Entrepreneurs love the idea of setting up food establishments. That’s because they are often the type of people who enjoy serving others. And what better way to do it than bring them delicious food on trays.
Starting a café though isn’t always plain sailing. There are pitfalls along the way. Here’s what you need to know.
You Will Have To Persist
Opening and running a café isn’t something that happens overnight. Instead, it can take many months before you turn a profit. People won’t immediately know about you – so it can take a while for customer numbers to increase.
Eventually, though, they will. More and more people will frequent your establishment and before long, you’ll be struggling to find space for everyone.
You’ll Need To Clean Everything All The Time
People will only eat in cafés that are clean and tidy. So you’ll need to clean everything all the time. Indoors, you’ll have to scrub the counters, wash the floors and degrease the ovens and grills. Outside, you’ll spend a lot of time cleaning patio pavers around your tables and chairs. You’ll also want to ensure that your staff understands how to regularly clean tables to prepare them for the next guest.
You Won’t Make Millions
Running a café can be lucrative, but you won’t make millions from a single shop. If you are successful, you’ll be able to employ around two or three people and make an average wage for yourself. If you want to go beyond that, you’ll need to open multiple shops. When you do this, you can benefit from economies of scale. The more units you have, the better.
You’ll Have To Follow Regulations
Because cafés sell food, there are a lot of regulations. Public inspections are quite common – usually once per year. So you’ll want to stay on top of your processes as best as you can.
You Will Need To Use Quality Ingredients
People can tell if you’re trying to cut corners and save on ingredients. Something just isn’t quite right about your food and drink.
Don’t go down the route of cutting corners. Instead, focus on the quality of your ingredients and advertise them as such. You don’t have to have the best scones in the world – just the best in your area. Make all your food according to traditional recipes and people will appreciate it.
You Need To Do Something That Offers Extra Value
There are plenty of chain cafés around and places to get drinks, so you always need to do something that provides your customers with a little extra value.
How you do this is up to you. For instance, you could offer unique types of cakes people can’t get elsewhere, or a whole new level of service when they order.
You Should Enlist Help
You probably won’t be able to set up a café all by yourself. Instead, you’ll need to enlist the help of others. Most people who start cafés ask their families for financial assistance to get the place up and running. They may even ask them to work shifts before hiring regular staff.