hey everyone!

[magnoliablue]

I am new to the forums and wanted to introduce myself.
My name is Karen, and I am planning on opening a coffee house in late Spring/early Summer, along with my bf. I am very excited about our plans, and am hoping to gain some insight and find some great ideas from other members of the board.
Any advice you would like to give would be extremely welcome.

I look forward to getting to know everyone!

Karen aka magnoliablue

 

[topher]

Where are you opening?

 

[magnoliablue]

I am opening near the Jersey shore not too far from Atlantic City.

 

[topher]

Awsome..congrats :wink: You going to roast your own? Or have you found a roaster that you like yet? What kind of machines did you go with? Oh well look forward to reading about your progress!

 

[topher]

Man it has been a long day....lets try again... AwEsome ...and congrats

 

[magnoliablue]

Hey topher... those are a couple of the things I have not firmed up on and what lead me to the forum. I have not decided whether to roast my own or which route to go yet.
I know after reading this board I am going to have to work on my own palate some,lol.. as around here the only place to find espresso, etc.. is Starbucks, and it seems many people are not happy with their quality. While I lived in Rome I got a taste for good, authentic espresso by the doppio, I have not found anything stateside comparable, so I am now a severe Starbucks addict. I want my product to surpass it, though, and I have had better at a few other coffee houses I have been in, so I know it can be done.
I also have not decided on machines either, whether lease or buying them outright. A lot of that is going to depend on how much we end up with financially to spend.
I have a gf with a small coffee house inside a retail shop she runs, and she went the route of getting the free machines from her coffee supplier. but I have since read on this board that its not a really good way to go.
So those two areas you brought up are where I really need everyone's insight. As far as the layout of the house is concerned, the theme, a menu, the live music aspect and how we are going to market it, we have all those things figured. What we dont have is..the supplier of our product, the machines, and all of the financing in place, though we are going the SBA route more than likely.

 

[topher]

If you end up roasting your own you need to aproach the casinos...see if you can pick up a few accounts...As to machines I will send you a link tomorrow..need to find it first.....sorry as I said it has been a long day...we have been roasting straight for almost 12 hours...time for a beer.
pm me your email addy and I will get you some info.

 

[magnoliablue]

I pm'd my info to you, and am very grateful for all your help.. as for the casinos, as I said in the PM, they have pretty well been overtaken by Starbucks, but I will still give it a shot..one thing I am is tenacious..lol.