I'm planning opening a pasty shop - what are the profit expectations?

PasturesNew

Conrad wrote: »

Mmm I need to sell the mortgage shop first. Could take a while. If I can sell it I'm petty sure I will do the pasty thang. Hey how about that for a name - 'Pastythang'

Get a mobile unit ... dress up in traditional style (aka: like a tw4t but they call that branding)

Which translates to: get a transit and go flog your pasties at weekends, give it a test go without putting all your eggs into the one basket and burning your bridges.

You might hate it after 3 weeks.

You might be just in time for any late night shopping events too in your town (although you'd need a pitch license, so you'd need to find out)... probably haven't actually got the time at all.

edgex

Conrad wrote: »

I'm looking at busy prosperous market towns. You know, a greggs opened here not too long ago and the place is rammed all day every day. Now presumably the growth phase for traditional balkers was crica 1700, yet here we have one come along and reap rewards.

My own view is that hyper fussy people, like top chefs for example will tend to do well with food as they are able to deliver a better offer and a nicer environment by dint of effort.

I am blessed / cursed with an uber detailed mind when it counts (not spelling and grammer of course).
To give you an idea, I'm the one in the airport that stares at all the pipes and beams in the cieling space and gets damned annoyed no one dusts them off:eek:

ah, but what are Greggs operating costs like compared to yours?

they can probably sit on that store making a loss for 6 months before having to break even, then hit profit after 12 months
could you do that?

& look at the range they sell, not just a lunchtime trade, but also an afternoon one with the cakes etc

PasturesNew

Greggs do bags of bread/rolls too.
Sandwiches/rolls filled to order
Stuff ...

I've been in a couple but the shop floor is always too small to actually have a look around and ask questions, you're supposed to go in already knowing what you want ... I want to find out what they do and decide. So I've always left without having anything.

Conrad

edgex wrote: »

ah, but what are Greggs operating costs like compared to yours?

they can probably sit on that store making a loss for 6 months before having to break even, then hit profit after 12 months
could you do that?

& look at the range they sell, not just a lunchtime trade, but also an afternoon one with the cakes etc

Yep, will definitely need to offer additional products to maximize takings.


My thinking is this;

I'm not rich but I would opt for a nice pasty shop over greggs any day of the week. Places like greggs sell green meat sausage rolls, crappy pies, ok sandwiches. I don't neceassarily think you'd have to charge too much more either, afterall I would'nt be carry head office costs.
Plus you could probably get away with a slightly smaller pastie than some shops offer - I think they are too large quite often.

Plus there is presentation, which some people will claim to be immune to, but Im sure it plays a role. Picture fro example a whole wall covered in bottles of funky juice - all in a colour co - ordinated manner - so you might feel a bit fat about buying a pastie, but you can balance out the treat with some green pea and lime juice.

lostinrates

Panzarotti

They re yummy. There is a well known place in Milan called Luini. Cheap to produce I bet, cheap to buy. They are almost like savory doughnuts, in side is a little fresh tomato and mozerella, or smething simple like that. People line up for Luini's from mid morning to mid afternoon, the street filled with people either eating or waiting nd the beguiling scent of hot panzarotti grabs you by the nise and pulls you down an otherwise forgettable little road.

They-Luini- did open in London, next to the Fryer's delight in ..Theobald Street? ..but didn't last, and my thoughts are thats because The Fryer's delight is such an institution, it was the equivalent of Luigi's there, in an area where people like institutions. I think somewhere less died in the wool would have been different. Also, no panarotti is as good as a Luini's..you'd have to taste one to understand.

Oh goodness. I want one now.

Thrugelmir

Conrad wrote: »

Something on my horizon.

I notice the bakers near me are always packed despite only an average offering.

By nature I have extreme OCD tendancies and feel I should focus these on a new venture - based around the best hot pasties, coffee, fruit juice and other complimentary food stuffs, TAKE AWAY ONLY. Probably need to offer sandwiches - but I am extremely detailed by naturte and will 100% ensure the products I offer are unsurpassed.

The environment will be uber clean, like you would rarely if ever have encountered before. Even the high up light bulbs will get a regular wipe.


http://www.westcornwallpasty.co.uk/

Anyone had any experience of such a business?

As an observation its a very competitive market. So maybe worth considering buying an existing business in order to at least gain a foothold. Whilst margins are high so are fixed costs. So prepare a business plan and understand how much turnover and gross margin you will need to generate to create a sound business.

silvercar

so you might feel a bit fat about buying a pastie, but you can balance out the treat with some green pea and lime juice.

If you feel fat about buying a pasty you balance it out with a diet coke not juices full of (natural) sugar.

Have you thought what running a pasty shop could do to your own waist line?

PasturesNew

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
http://www.flickr.com/photos/downingstreet/3797491025/

Pobby

A word of warning. Do your research on the franchisor. I have had 2 franchises. One was run by a rogue I found out later and I lost a fair few bob. The second one was OK but the market changed and all we did was broke even.

A buddy of mine lived next door to an Oggy franchisee and they opened a second branch so that`s promising.

I have had a retail outlet which I held for over 12 years. I and I am sure fc123 would be happy to give you any tips on that score.

Afriend_2

lostinrates wrote: »

Oh goodness. I want one now.

I'll put my pedal to the metal and my foot to the floor and will be there a couple of hours.
What 'toys' do you want me to bring?