geburton
New member
A question for those of you who have started a coffee business.
First a bit of background. I am contemplating starting a coffee business. What I have in mind is a sit-down coffee-house serving espresso based drinks (and a typical variety of other drinks) and perhaps some pastries, bagels, etc - which I would prefer to obtain from a bakery if that can be worked out.
The neighborhood is mixed blue collar/white collar with a wide range of incomes. The location I have in mind is a retail business district with a fairly heavy traffic count (about 23,000 vehicles/day) and it is the main artery for commuters for some distance around. It would be near grocery stores and other retail establishments. There is also a small college (about 3000 students and staff) within 1-2 miles of the target location. I would like to have a drive through if a suitable location can be found (but the pickin’s are slim). There are some businesses, but this is largely a bedroom community.
So far the area has been totally ignored by Starbucks (there are a dozen or so Starbucks in town, but they all blanket the part of the city with the most new construction and a higher per capita income). My gut feel is that the acceptance of premium coffees is broad enough in the general population to be a hit in the area, and establishing a business before Starbucks eventually shows up would enable me to compete when they do.
I have absolutely no experience in retail operations and I believe there is no substitute for experience, so my question is: How did you get started? To answer this question I’ve tried talking to some of the coffee house owners in town but I sense a bit of unwillingness to share experiences. I suspect they regard me as a potential competitor. I probably would too in their shoes.
So can you help?
- Did you just dive in and learn by yourself? Or hire someone experienced?
- Did you have a mentor of any sort?
- Have you purchased any sort of consulting or training?
- What kind of “professional helpâ€
First a bit of background. I am contemplating starting a coffee business. What I have in mind is a sit-down coffee-house serving espresso based drinks (and a typical variety of other drinks) and perhaps some pastries, bagels, etc - which I would prefer to obtain from a bakery if that can be worked out.
The neighborhood is mixed blue collar/white collar with a wide range of incomes. The location I have in mind is a retail business district with a fairly heavy traffic count (about 23,000 vehicles/day) and it is the main artery for commuters for some distance around. It would be near grocery stores and other retail establishments. There is also a small college (about 3000 students and staff) within 1-2 miles of the target location. I would like to have a drive through if a suitable location can be found (but the pickin’s are slim). There are some businesses, but this is largely a bedroom community.
So far the area has been totally ignored by Starbucks (there are a dozen or so Starbucks in town, but they all blanket the part of the city with the most new construction and a higher per capita income). My gut feel is that the acceptance of premium coffees is broad enough in the general population to be a hit in the area, and establishing a business before Starbucks eventually shows up would enable me to compete when they do.
I have absolutely no experience in retail operations and I believe there is no substitute for experience, so my question is: How did you get started? To answer this question I’ve tried talking to some of the coffee house owners in town but I sense a bit of unwillingness to share experiences. I suspect they regard me as a potential competitor. I probably would too in their shoes.
So can you help?
- Did you just dive in and learn by yourself? Or hire someone experienced?
- Did you have a mentor of any sort?
- Have you purchased any sort of consulting or training?
- What kind of “professional helpâ€
