I was thinking of premium coffee with atmospheric conditions, was thinking of old school coffee houses, not the new modern ones, Oh yeah, this place does have a drive through window as well as a patio area with a stage for bands or other types of performances. So that is a big plus.

How about cheap coffee with a rich atmosphere? You know, make everyone feel special?

If that is the case you REALLY need to watch your costs. The problem with a lot of those types of places is people will go there but buy nothing. Just go there and chill.

Basically you need to get a good estimate of how many customers you would be getting.

Talk to the original owners about costs and customers.

NS I am not going to lie if you are going into this business to turn a profit then it is extremely risky.

If you are going into it to just have fun and break even then go for it.

I guess it all depends on what I find out this weekend when I go there to take a look at the place and look over the financial records and sales stats.

As for the sit and chillers there are ways to handle them, we got good at that at Coffee talk.

We are mainly looking into this to get my wife out of her hated job and into something we both enjoy.

I'm not looking to get rich but turning a profit and covering my overhead each month is the main goal.

just my two cents - when gas prices went above $3.50 a gallon, the first thing I cut from my budget was my once-weekly caramel cappucino.

you might want to have some sort of customer appreciation angle, like a frequent customer punch card or something, but don't make it impossible to get the freebie either. The place I was going had a punch card, but you had to buy 12 to get a freebie. I think somwhere around 6 is good.

I think you have the right idea with the patio area and stage.

Starbucks is rather a pointless indicator, the only similarity is that they sell caffeine products.


Do you know what kind of revenue the shop is currently taking? If not then ask the current proprietor for the last 3-5 years of the accounts. Also what kind of proprietary is it for $75k?

The problem with any catering(Food&Beverage) is that there is a limit to how much you can make, you have little control over your customer base (even if you charge $0.01 a coffee if the customers are not interested they are just not interested). To run a successful business in f&b then you have to find your niche and make yourself a clique of clientèle. You must tailor make your business around the community, it rarely works the other way around.

If it is large student base area then everything must appeal to them so much so, that it is 2nd nature for them to walk into your shop, they can grumble at your prices or praise you for their value but neither will lure them in they should come on there own accord(and a gentle marketing nudge in the right direction).

When I was in my late teens I had a spell in the business. We were based next to a gymnasium(sports club). Our largest customer base was the 50+ women who wanted a chit-chat after doing aerobics class mid morning. For that reason alone we charged an extra 30% on the latte than the other coffees and I'd also do a pot of tea and biscuits deal especially for them at an extortionate rate(<They did not care about the price, they just wanted the environment<which we tailored for them).

Trying to expand our business after some persistent marketing we managed to lure the 5am market to us, these are the people who would work out before work, shower put on a suit and then goto the office. What we did for them was do a light breakfast which was served with a newspaper of their choice they could take away, whilst they ate we then made them a pack lunch to take to the office with them. We would only do about 30 of these every morning but $20 per person(est exchange rate for cost of breakfast and lunch) 5 days a week all before 7am is a nice start to any traders day. We also effectively conned them into buying TWO meals a day from us(why settle for one). Often they would then be back on the weekends with the family as a chill out meeting place.

If its on or near a highway then the truckers are always a viable market.

You get what I'm saying, no 2 coffeshops are alike and neither are their customers. Screw starbucks they are not a coffeeshop they are a franchise, strive to be everything that starbucks is not.

We plan on being the Anit Star Schmucks.

Thanks for the information all, this has given me a few things to think about and look at while I am there this weekend.

I don't know the rules and regs. over there so speaking from over here and we have a pain in the butt bureaucracy system with loads of red tape.

Does it have a liquor license? What food/service license does it have? If applying for future license what pitfalls may await you?can you open all hours? can you serve all foods? what about potential for renovating or expanding(is it a listed building or in an environmental safe zone). are you restricted to food/beverage? and 100 other questions?

It is nice to have a stage area for a band but it sucks if the local residents/council would persecute you for using it. Maybe you'd like to sell some comic books too or is the terms of the food license that you cant. Does the drive through cross a pedestrian zone (think of the insurance/public liability or a tight arsed councilor blocking access). Like I say I don't know what the system is like over there, just throwing food for thought.

It should to succeed from you.
You have about eye for this work.
It isn't so difficult work though.
Remember, that a good service and amenity is a big plus.
Although i am not so choosy but i preferably goes to nice and kindly(!!) place.

I think a right price rating is important(not too high but not too low).
What lower is a price(not too low), it makes more of customers.

Here in Finland, our old money(The Finnish mark) to changed to Euro about 8 year ago.
The prices(of the F-mark to Euro) has rises almost all the time which is more or less annoying (particularly a gas, wild rise).
But have to live with it, can't whine.
I am worker in one business(colostrum/beestings intermediation, seamless community).


A good luck for you(:

So, any news on this Night?