Running a Cafe

[gigi556]

Any mumsnetters own/run a cafe? It wasn't necessarily something on my radar but a local cafe has come up for sale in a prime position and I think it could be improved. It would require financing as I don't have all the funds for start up, but I think it would be a real money maker.

Any words of wisdom? Do you enjoy it? Any regrets? Did you need finance?

No words of wisdom but following as was about to write a post asking the same thing!

Worse thing I ever did.

Never really made me money,

Now got so much debt trying to keep it afloat especially things such as PAYE, VAT and self assessment

Do you have any experience?

It always strikes me as one of those things that sounds amazing and romantic on paper, lovely regulars, you'd enjoy making the food and it would make a lovely feel good movie...

... but in reality would be stressful, exhausting, the patrons would be annoying, you'd never have down time or enough money to do all the things you desperately want to etc etc.

I set up a mobile catering caravan . I had no experience and lasted 3 years. It was a hard struggle initially.

There were times I would not take any money.

It's very weather dependant.

It's VERY time consuming, every weekend and everyday during school holidays.

However there were good times, and was able to take good money at times.

I sold my business so I could focus on being a mum.

I would recommend volunteering in a cafe first to see what it's actually like as the reality is often very different as we tend to see things through rose tinted glasses as customers .

I hope this helps.