In todays times you can put together a store on 35k dollars. Rent shoul be no more than 15 %. I HAVE BOOKS I WROTE THAT OUTLINE EVERYTHING YOU NEED 150.00$
1 What kind of coffee machines do you use - Nuovo Simonelli 3 group espresso machine and grinders. Bunn brewers
2 How long do they last. Don't know, but quite awhile if you maintain them properly
3 How much is the rent for your store. I was able to purchase my building, and there are other tenants who pay rent, so I'm fortunate that I don't have much rent expense. I pay what is needed to cover the mortgage and property taxes.
4 After you found your location for your store, what condition was it in
and how much did you spend to fix up? Completely gutted the building. I don't recall exactly how much it was to do the build-out.
5 How much is store insurance a month Approximately $300.
6 how much are your utilities. $800-$1,000 a month.
7 When you were first in business did you ever need a payroll loan,
if yes how long did it take for your credit to become established to get a loan. No
8 how many different types of coffee do you brew a day. 4 kinds - our house blend, a decaf, a dark roast, and one other that might be a single origin, organic.
9 How many employees do you have a day I usually have 3 people working most of the hours we are open, sometimes just 2 during slower times. And I am here much of the time to help during rushes
10 How many pounds of beans do you order in a week. About 60 lbs.
11 Ball park customers and cash take in a month About 5,000 cust. a month, about $25,000-$30,000 gross/mo.
12 how big is your store and town located in. 1,800 sq. ft., town is 28,000
13 do most of your customers live or work in town. Yes, mostly
14 what hours are your shop open. 7-5 M-Th., 7-6 Fri., 8-3 Sat., 9-1 Sun. are current hours
15 how long has your shop been open Nearly 5 years
i have a 1,300 sq ft space...i build from nothing. i am at the new national harbor project in maryland. hard to believe but this is a new city in maryland. use to be trees/woods and developer turned it into a resort area / city. so when i took over i didn't even have concrete, so it was less then a white shell. i got discounted rent for 3 years because of this, but no help to build out. i put in $450k total, equipment, supplies, labor for contractors etc...i admit i went for the best, top of the line equipment. i suggest figure $225 per sq ft for your store. so 200 times the size of your store will get you a very close estimate to get you open. add in $40k for working capital and early inventory. hope that helps.
I'd be happy to share. I'm clearly no expert, but I can share my successes and my mistakes, and maybe in doing so help you to avoid some of the same!!!
Hello Sophie,
I am just getting ready to open. Matter of fact, my espresso machine arrives today! (Dalla Corte Evolution). My advice: Visit lots of coffee houses. I can't answer most of your questions because I'm just finding out myself. I do know this, if you borrow heavily to open your shop you may find the debt service to be overwhelming. Margins when you open won't be as good as you hoped and staffing and insurance more expensive than expected.
First of all I have rarely if ever had a out of an automatic machine; there is something about the ambiance of having someone control of the grind, tamping, not to mention physically watching the crema color, time and making sure it doesn’t "blonde out" or over/ under/extract. If you change beans and grind everything changes, if it rains outside and people are coming in and out or there is humidity in your brewing area, everything changes immediately. Secondly beans should "gas out" for three days after roasting, and be used within ten days after that. Does Starbucks care about any of this? Do their employees know any of this? Perhaps, some may. Does Starbucks really have Baristas? The original Starbucks store at Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle may have a few baristas only because they actually have a real espresso machine at that location. I personally have done the Starbucks passport twice and hope I never have to drink their stale drinks again. Money is Starbucks agenda not taste.
Hi my Experience in the industry has value. I have more experience the most in this industry and you ca call me for help 401-580-4853. good day Ken Mansfield
Hi Sophie, I am also in the planning stages of opening a coffee shop. I am trying to get others like us together and start an email chain so we can ask each other questions. Interested? Let me know your email.
I'll gladly fill out your questionnaire, though I'm not too familiar with the culture / market of the south as I'm sure it's quite different than the northwest. Starbucks sucks because of the homogeneity, the stupid arbitrary pricing (which seems to be an effort to encourage tips via odd change), the uniforms, the huge, sugary drinks (heck the drinks in general), and the overall fast food mold. I do, however, tend to enjoy the atmosphere of the sitting area to some extent. The painting schemes are alright, but it seems like a forced coziness.
I love a shop where the baristas aren't afraid to be themselves behind the bar, the environment is relaxed but it doesn't encourage people to spend all day there, the prices have $0.25 increments, "for here" drinks are encouraged, the cups aren't mismatched (kinda bugs me), there's a variation in the pastry selection, the menu is clean and thoughtfully organized, the origin on the press is displayed, the counters are clean, the baristas take the time to talk to anyone willing to listen, and probably the best thing is when a barista takes the time (and let's the customer know) to remake a sub-par drink. Yeah, there are lots of little things.
New shops need baristas that are easy to talk to (fairly outgoing but not too chatty), it would be nice to have some more late-evening shops (even if just until 10:00 or so) but I know that sucks, location means a lot, and reputation is important. Oh yeah the name of the shop is pretty important too, as well as the overall aesthetic appeal and artistic design.
Don't try to cater to a specific demographic but don't try to appeal to everyone (unless, that is, there aren't many coffee shops). I grew up in Bend where there are a very small handful of decent coffee shops and it was important for my favorite place, Backporch, to appeal to everyone since they need everyone to come in just to stay afloat, but living here in Portland it's easy to get away with a place that really focuses on making awesome drinks for people that are into awesome drinks. Adaptability is key: if things aren't working out, change something.
Can you make it down to the Atlanta area? I would be very happy to help you. I have been in this industry for 18 years, working for large and small coffee roasters in Portland, Oregon. I have worked with every niche in the specialty coffee industry, with start-ups beings my biggest niche. I have a commercial espresso bar set up in my home and can help you with everything from start-up to barista training. Let me know. It's not just my work, but what I enjoy doing.
I read somewhere opening a coffee shop near a starbucks can help your business. Since all starbucks look the same, your shop can standout to the local public.
ok, try two...don't think this one will be so long. I dislike starbucks because the coffee tastes bad. It tastes bad because it is burnt and because the baristas don't know anything about coffee. They are excellent button pushers, but not good baristas. I do have to give some credit to starbucks though, they openeded the door and paved the way for smaller (more awesome) speciality coffee shops. They introduced america with espresso, and also paying five bucks for their daily cup. They made coffee matter in the world of serious beverages.....now it is our job to take the opportunity to take coffee so much farther. Micro roasters, cuppings, espresso that tastes good! velvety capps, late art...
Hiring experienced, excited, knowledgeable baristas should be you first priority. Without baristas that care, and are commited to espresso knowledge and excellence you don't have a leg to stand on. If you are not going to roast your own coffee find the freshest coffee you can. Find a roaster that can gaurentee that the coffee he or she sends you will be delivered to you in time to be used within 7 to 10 days. Don't sell any coffee that is any older than that. Being a small independent coffee shop can be hard in the shadow of larger brands....give people a reason to visit you. You have the freshest coffee around.
ok, enough for now....please let me know if i can help you in any way...have a good night! kate
The way your cafe looks should depend on what kind of customers you want to attract. Chestnut hill Coffe, for example, is in a ritzy old world part of philadelphia...so we look classy, refiened, very clean, very welcoming to families with children etc. If we were near one of the universeities and were attracting a different crowd we would look very different. Go to a ton of different shops and get ideas...and think about the neighborhood...who lives there....or who do you want to attract. Oh, also.....have wi-fi....free wi-fi. People have come to expect that...and they will stay all day (and buy another cup if you hastle them).
The only thing that would make me to go to a different shop would be all about quality, freshness, and taste of the final cup. I often walk right past the coffee shop near to my house because i know that if i just walk a few more blocks i will find coffee that makes me smile.
Well. 1. I actually think the concept of Starbucks is great. A third place. The idea is to make people feel welcome. It is paramount to all things, even so much as to instill a policy of "Just Say Yes". That being said, it becomes filtered with massive growth and the inability to force/police employees into being "nice". It's easy to have 1 coffee shop with 5 workers and all of them being nice and chatter bugs. 15,000? A little harder. Starbucks fails because it isn't possible to have that many friendly, nice, talkative, hard working people.
2. I like a coffee shop where the owner cares. When me and my friends find a new shop, we tend to critique the espresso but mostly - is the place friendly? Does the person working smile, say hi, ask us what we're up to and help us find a good drink? Do they go out of their way to make the drink good? You can tell a good drink because they, and this will sound corny, put love into it. You can tell they actually care about their work and about making the best drink they can just because they don't want to be lazy and fast.
That being said, for 3 I don't really have a good answer for you. I tend to go to many different coffee shops because I am a barista and the best part for me is finding new shops. I am not really a regular at any one shop. The people I know who are regulars at a local shop, though, go there because the owner is very friendly. He recently shared some extremely good award winning beans with us that his friend gave him. Just to share. He does the latte art and you can see him focusing on your drink.
The sad fact of the matter is if you want to be good, you are like him, if you want to be successful - you need to bend more towards the starbucks way. They made a lot of money doing what they do, a lot more then small time coffee shops tend to.
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2 How long do they last. Don't know, but quite awhile if you maintain them properly
3 How much is the rent for your store. I was able to purchase my building, and there are other tenants who pay rent, so I'm fortunate that I don't have much rent expense. I pay what is needed to cover the mortgage and property taxes.
4 After you found your location for your store, what condition was it in
and how much did you spend to fix up? Completely gutted the building. I don't recall exactly how much it was to do the build-out.
5 How much is store insurance a month Approximately $300.
6 how much are your utilities. $800-$1,000 a month.
7 When you were first in business did you ever need a payroll loan,
if yes how long did it take for your credit to become established to get a loan. No
8 how many different types of coffee do you brew a day. 4 kinds - our house blend, a decaf, a dark roast, and one other that might be a single origin, organic.
9 How many employees do you have a day I usually have 3 people working most of the hours we are open, sometimes just 2 during slower times. And I am here much of the time to help during rushes
10 How many pounds of beans do you order in a week. About 60 lbs.
11 Ball park customers and cash take in a month About 5,000 cust. a month, about $25,000-$30,000 gross/mo.
12 how big is your store and town located in. 1,800 sq. ft., town is 28,000
13 do most of your customers live or work in town. Yes, mostly
14 what hours are your shop open. 7-5 M-Th., 7-6 Fri., 8-3 Sat., 9-1 Sun. are current hours
15 how long has your shop been open Nearly 5 years
sure. i just opened 2 months ago. my website is www.aromicafe.com i geared it towards a italian cafe more then a starbucks.
I am just getting ready to open. Matter of fact, my espresso machine arrives today! (Dalla Corte Evolution). My advice: Visit lots of coffee houses. I can't answer most of your questions because I'm just finding out myself. I do know this, if you borrow heavily to open your shop you may find the debt service to be overwhelming. Margins when you open won't be as good as you hoped and staffing and insurance more expensive than expected.
First of all I have rarely if ever had a out of an automatic machine; there is something about the ambiance of having someone control of the grind, tamping, not to mention physically watching the crema color, time and making sure it doesn’t "blonde out" or over/ under/extract. If you change beans and grind everything changes, if it rains outside and people are coming in and out or there is humidity in your brewing area, everything changes immediately. Secondly beans should "gas out" for three days after roasting, and be used within ten days after that. Does Starbucks care about any of this? Do their employees know any of this? Perhaps, some may. Does Starbucks really have Baristas? The original Starbucks store at Pike Place Market in downtown Seattle may have a few baristas only because they actually have a real espresso machine at that location. I personally have done the Starbucks passport twice and hope I never have to drink their stale drinks again. Money is Starbucks agenda not taste.
Regards,
Bart
Mark
I love a shop where the baristas aren't afraid to be themselves behind the bar, the environment is relaxed but it doesn't encourage people to spend all day there, the prices have $0.25 increments, "for here" drinks are encouraged, the cups aren't mismatched (kinda bugs me), there's a variation in the pastry selection, the menu is clean and thoughtfully organized, the origin on the press is displayed, the counters are clean, the baristas take the time to talk to anyone willing to listen, and probably the best thing is when a barista takes the time (and let's the customer know) to remake a sub-par drink. Yeah, there are lots of little things.
New shops need baristas that are easy to talk to (fairly outgoing but not too chatty), it would be nice to have some more late-evening shops (even if just until 10:00 or so) but I know that sucks, location means a lot, and reputation is important. Oh yeah the name of the shop is pretty important too, as well as the overall aesthetic appeal and artistic design.
Don't try to cater to a specific demographic but don't try to appeal to everyone (unless, that is, there aren't many coffee shops). I grew up in Bend where there are a very small handful of decent coffee shops and it was important for my favorite place, Backporch, to appeal to everyone since they need everyone to come in just to stay afloat, but living here in Portland it's easy to get away with a place that really focuses on making awesome drinks for people that are into awesome drinks. Adaptability is key: if things aren't working out, change something.
Hiring experienced, excited, knowledgeable baristas should be you first priority. Without baristas that care, and are commited to espresso knowledge and excellence you don't have a leg to stand on. If you are not going to roast your own coffee find the freshest coffee you can. Find a roaster that can gaurentee that the coffee he or she sends you will be delivered to you in time to be used within 7 to 10 days. Don't sell any coffee that is any older than that. Being a small independent coffee shop can be hard in the shadow of larger brands....give people a reason to visit you. You have the freshest coffee around.
ok, enough for now....please let me know if i can help you in any way...have a good night! kate
The way your cafe looks should depend on what kind of customers you want to attract. Chestnut hill Coffe, for example, is in a ritzy old world part of philadelphia...so we look classy, refiened, very clean, very welcoming to families with children etc. If we were near one of the universeities and were attracting a different crowd we would look very different. Go to a ton of different shops and get ideas...and think about the neighborhood...who lives there....or who do you want to attract. Oh, also.....have wi-fi....free wi-fi. People have come to expect that...and they will stay all day (and buy another cup if you hastle them).
The only thing that would make me to go to a different shop would be all about quality, freshness, and taste of the final cup. I often walk right past the coffee shop near to my house because i know that if i just walk a few more blocks i will find coffee that makes me smile.
2. I like a coffee shop where the owner cares. When me and my friends find a new shop, we tend to critique the espresso but mostly - is the place friendly? Does the person working smile, say hi, ask us what we're up to and help us find a good drink? Do they go out of their way to make the drink good? You can tell a good drink because they, and this will sound corny, put love into it. You can tell they actually care about their work and about making the best drink they can just because they don't want to be lazy and fast.
That being said, for 3 I don't really have a good answer for you. I tend to go to many different coffee shops because I am a barista and the best part for me is finding new shops. I am not really a regular at any one shop. The people I know who are regulars at a local shop, though, go there because the owner is very friendly. He recently shared some extremely good award winning beans with us that his friend gave him. Just to share. He does the latte art and you can see him focusing on your drink.
The sad fact of the matter is if you want to be good, you are like him, if you want to be successful - you need to bend more towards the starbucks way. They made a lot of money doing what they do, a lot more then small time coffee shops tend to.
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