Cafe Kitchen: Relaxed food for friends from the Lantana Café

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Intention – a worker on their lunch break will want to grab a coffee and go, whereas someone meeting friends is likely to want to sit and stay a while. Your cafe can cater to both of these customer intentions, or choose one over the other. If you’re already a cafe owner and are looking to give your business a boost, you can skip to chapter three and onwards, which will help you to tweak your cafe business strategy and offer advice as to how to increase success. How to start a cafe business Storage & organisation Furniture Textiles Kitchenware & tableware Kitchens Lighting Decoration Rugs, mats & flooring Beds & mattresses Baby & children Smart home Bathroom products Laundry & cleaning Plants & plant pots Home electronics Home improvement Outdoor living Food & beverages Christmas Shop Shop by room Temperature – you should keep your cafe at a comfortable temperature so that customers are neither too hot nor too cold. Keep an eye out for signs that the temperature may be wrong – for example, customers wearing coats indoors. The world of online marketing is a big one, and tapping into it can produce a number of positive results for your cafe. As it’s likely that you will be doing most - if not all - marketing yourself, this guide covers some of the techniques that are simplest to implement. In the future, it’s worth remembering that employing the help of a professional digital marketer can often be beneficial, once you have exhausted most of the DIY marketing options.

A business plan is your chance to not only showcase your proposition but show your enthusiasm and dedication to your venture. Remember, on the rare instances when you are not in the cafe, your employees will be the face of your business.These are all important elements to bear in mind throughout the whole start-up process, as they will influence your cafe’s overall proposition. Have you worked out who your customers are going to be? In the UK, we drink approximately 95 million cups of coffee per day. A relatively busy coffee shop can expect to sell around 200 hot drinks every day. You may find it useful to use tools such as FloorPlanner.com to help you visualise how best to place in your cafe, as well as the logistics of queues and walkways. You may have to try a few different layouts before you get one that really works. Things to bear in mind include: Furniture and wares– your cafe’s tables, chairs, cutlery and even cups and saucers should all reflect the overall design and décor theme. With the increasing popularity of both take-away and sit-in cafes, there has naturally been a subsequent increase in the number starting up, resulting in a relatively crowded marketplace. With the iron grip of the big chain cafes holding the market tightly, plus an ever-growing influx of independents and specialist shops filling in the niches – where can a new cafe start-up expect to fit in?

Cafes typically fall into their own category, in a cross-section between catering and hospitality - and this so-called ‘coffee shop market’ has been growing eight times faster in the UK than the overall British economy. For kitchen staff – you will probably want to consider hiring kitchen staff that are experienced, to begin with. This means looking for someone who has already worked in a kitchen and is able to cope with high-pressure situations. Your cafe’s location may be one of the most important factors in determining its success in the future. While no one can tell you how to choose the ‘right’ location – as what’s right for your business will depend entirely on your unique proposition – there are some tips you can follow to make sure you don’t choose the ‘wrong’ location. If you're planning on offering deliveries, you need to make sure your delivery vehicles and drivers are insured for commercial use, as most normal car insurance policies don't cover this. Does your alcohol licence cover you for takeaway alcoholic drinks?

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Insurance – you may be required to have some forms of insurance in place before opening, depending on your business’s circumstances. Read more about coffee shop insurance here. Your upselling technique has to be carefully crafted, as customers will not react favourably if they feel put on the spot or pressured. Upselling should be in the name of improving the customer’s experience, rather than just brashly trying to make more money. Train your employees in the tactic The size and shape of the premises you have chosen will ultimately influence the way that you lay out your cafe – for example where the entrance is, and where the main counter should go. It’s likely that coffee is going to be one of the most integral products on your cafe’s menu, so it’s important that you choose your coffee beans carefully.

There are many benefits of recruiting cafe staff, including reducing your own workload so you have more time to focus on other areas of the business. However, there are also certain downfalls that can come with having employees, such as those associated with not hiring the right people (discussed below), and entrusting the fate of your business to a stranger.

Mission

It’s no secret that starting your own business will cost money. Calculating the total amount of money needed, and what it will be spent on, is often one of the most intimidating tasks for an entrepreneur to carry out. For tax purposes in the U.S., you'll also want to secure an Employer Identification Number (EIN) from the IRS. Preferences – if your cafe has a strong theme or concept, then this will likely define your core customers based on their preferences towards that theme. For instance, a dog-friendly cafe will be looking to attract dog lovers almost exclusively.