How to open a cafeteria – coffee and snacks
A coffee shop has as many functions as there are people: to have a serious conversation, another not so serious, to study, to propose marriage, to sign a divorce, to wait for a love… in short, people congregate in coffee shops and they also do it just to enjoy the aroma of coffee with some sweet or salty accompaniment.
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Throughout this article, we teach you how to run your own profitable business by opening a coffee shop. Let’s see how it works:
Requirements for opening a coffee shop
Documents: Opening a cafeteria requires that you register it as a company, that you assign it a business name and a fancy name, that you obtain the firefighter’s authorization and the corresponding certification from the Ministry of Health. You will also need to present a medical card, both yours and that of all your employees. This last requirement is especially necessary when you are a company that handles and sells food.
Place of operation: You will then need a place where you can cook and sell the products, so when you go to the real estate agent, ask for this document. The place should be located in a very busy area, if possible on an avenue, much better, but it can be half a block from them, the important thing is that there is a lot of people.
Equipment to open a cafeteria
Opening a cafeteria requires certain equipment that allows you to make coffee and cook certain snacks. Here’s how it works:
To open a coffee shop you will need: a coffee machine, an espresso machine, a juice maker, a stove, a microwave, a grill oven, a sandwich maker, a waffle maker, pans, pots, dishes, cutlery, glasses.
As for the furniture, you will need a bar with a counter, tables with chairs, outdoor tables with umbrellas for the summer and stoves for the winter.
Appearance of the cafeteria: It is extremely key to have a fresh and innovative appearance so that by itself, through its appearance, it invites customers and target audience to enter it. The decoration should be focused on a theme, for example there is the vintage theme that these days attracts much attention, among others with which you make a difference. You can add some details such as a fountain, particular pictures or a wall partly made of bricks and partly of neutral. Put your imagination to work and if you consider it, seek advice for it.
What products to offer when opening a cafe
The liquid products offered when opening a cafeteria are: coffee, cappuccino, cortado, tea, juices, soft drinks and mineral water.
As for the snacks, the typical ones are: sandwiches, croissants (sweet and salty, alone and stuffed), empanadas, waffles, alfajores, croissants, flavored rolls, sweet and salty cookies, tartlets, cakes and pies and some salty ones like in Quiche Lorraine, for example.
The ideal is that these products are cooked in your own cafeteria, which will give the customer the peace of mind that the products have noble ingredients and the unbeatable taste of a homemade and exclusive recipe, a characteristic very much sought after by customers with a discerning palate.
How to deal with suppliers when opening a coffee shop and not die trying
Suppliers can be a headache: you need to demand punctuality, quality and don’t forget to count each and every unit they deliver to you, no wonder there are only dozens of ten, sometimes.
Maintain a good relationship with them, but remain firm on the non-negotiable aspects. Pay them up to date and you can apply for credit.
Difficulties that can arise: If you are not willing to spend more than 5 hours in your cafeteria in the initial stage, perhaps this business is not for you, because initially it requires the owner to be there all the time, even taking into account that the work times can be longer than we think so we will have to have a higher level of dedication in the cafeteria for it to grow.
Final recommendation: Customer service in this type of service and business, plays a key role in growth, so it is necessary to ensure that we have a qualified staff for the tasks and that serves in a helpful, attentive and timely to each of the people who enter the cafeteria.