Any other cafe owners struggling right now?

[DevonshireDumpling1]

I currently operate a 45 cover cafe in the Devon area that I have owned since 2016 - so coming up for 10 years.

It’s been hard work building up the business but we had some great success in the first few years until COVID struck - and then we had to adapt our business model and offer.

Seems ever since COVID, we have not really recovered as a business and our turnover is no where near where it used to be. We are on all the food platforms and this generates about 60% of our business (but I’m finding I’m paying a lot more to these operators for using the platforms…. But without them I’d be out of business!!)

When I opened, I had no other cafes in the local area, I now have 3, it’s hard to increase pricing when I’m in competition with others. The cost of stock is increasing as are business and utilities rates. I also own the freehold to the premises which includes the 3 bed flat upstairs that I rent out. At my peak, I employed 6 staff excluding me, I’m now down to 3 including me - and we are trading the same hours - it’s tough but I simply cannot afford.

I don’t really want to sell up as this is my passion and I’ve tried everything to make it work but I’m not sure what else I can do.

Any one been through this?

As others have asked - what’s your USP? Why do I pick you over the other two cafes nearby?

Are you clearly dog friendly, or clearly not dog friendly (both will be attractive to different customers but I hate when it’s not clear).

And what’s your marketing strategy? Who is your target customer? I’m a pretty typical millennial (dual income no kids with a dog) and find almost all of my travel and food recommendations on Instagram or maybe TikTok. So if no one is photographing and tagging your location I’m unlikely to find myself there, but then you need to have an offering that is photographable and a good SM presence to back it up.

The public don't know that you only planned to do breakfast and lunch, they just see a closed cafe when they are on their way back from the school run. The biggest thing you could do to boost the cafe is close at 5 or half 5. Think about what the franchises do such as Starbucks or Costa or Nero... Stop making excuses and base your business on longer opening hours. You are not competing with restaurants in the eve you are opening up the cafe to the coffee and cake brigade of the afternoon, the SAHM and the students and those working on a laptops in the day.

Definitely tap into the afterschool market. Can you do milkshakes, ice creams, matcha?

Definitely need to cater to the afternoon tea crowd. I’m retired and would only meet friends in the afternoon as I’m not an early riser so have breakfast late and therefore lunch late. Afternoon teas are popular as hen dos for the brides older relatives, popular as baby showers too. Get a licence so you can add Prosecco or champagne to the afternoon tea. Bottomless brunch would then be an option, strangely it doesn’t have to be at brunch time.

Also how about 'Grazing Boxes/Munch Boxes'
Munch Box:
6 bakes - small
13 (bakers dozen) - large
Great for an evening treat for Movie Night/At Home Date Night etc or when visiting

If you are on the food delivery platforms presumably you are in one of the towns rather than a village setting? In which case you will likely have competition from small supermarket branches as well.

Look at what the others are offering and see what you can do that is different or what they are doing well that you can replicate. I agree, being shut in the afternoons is likely to lose potential custom.

Creating a large stock of highly perishable items such as sandwiches is risky but offering a decent ordering service or a counter that does made to order fairly promptly could do well, especially if you can off named local sources (maybe in collaboration with a farm shop?). You won’t compete with the local Tesco for the price of an egg sandwich but for those willing to spend a bit more you might be able to offer the same made with eggs from farm x, bread from bakery y and organic sprouts.

Who are your customers? Who would you like to be your customers?

Opening up at 630am is very early? How much breakfast trade do you honestly get when i would say 630 is a commuter start not a tourist in what is presumably a tourist destination if you are in Devon?
id open a bit lager 730/8am for breakfast. Add that time into closing so close 4pm

id also offer kids parties or mums groups during the day - a small cafe has opened near me - they do Disney themed parties for kids and also pottery painting etc . They also offer a WFH deal which I often use if I need a change of scenery to my house and a good coffee

yes, who is going to a cafe at 6.30?
if you are on a school route, what about packed lunches (for the days when you are in a hurry)- I wouldn't make them up in advance but have a range of stuff you could sell later
healthy pie+fruit+flapjack+drink carton at a standard price
or breakfast for after school drop off

I live in a holiday area and a friend owns a cafe.

She opens until around 4ish - she gets more people in now for late lunches, people in for coffee and cake in the afternoon, afterschool run popping in for coffee and cake, etc.

She is also now dog friendly (has water bowls, dog treats on the counter, stocks dog ice cream, etc). I know dogs in cafes can be a bit divisive, but she used to close in winter and allowing dogs has meant she has a lot more year round trade (dog walkers out on the beach in all weathers wanting hot chocolate to warm up).

Local produce - she’s teamed up with a local bakery for bread and rolls, a well known local cake maker for lush cakes, local growers and makers for jam, honey, salad stuff.

She’s got an alcohol licence and does bottomless brunches, champagne afternoon teas, etc, opens out of hours and does a lot of hen nights and birthdays.

She also does workshops and stuff, knit and natter groups,

Opening up at 6.30 am is very early. Is it to attract truckers / builders / early morning workers ?
Are you more catered for that customer base or for those wanting a scone and a cup of tea from a bone China cup ?
I ask because if you are there to attract the former can you offer something that will get more bums on seat ? Extra free toast / a customer loyalty stamp card , say 10 breakfasts get 11th half price etc .
Have you done a customer breakdown ? How many customers 6.30 - 10am / average spend/ what they buy .
10 - 2pm the same . What's the comparison ? What do you repeatedly get asked for but don't sell ?
Anything like that .