Cafe

ElkyElky

paddyrg wrote: »

Just a thought but maybe an important one - if there is no independent access, is the cafe limited to the Spar opening hours too? Some types of cafe do major regular business from commuters wanting a bacon buttie on their way to work, so serving by 6.30 or 7am, prep from 5.30/6am. If the spar opens at 8, say, you would not be able to pull that crowd.

Yes, limited to whenever Spar is open. That's something I hadn't considered and I can add that to the cons list.

ElkyElky

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

I think for a newsagent you'd need to be up earlier than that. we used to live next door to one, 4/5 am every morning, until we learned to sleep through it!

Tell me about it. The owner of the newsagents next door to me pulls up at 5 on the dot with music loud as hell coming from his van and rattling shutters. :mad:

SailorSam

You maybe able to get the local freepaper to run a story saying there is now somewhere to get a cup of tea and a butty while out shopping. If it's been a cafe before how much would you need to spend on fittings, there must be lots there if you can do a deal with Spar, they'd be glad to have it open, it means more people in their shop, and you don't have to worry about security, of a night it will be the Spar window that gets smashed not yours.

Mr.Mulla

In my opinion, I think you should pass on this one. Primarily because you don't have experience handling a business yet and this cafe because of its location would require a lot of effort for it to kick off. If you really want to start a business, just look for something easier to handle. If you are really bent on running a cafe then just try and look for a better location so you won't be needing to do as much advertisement as this one.

coupleuk

Even though you have no experience of running your own business, I would say that everyone has to start somewhere.

I wouldnt worry too much about window frontage as its the footfall thats important - and that can be thru the Spar itself or even past the front doors.

You must be careful to ensure Spar dont expect you to stay open all the hours they're open - you are unlikely to do much after 2pm. If you can close earlier than them, is it easy to secure the cafe?

A cafe does well on word of mouth more than anything else - so get your cleaning standards sorted and produce good value quality food and people should come flocking - especially with several businesses close by.

The one major thing you need to do is to agree favourable terms with Spar - I would suggest that you need a month free and then something like £100/week in rent (depending on number of covers ie chairs you have).

You dont want to agree any long-terms either - try to get a one month rolling lease so you can get out with little notice but one where they have to give you three months.

They're only likely to want you out if you've built the trade and they want to reap the benefits - so you do need that notice period from them.

Dont be too peeved if they do that - after all, you'll soon want to be out the door if things go badly. Just look at it that you've managed to build-up a new business from scratch, have gained some experience (and hopefully have a few quid saved) and can then move forward to finding your own shop.

I wouldnt dismiss it as it could be a very low cost way of starting out - BUT double check everything, set yourself firm financial budgets and stick to them ie make sure you get a deal which suits you and then, dont give everything away to friends/family.

Work it thru carefully and, if it works out, pat yourself on the back.

Paul

hermum

Would you be able to make up fresh sandwiches, salads, jacket pots etc to take away from it? If you can & it's on a main road with easy parking or a Senior school, college, or large offices, then you could be able to make it work.
I have a Spar up the road from me, which is usually fairly busy but I can't see that a cafe would get used but I know they do a good trade in pastys, pies & plastic sandwiches. So a take away sandwich bar would possibly work.
I wouldn't ever buy a pre-packed sandwich but may buy a made to order with nice bread & decent fillings.

GothicStirling

If you are serious about opening a catering business you'll need more than 'a few relatives with experience.' I have over ten years experience and thinking about starting my own next year, but it is still daunting.

I've worked in so many cafes, restaurants, bakery that didn't know how to run a food business properly. Then there are the incompetent managers . . . The Bakery I worked in last year is closing [they were losing money hand over fist when I left, and had some dubious hygiene practises.] I was lucky to get an job as an assistant manager for a cafe at a tourist location last year, the owner was a Michelin star chef and taught me how to run a catering business.

dazco

GothicStirling wrote: »

If you are serious about opening a catering business you'll need more than 'a few relatives with experience.' I have over ten years experience and thinking about starting my own next year, but it is still daunting.

I've worked in so many cafes, restaurants, bakery that didn't know how to run a food business properly. Then there are the incompetent managers . . . The Bakery I worked in last year is closing [they were losing money hand over fist when I left, and had some dubious hygiene practises.] I was lucky to get an job as an assistant manager for a cafe at a tourist location last year, the owner was a Michelin star chef and taught me how to run a catering business.

You need to read/watch/be careful what you say, or you could look a little daft here.
What you have essentially wrote is that the OP cannot take over a cafe in a Spar shop because the OP does not have a Michelin star or have a mentor that does have a Michelin star. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

GothicStirling

dazco wrote: »

You need to read/watch/be careful what you say, or you could look a little daft here.
What you have essentially wrote is that the OP cannot take over a cafe in a Spar shop because the OP does not have a Michelin star or have a mentor that does have a Michelin star. :rotfl::rotfl::rotfl::rotfl:

Eh?

Talk about 2+2=5.

What I said [if you read properly] I was lucky to be employed by someone [who happens to be a michelin star chef] who actually knows how to run a food business.

The majority of people looking to start food business haven't got a clue about what it takes. Which is probably why the cafe failed to start with, because retailers with cafe's [and I've worked with a few] don't have a clue.

dazco

GothicStirling wrote: »

Eh?

Talk about 2+2=5.

What I said [if you read properly] I was lucky to be employed by someone [who happens to be a michelin star chef] who actually knows how to run a food business.

The majority of people looking to start food business haven't got a clue about what it takes. Which is probably why the cafe failed to start with, because retailers with cafe's [and I've worked with a few] don't have a clue.

And you have said it again!!!!;)

You have said that you have been lucky enough to have been employed by a Michelin Chef, and the rest don't have a clue.

There are tens of thousands of cafes run successfully by people who "haven't got a clue what it takes" and who have never met a Michelin star chef.

I would suggest if after TEN YEARS in the business, some of it under a Michelin chef, you find the prospect of running your own cafe daunting then you are in the wrong business.