Coffee Shop Startup Guide

Follow the Guide to Open a Cafe, Coffee Shop, or Restaurant and Manage it Successfully

You’ve been dreaming of opening a cafe, coffee shop, or restaurant. And you’ve determined that now you’re really ready to start your own business. Here’s a short list of steps to take to get your business idea off the ground and turn it into a successful venture.

Get Ready

  1. Be Determined: owning and running a restaurant is tough work. Make sure you’re passionate and ready. Every business has its ups and downs, be ready to ride the wave and know you’ll persevere.
  2. Know Your Business Environment: Research the existing businesses and the current business climate and know why yours will be a good fit. It’s important to know your competitors and what you’ll need to stack up and be successful. Network with other area businesses to know the challenges and the strategies they’ve used for success.
  3. Find The Right Mix: Determine your market and decide on your target customers and the type of food and style you will serve. Have an idea of the concept for your eatery and the price range you’re aiming for.
  4. Find The Right Spot: Remember the old adage: “location, location, location”. Find the best location or locate an existing establishment that t fits your market and has good traffic.
  5. Determine How Much Startup Capital You’ll Need: Factor in everything you’ll require and what it will cost. Start small and grow big. It may take up to six months before your cafe is profitable. So be sure to add a cushion.
  6. Write Your Business Plan: This is your bible. It will be the blueprint for your business that will guide you. It encompasses everything, from all the costs to your marketing strategy. And you’ll need to be clear and on target to proceed to your next step.
  7. Secure Financing: What resources are you bringing? Personal savings, money through partnership, small business loans, or any combination. Tall to small business associations and credit unions as well as commercial banks to find the best combination and the best terms.
  8. Get Legal: Find a lawyer to help you put your legal structure in place: sole proprietorship or LLC. Make sure your business will be in compliance with all local zoning and food safety regulations.
  9. Secure Your Location & Insure Your Business: Purchase your business or build it and make sure you are well insured for liability and safety of workers and staff. Make sure you also carry property insurance.
cost of opening a cafe

Business plan will be the blueprint for your business that will guide you.

Get Set

  1. Put Your Interior Design Into Effect: “If you build it, they will come.” Now the fun really starts and you can tailor your concept and design to fit your space. Make sure it reflects the tone and feeling of what you want your establishment and the kind of food to be about.
  2. Get The Right Equipment at Bargain Prices: Outfit your cafe with the equipment and fixtures that you need. Look for deals and used equipment from reputable sources.
  3. Figure Out Supplies Needed & Line Up Your Suppliers: This includes everything from silverware to tin foil. You’ll need to cover everything from ingredients to plates. Find the suppliers you need and establish terms.
  4. Hire Your Staff and Start Training: You can’t go it alone. Assemble the team of cooks, busboys, servers, bartenders and greeters that will work hard, create great food and atmosphere, and treat your customers well.
  5. Test Your Menu: Make sure your menu is top notch and fits the bill. Keep experimenting until you find that sweet spot.
  6. Get eHopper Free POS: You’ll need a POS system to manage food orders, track orders, create table bills, take payments, split payments, create receipts, manage and track inventory, manage and track employee hours and tips, manage your customer data, manage email marketing and provide real-time reports for complete visibility and analysis into every aspect of your business.
  7. Open For Business: Greet customers and start living your dream. Make sure that system provides unlimited free support whenever you need it, has the features that match your restaurant’s needs, is modular and lets you add features as your business grows. There’s only one that does it all and it’s free! eHopper coffee shop POS.
steps to opening a cafe

You’ll need a POS system to manage orders, take payments, create receipts, manage inventory, track employee hours, manage your customer data.

Make sure you have the best point of sale system possible — the eHopper Free POS — to help you start off on the right foot and stay successful. Try eHopper POS risk free!

For more information call us 212-651-8911 or use form at https://ehopper.com/contact-us

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