Opening a cafe is the trendy new idea that’s taking over the country by storm. I don’t blame you if you’re interested in jumping into the bandwagon, but before you do that, you should research a bit on the basics of opening and running a cafe. Read on to find out how to open a cafe today.
Coffee is… fuel?
America runs on coffee. It seems these days that nobody ever stops working, and the need for coffee grows daily. However, people are no longer satisfied with the status quo. They don’t enjoy walking into a cafe that looks exactly the same as all of the other ones. They want a unique experience.
The desire for a fresh environment and a unique experience has fueled the rise of the local cafe. Small homegrown cafes with simple menus, good music, and interesting new concepts appear in small towns and cities all over the country. It’s a really interesting phenomenon, and people certainly aren’t getting tired of it. In fact, they want more cafes.
If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur with a love for coffee, then there is no better time to open a cafe. Once you can get past the small legal hurdles, and make your first menu, then all you need to do is come up with an innovative concept, and you’ll be guaranteed to have customers lining up at your doorstep
How to open a cafe
Let’s take quick look at the list of things that you’ll need to do to open up your very own cafe.
1. Business Licensing and Permits
The first step is to go to your local county municipal office and file for the proper permits. They will assess the size of your business and give you all of the personal tax information that you need to open shop and begin doing business. You will also need to apply for your business license.
Once you have been approved by your local government, the next step is to register your business. For a cafe, filing your business as an LLC is the most common thing to do. However, if you are planning on opening up a particularly large store or a chain of cafes, then it may be a good idea to consider incorporation.
2. Find Your Location
This is the fun part! You need to drive around town and check local classified listings to find the location that is going to be the best for your business. Firstly, you’ll want to find a good location. You want somewhere that is popular and that people won’t have to go far out of their way to get to during their morning commute.
Secondly, you’ll want to find a location that suits your needs. If you want a small cafe, then don’t overpay for a large location. Be flexible and don’t make a hasty decision. After all, this is where your cafe is going to be for years, so you want to make sure that you are fully satisfied with the venue.
3. Create Your Menu
For a cafe, this is usually quite simple. You will, of course, want to have black coffee and offer a few different espresso drinks. Many cafes will also serve small breakfast, lunch, and snack foods.
4. Set Up And Hire Your Staff
This is where you start rolling out your business. You will need to bring in all of your furniture, coffee and cooking equipment. You will also need to set up your point of sale, where you will take payments. You should be able to take cash and credit.
After you’ve got everything set up, then you will want to hire your staff. Put out some adds on local classifieds and put a “Now Hiring” sign up on your front door. Everybody wants a job these days, and it shouldn’t be hard to find a small team of loyal employees.
Enjoy your cuppa!
Owning a cafe can be difficult sometimes. You will have your slow seasons, and you will have your busy seasons. However, being able to walk in the front door of a building every morning knowing that you have full creative control and that you are your own boss can be one of the most rewarding feelings that you will ever feel. We wish you all the luck in the world!