Is this normal for the first month of opening?

Anajoeri

New member
Sep 2, 2005
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Cluj-Napoca, Romania
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We opened!!!!!! :)
Taza Cafe is now open and running in Cluj-Napoca Romania. It is really exciting and realllllyyyy scary... Our city is a university city with tens of thousands of students, but, for the winter holidays they all went to their home towns and the city emtied... those were some unpleasant days. Our location is excelent, but people are still reticent of coming in with courage. It is a western coffee shop and people have the impression that we are very expensive. The moment they have courage to enter, they keep on coming back. I think that is a very good sign. Now; the problem is that the income is till very low half from the projected one, and even a bit less than all the costs. Is this normal for the first month?? Please help me sleep at night or? :)
 

Just_for_Giggles

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Jun 23, 2005
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Well,
My 2 cents on this is that you opened in the month of December when many of the students leave campus. In the US, typically Jan/Feb are the worst months in this business, so you may have to hang tight through them.

Marketing is going to be your friend, in this case. I would print flyers with introductory specials to get them through the door. Post the flyers around campus and hire a starving college student to pass them out to people in between classes at heavily trafficked areas. BRIGHT colored paper should be used and to save a little, make the finished size 5.5" x 8.5" so that you typeset the flyer 2-up and then it is cut in half. Saves a tree and saves a few bucks, plus gives you more to pass out.

Also, don't know how much space you have, but hosting weekend music-related events will increase traffic. Again, offer a musically talented starving college student to come in to entertain, promote it in the college paper, posters, flyers, etc. and "pay" him/her in lattes/cappuccinos. Gives HIM/HER exposure and creates traffic.

To get through the next couple of months, marketing will keep you afloat until "word gets out." GOOD LUCK!!
 

ddh

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Jan 26, 2006
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Marketing

Try a "ladies night" promotion.

Women get a free latte for every cup purchased by a man.

Chose a time on Friday night. It should last one hour. Then back to the regular price.

When ladies night ends, plan music. Have a musician sing, play the guitar. Very simple. Get people to stay in the cafe...

Announce the event to passers-by wiht printed flyers. Hand out the flyers to passers by in front of the cafe starting several days in advance.
 
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