Looking in to starting our own Coffee House/Book store.

[mourningdove92]

I live in a small town and there is no place to get a decent cup of coffee and don't even think about a Latte (to which I am addicted).

Anyway, SO and I are seriously thinking about trying this. I just ordered several books off Amazon that give guidance on starting up a coffee shop. Any advise from my fellow DUers?

[Longhorn]

1. I've often heard it advised to go work in a business like the one

you want to start. At the very least, go to visit several coffee shops in another city and make a note of what you see being done successfully and unsuccessfully. You might even be able to engage some of the employees/managers/owners in conversation on the pros and cons. Nothing like field research to give you an idea of what you're getting into.

One thing I'd definitely look into is free Wi-Fi for your customers.

Good luck!

[F.Gordon]

2. What Longhorn said

There isn't a book written that can prepare you for the "get-down-get-dirty" day to day real life experience of running a business. Especially since you want to run a business that deals with.... OMG!!! ... the public.

All the best!!
:thumbsup:

[Bonhomme Richard]

3. An idea that seems to work for..........................

the local coffee house here. Every Friday and Saturday night thay have live entertainment come in and play which seems to draw a decent crowd. The musicians are typically young and play acoustic guitar and, most importantly, are willing to play for tips and whatever CD's they can sell. They do it for the exposure and it doesn't cost you a dime.

Another thought. Make sure the atmosphere is geared to the clientele. For example, if the locals are down to earth, hard working blue collar types then don't gear it toward the "hooty" intellectual type. The point is make it comfortable to the potential clients that are going to help you survive.

Other than that beware. Once you work for yourself it is very difficult to contemplate working for someone else again.

[Willy Lee]

4. Here's my 2 cents...

I think first and foremost you should be passionate about coffee. Getting the best beans, pulling the best shots, always being mindful of quality quality quality. This will keep your employees enthusiastic and your customers coming back.

Definitely write a business plan. Mine took over a year- but I lagged for the first 9 months! Once I actually sat down, did the research and crunched the numbers I learned so much. Especially on the financial sections. It was a real eye opener to see what monthly expenses would be and what we'd need to take in every day to break even.

Do you mind working long long hours for little return? Expect this for at least the first year you are open!

For me, the long hours, low wages and constant struggles are worth it to be self employed and to make a real difference in our small town.

I'd be more than happy to share parts of my business plan with you and also experiences, advice, etc etc. For starters- there are some great forums for coffee shop owners that will allow you to read about what others are doing and to post questions of your own. I'd suggest these for starters- SCAA and Specialty Coffee Retailer. A great magazine to subscribe to is Fresh Cup.

I'll also send along our web site if you'd like to order some coffee- but I highly recommend finding a local roaster that will work with you. We are all about supporting our local businesses!

Cheers-

WL

http://www.specialty-coffee.com/forum/default.asp

http://www.scaa.org/forum/

http://www.freshcup.com/


edited to add some links

[Wilms]

5. Kitchens are expensive.

Especially if you need to retro-fit an existing one, or start from scratch.

Even if you take over an existing place, some Health Depts may require you to upgrade. Ouch.

[Willy Lee]

6. Very, very expensive.

We're putting on in an old building right now. And the health dept, well, they're not known for cutting slack or making exceptions.

Still it's doable. We're hoping to do our rehab, including complete electrical and plumbing upgrade and kitchen installation, for ~$40k.

WL

[displacedtexan]

7. Believe it or not, I actually found a really good eBook.

It's Canadian.

It has lists and lists and lists and more lists of things you need to know and things you have to do.

I ordered it online, then downloaded it and printed a copy.

$20 was cheap, considering the wealth of useful knowledge.

Most Start Your Own Biz books are total crap. I've read tons of them in bookstores, and each time I've decided NOT to buy them.

This one is a keeper.

I'm about to start rehabbing a building with retail space on the first floor, and I figured I might as well get plumbing & wiring done for a small restaurant (limited menu) in the future.

This book is really informative!

http://www.fabjob.com/restaurantowner.asp

[Finder]

8. If you still need assistance...

Good luck in your venture. I plan to do something along those lines locally when I retire.

What state are you located in? The book store aspect of it is prob the one you will spend most of your time making decisions on but will prob be the most profitable. Would love to hear more.

[all.of.me]

9. read:

Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies by Marilyn Ross

[sbj405]

10. Friend of mine took a class at the community college

on putting together a business plan, etc. I would suggest that. After the class, she realized she wasn't ready to dive into business yet.

[mourningdove92]

11. That is a really excellent idea.

I think I will look in to that.

Thanks!!

[NMDemDist2]

12. there is a very good book to get get you started (pricy but worth it)

http://www.espresso101.com/item/bean-business

It was invaluable to me when starting my coffee cart business. PM me if you want, I'm in the biz now.

[mongo]

13. Talk to your local chamber of commerce

They should have a packet of info for you on all necessary permits, etc.

Also, the SBA website has some good info on how to write a business plan, getting SBA loans, etc.

Good luck. Just remember that opening a business is much like indentured servatude.

[superconnected]

14. The only thing that's stopped me from opening a used book store

is the price of storefront rent. there's also the 5 year leases they always want to insist is standard and won't let you into their storefront without. I've heard of people getting 3 year leases. In my area they'd be dang lucky. I shopped a lot of locations in several cities around me btw. I'm in the Seattle area.

Once when I was mad at my boss and took a walk, I passed a thrift store with used paperbacks for 10 cents apiece. They're good ones. I bought $60 worth, and stuck them under my desk at work, for weeks, then continued buying books on the cheap for several months. But the cost of store front made me never opened the store. Someday when I have extra cash to burn I'll do it. My maid firm makes money and it's growing.

Anyway, inventory is easy to come buy. If you do it, best of luck. I believe it will work.