How to make a Restaurant/Cafe keep the coffee shop feel?
Alright, we looked at a new location yesterday & Im trying to visualize something here. For many years we owned a bookstore/coffee shop & I feel that alot of people saw the bookstore & if they werent interested in books, they didnt come in to get a drink. Now I know that most people wont park at a Bookstar or Barnes & Noble or Booksamillion just to go in & get a cup of coffee but I was on a historic town square district & had a small 1800SF shop so you didnt really have to wander around a big bookstore to find the coffee. It was right now.
Now Im looking at buying a restaurant or cafe that I want to add a full service coffee shop into. But I will still offer food. Start out with mainly soups & sandwiches & work into hot meals (it has a full kitchen so I want to use it). What Im wondering is if people might be scared of coming into something they think is a restaurant if they just want a coffee? It will seat about 70ppl & when you walk in the front door you can see the bar area perfectly.
I had an experience a little while with a place like this. Its a Coffee shop with a full menu. I went into the bar & tried to order a drink & they told me to sit down & someone would be with me. A server came over a few minutes later & we ordered 2 Breve's. 15 minutes later we finally got our drinks & we had to tip the server. I dont want that to happen nor do I want customers to think that may happen. Any thoughts?
Mitch
Bella Caffe
Now Im looking at buying a restaurant or cafe that I want to add a full service coffee shop into. But I will still offer food. Start out with mainly soups & sandwiches & work into hot meals (it has a full kitchen so I want to use it). What Im wondering is if people might be scared of coming into something they think is a restaurant if they just want a coffee? It will seat about 70ppl & when you walk in the front door you can see the bar area perfectly.
I had an experience a little while with a place like this. Its a Coffee shop with a full menu. I went into the bar & tried to order a drink & they told me to sit down & someone would be with me. A server came over a few minutes later & we ordered 2 Breve's. 15 minutes later we finally got our drinks & we had to tip the server. I dont want that to happen nor do I want customers to think that may happen. Any thoughts?
Mitch
Bella Caffe
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Benza Lance on
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If you're thinking of doing a full restaurant with a full (coffee) bar, you should definately check out LaMill Coffee in LA (well... Silver Lake). I think the url is lamillcoffee.com From what I gather, you plan on doing something similar, and they do it quite well.
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Permalink Reply by Alun Evans on
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In NZ most cafes these days have a quite comprehensive food menu- but still attempt to focus on the coffee side of things as well. Generally how well this works is dictated by the service set-up- meaning as you have mentioned...do customers sit down to be served, or do they order at the counter...then wait for their drinks/meals at the counter/table??? Maybe NZ is a little different from the US, but in most cases people are not scared off from coming in just for coffee- but in saying that the really succesful businesses like this were perhaps reknown for their coffee first- then food developed along the way. 1 succesful example I can think of off hand, is a cafe called Astoria in downtown Wellington. This place seats probably 150. A matre'd works the crowd coming ithrough the door, ushering people wanting meals to tables- lights (cofee, muffins, snacks) directly to the counter to order. That way those in a hto wait more than a minute or so for their flat whites, while the sit down visitors enjoy a restaurant style of cafe servicve.
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