I have aspirations of my own shop. Where should i start?
Hey all!
I have always wanted my own coffee shop. Since High School it's been one of my biggest dreams, and now i'm finally feeling that it needs to happen. I have about 40 grand right now....but i don't plan on opening until Late 2013-Early 2014. I will be going in on this with a partner. A very good friend of mine. We have been joking about the notion for a few years now, and one night i asked her if she wanted to go into business with me. She agreed. Her father used to run the coffee shop that inspired all of this, Coffee East, of Easton, MD. I spent almost every day after school there, and a good portion of my home life sitting at the same bar stool, talking with friends, doing trivia, seeing music, all that jazz. It became a second home. Since ownership has changed, what i used to love changed. Seeing this change made me realize how important it is to run a shop with the right enviorment, and how important client base can really be.
Now, outside of attending the American Barista School, or attending a coffee fest, where should i start with this planning? I have some questions for all of you who will kindly enough answer em for me!
1.) What kind of questions should i ask local shop owners?
2.) What coffee shops do you know of (anywhere in the country) that does things right? Why do you feel that way?
3.) What advice should this young entreprenuer know in the beginning stages of planning, and throughout the next 3 years?
4.) Where do you reccomend for me to travel to? What towns/regions do you feel need a good coffee house, or more competition.
5.) Art scenes? Music scenes? Both key elements, do you know of any up and coming hubs for these interests?
6.) Lastly, what do you look for in a good coffee shop?
Thank you very much for taking time to read all this. I am open to any suggestions, and any opinions. Anything that will let me see what the customers, employees, or any of the people of this "coffee culture" like or dislike.
-Dane du Hoffmann
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Dane du Hoffmann on
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Please and Thank you :)
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Permalink Reply by Brady on
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Hi Dane, Welcome to bX.
There's been a lot of discussion on this topic in the past week - I'd suggest that you read those threads first... though I'm guessing you have already.
To answer a couple of your questions:
1. Rather than ask cafe owners, I'd do a very detailed assessment of their shop, over a couple of hours and days. What works? What doesn't? Why does it work? Make detailed observations about the environment, the flow, the customers, the staff, the product, the presentation, EVERYTHING.
2. I can think of many shops that do things right... the thing to note is that they do THEIR thing right. The thing that fits the owners philosophy and the neighborhood. I feel that its important to fit a shop's concept to what you want to do, but to locate that shop in a neighborhood that it fits. Favorites are Octane ATL, Intelly Broadway, Herkimer Greenwood, The Black Drop (Bellingham, WA), and a couple of others - including our place :).
3. Lots on this in previous discussions.
4. I found lots to learn from in Seattle. Have not been to Portland or done much in the way of cafe tourism. If you are trying to figure out which city to locate your cafe in, I'd go back again to the personal connection - find a city which fits you well, that you feel at home in, and that you feel will fit your concept of a cafe. That said, I think my city - Charlotte, NC could use another serious player.
5. Sorry, no help here.
6. Good coffee and vibe. A place I want to be. An owner that is present, and also a good barista. Lots of other things but that's probably a good start.
By the way, this is a great way to start this discussion. You have some very good questions.
Good luck.
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Permalink Reply by Jay Caragay on
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1 - Find a shop owner whose vision you like and ask him to be your mentor. And ask for a job. I'm serious.
2 - There are many shops that "do things right". Although "right" depends on what you think is "right."
3 - Go work for a shop and learn.
4 - Everywhere and anywhere. Seattle has always been a stronghold but it longer is the bastion of great coffee it once was. Today, amazing coffee people are spread out across the world. Go seek them out and visit them.
5 - Art and music scenes are great - if that's important to your business.
6 - I look for an amazing customer experience.
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Permalink Reply by Vince on
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Good luck. I wish you all the best. My advise is either get a great consultant (always good advise) or learn how to read contracts. Retail food is such a tricky venture. You need someone who is good at legal. If it's you great, if it's a lawyer, so be it. Have good credit, if you can lease equipment, it only works in you favor. Work in a coffee house that is successful. After I failed at my first attempt, I worked for Starbucks. There are things to be learned from both a corporate coffee house and an independent. Coffee knowledge is half the battle the other half is knowing the other BS ( leases, health dept, city gov., vendor relationships, contractors and construction). Ideals are what makes you get into this business, dealing with reality is what keeps you in it. The Coffee business is an amazing business, but have a solid plan in place to move through it.
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