Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Spencer on February 29, 2008 at 7:28pm

Did you survey any other cafes in the area?
You can ask your suppliers for volume estimates from your competitors or other cafes in the area.
Did you track the volume of traffic, drive-by or walk-by during different dayparts and different days of the week?

• ▶ Reply

Permalink Reply by Chris O'Connor on March 4, 2008 at 8:16am

I encountered the same issue as we prepared to open. As it turned out I was overly optimistic on how quickly sales would grow and consequently ended up with way too much inventory on hand. My suggestion is to start with maybe 300 - 500 each hot and cold cups (with lids to fit) for each size you will offer. Incidentals like napkins, stir sticks, straws, etc can also be kept to just a few boxes of each as most can be quickly replenished from local suppliers (Cash & Carry or similar) and do not present a problem with long lead times. With syrups you probably want 6 bottles each of vanilla and caramel, and one or two of anything else you plan to offer. As for coffee, your roaster should be pretty understanding during start-up (and after) and provide frequent buys/deliveries. For us, we could have started with 15 lbs of the whole beans we use for espresso, 15 lbs whole bean for drip brew, and 2 - 5 lbs whole bean decaf (we sell very little decaf).

Hope that helps! You can call or email me if you want to go into any more detail.

Chris (208) 283-5289
pmoenterprises@msn.com

• ▶ Reply

▶ Reply to Discussion