Anybody own/run a coffee shop?

vsumouse

can anyone who owns/runs a coffee shop give me some information please,
im thinking about opening a small coffee shop in my local town.
could you please give me info on coffee suppliers, panini suppliers (pre made), profit margins, insurances,

also i was wondering if i buy a product from a supermarket, could i split the items down and sell as individuals?

full-time-mum

I would imagine you would get better custom if you bake your own cakes/soups/etc.

I worked (briefly) in a garden centre coffee shop and people came for the quality of cakes and food. I think that the sausage rolls and pastys were brought from cash and carry but everything else was made.
(Mind you, lasagne/chilli was made with packet mixes and chicken and brocolli bake with campbells condensed soup)

Don't know what the profit margins were but she didn't keep me on at the end of my trial as minimum wage went up and she said she could no longer afford me. (I think it was more her feeling threatened because I wasn't your run of the mill min-wage-bod and could use my brain:D)

babiebeany

I looked into buying a little coffee shop last year and saw a few before I changed my mind. The poster above was correct, the best ones make most things from scratch and make a name for themselves that way.

One that did very well use Le/La France which is a French style bakery in the Midlands to deliver high quality bakery products. Don't know if they will be a national company though.

The best of luck with your venture.

Kilty_2

Definately agree with making stuff from scratch, I'd be more likely to return to somewhere serving good quality food rather than something straight out a packet

Tomthumb

You can't usually split and sell supermarket items such as crisps as they will have 'multipack, not to be sold individually' marked on them but you can buy individually packed items like this at the cash and carry - we ran a B&B and bought small individual cereal boxes etc.. from bookers.

greyteam1959

Try these 2 sites
I use both of them
https://www.3663.co.uk
https://www.delicedefrance.co.uk
Both nationwide

Horasio

You can have the nicest food, be on all the best eating guides but if your customer service slips just once, people will remember and the word spreads.

I am sure you will have a lovely coffee shop and give the best service but so many lack this VITAL ingredient!

Good luck:)

andyboy190

hi vsumouse i have pm you , may be able to help you in a few areas

Kantankrus_Mare

Just one word of advice.................don't employ ALL really young staff. Where I work we have a mixture of ages ranging from 15 right through to 72, but it works!!

5limJim

Kantankrus_Mare wrote: »

Just one word of advice.................don't employ ALL really young staff. Where I work we have a mixture of ages ranging from 15 right through to 72, but it works!!

WHAT THEY SAY! one of the most overlooked or understimated things in business is the customers perception of your business... sometimes a customer won't necessarily pass on bad reviews of your business, however, that 1 customer will be less likely to visit again, and if anyone will suggest going to you, will often suggest going elsewhere.. I know this, but only as a cosumer myself, whilst I have not had horrible service in some places due to the staff, if someone suggests visiting a place I'm quite likely to suggest going elsewhere

a business needs a variety of staff, employ the same people and the perception to the customer will always be the same, employ a variety of staff and a customer is more likley to come back

MORPH3US

OP, go into a HSBC bank and tell them you are thinking of opening a Business Account for your coffee shop.

Collect some info and then say "A friend has told me about a system called Cobweb that you might have access to, to get some factsheets about starting up my Business"

Hopefully if you are talking to someone who knows what they are on about and is nice, they will print you a Business Opportunity Profile (BOP) about running a coffee shop....

Hope this helps!

M