had a stroke. That along with the cost of living, rental rises, business rates rises and the rise in NI means they have less than a month's running costs up their sleeve. They needed to raise 5k just to get them through until March when things would be better for various reasons.

Donated £30 and have gone there more often than usual. For me it is worth it because of my knowledge of the cafe and the context.

I wouldn't give them money as they clearly don't know how to run a business.

They could refit it and then still close down if they aren't making enough profits.

They should be looking for loans or private investment, not begging their customers.

I think you can know how to run a business and still have it fail, however, even after doing appropriate research before setting up. As a PP said, it’s not always possible to get a loan, either.

Ah brains aren’t that co operative sadly. I’d start feeling sorry that they were going to close down and I don’t want to feel sad when I’m treating myself so I’d stop going possibly.

Businesses fail everyday - it doesn't necessarily mean the owners don't know what they're doing. Hospitality in particular is really, really difficult to make a success of.

It's not always possible to get a loan or private investment either.

I think it’s a great idea. If I liked a place and could help then I definitely would. Running a small business can be extremely difficult and I’ve seen too many in my community close in the last few years.