Two Tips for Those Who Want to Set up a Cafe

If you want to set up a cafe, here are some tips that you may find helpful.

Do some research on the local demographic before creating the menu

Before you decide which items to include on the menu for your new restaurant, you should devote some time to researching the local demographic and other businesses within the neighbourhood where your cafe will be located.

For the first few months after you open your cafe, when it will still be relatively new and unknown, it will probably only be frequented by the locals. Over time, if the food and the service become popular, then word may spread online and you may begin to attract the interest of people who live outside the local area.

However, during this first year or so, you will be heavily reliant on the custom of the local demographic in order to keep your small restaurant afloat. As such, it is crucial to ensure that the food you choose to sell is something that will appeal to this specific demographic.

If, for example, your cafe will be located in an area where there are lots of gyms and yoga centres, then a lot of the locals who choose to live in this area might be quite health-conscious. If this is the case, then you should include lots of healthy options on your menu, including a wide variety of interesting vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free dishes.

Conversely, if your cafe is close to a university, then a lot of your customers may end up being students. In this scenario, you may want to include the type of affordable, simple-but-tasty foods that will appeal to young, budget-conscious people.

Invest in equipment that will improve your efficiency levels

Whilst it's sensible not to overspend when setting up your restaurant, it is important to recognise the benefits of investing in certain pieces of equipment that will allow you to run the cafe in an efficient manner.

For example, you could drastically reduce the time it takes you to prep your sandwiches, salads and soups if you invest in a commercial vegetable and fruit chopper, as this gadget will do all of the chopping work for you in less than half the time it would take you to do this task manually.

Likewise, buying an extra-large commercial cooker with, for example, ten hobs, will make it easier for you to cook several different types of meals simultaneously, rather than having to wait until some dishes are finished before you can start to prepare other ones.

Check out other cafes in your area to get some ideas about what you could do for your own cafe.