How to open a café

There is a very important point a lot of people forget when opening a business of such sort. The goal is not to please everybody. This is very unrealistic and simply not possible. It rather is understanding who your customers are, and for which target group your business is designed. For this sake, you should ask yourself the following questions:

• Who is your target group?
• What are their demographics?
• Are the customers in a specific area willing to pay for your coffee? Do they perceive your prices as reasonable enough?
• Will you offer food? If yes, will you do it yourself or do you have to work together with a bakery?
• Do you want to offer sit-down services?

Before you get started with the implementation stage, think about the idea of café you have in mind. Bring down all your visions and goals on paper. Think about what atmosphere you want to create in your location. After looking around some cafés and getting inspiration, the picture of your own business becomes more and more complete, just like a puzzle. Now you need to work on all the details. Ask yourself, what style your café should have, how you want to serve your products, and think about your payment system. Also, start thinking about how you want to design and decorate your interior.

Do not forget all the details such as the coffee mugs and cups, the menus, the wallpapers, the cashier’s desk, the fridge with the cake, etc. A clearly defined and written-down vision will help you with the following planning and implementing steps. It will help you with choosing a name and logo for your brand, finally deciding on the décor, planning the food, finishing the menu, choosing the coffee, and even defining a way to interact with and please the customers.

We have already stressed the fact of studying the areas where you consider opening your café and by now the circle should be smaller. Now, before you finally decide on a location, spend some more time in those areas and have your eyes wide open. Specifically observe how many people are moving on foot and how the parking situation is. Also, you need to, once again, think about the following questions: Is the location visible enough and easy to reach? How much food traffic is around the location? What are the demographics in that area? What do the people in this area like and dislike? Who exactly am I competing with?

Bear in mind that you will spend a lot of time in your café. So, you must know your environment and the area and know the people living there. Also, study the crime rates, the regulations and zoning and the distance from suppliers. Every detail has a huge impact on the business’s success. Additionally, you should consider the location itself. You should make sure there is ample room and all the necessary gas, drain, and water lines installed. Also, you might consider having a front-of-house area, so see if you have enough space and capacity for that. All these things also influence your start-up costs and should be well thought out.

When it comes to shopping, you might find yourself lost in all the gadgets you will need and where to buy them. Here you can help yourself by asking around in other cafés and looking at their equipment. Here some of the equipment you might need:

• Coffee brewers, grinders, and espresso machine
• Hot water dispenser, refrigerator, ice machine
• Bakery display case
• More-than-one compartment sink
• Frothing pitchers and thermometers
• Tea and coffee mugs, and espresso cups
• Cup, lid, and straw organizers
• Display case

Cafés are specialized in serving freshly brewed and high-quality coffee, and that is the most important thing in your business. So, finding a qualitative and reliable supplier is essential for your café’s success. Also here, you should ask yourself questions about what you are looking for in a supplier and your products.

• Do you want sustainable products? Do you want them all fair-traded?
• What tastes are you aiming for? Do you want the coffee more sour and bitter, or do you want it to be creamier and more intense? Or do you even want to offer both options?
• How about the other drinks, such as tea? What types of tea do you want and how did you imagine serving them? Do you prefer the tea packed in teabags, or do you want to create your herbal mixture?

But not only should you look for good coffee beans. There are many more supplies that you will need. Milk. Eventually ingredients for bread and cakes. Cups and napkins. Coffee stirrers. Teapots and teabags. Syrups. There are many more things, that should be added to this list. Make sure to write everything down and start looking for suppliers for each point. Make sure, your work with trustworthy people, who can assure you of their quality and always keep all the agreements official with signed contracts.