Starting the Tea Room Business
The classic afternoon tea, a must for the English (and for the rest of the world as well), can become a profitable business for the entrepreneur full of ideas, creativity, and whose vocation of service is focused on offering a kaleidoscope of flavors to tea lovers, and a little more, outside the home in an atmosphere that mixes the classic with a cozy modern imprint.
That is why if you are passionate about this business idea, then you should consider opening it and here we will explain everything you need to know to get started.
Let’s get started!
Step by step of a tea room business
Define the theme or type of tea room you want to open, remember there are Victorian-style tea rooms with English tea, modern tea rooms with modern tea preparations, organic tea rooms, etc. Even if there is a specialty of the salon that the place stands out for, it is important to offer a good variety of the product, including: classic, exotic, English, Chinese, blends of independent and artisanal tea makers… in short, the idea is to try to make sure that whatever they ask for, is there.
How a tea room works
The first thing is to define the activity of our business. Well, a tea room is a business idea that proposes to open a kind of restaurant or cafe, in which tea is the star product, because there will be a great variety of product formats, but in the same place, we will have an open offer of other related products, such as coffee, chocolate, accompaniments like cookies, cakes, among others.
You can open it anywhere that gives to the street, without the privacy of customers is invaded. If you are thinking of a big investment, opening a Tea Room in a two-storey house with a terrace is an option that customers will succumb to every afternoon.
A Tea Room should be a comfortable, pleasant and visually beautiful place that invites your clients to stay and share, so fostering a quiet and special atmosphere should be one of your main pursuits.
Tea room requirements
To open a Tea Room, after signing the rental or purchase contract, you must register your company at the State level and assign it a name that represents what you offer: The 5 o’clock tea; Aunt Manuela’s; Flavors and Aromas, are just some examples.
As a company that manufactures and sells food, you will need special authorizations from the Ministry of Health and both you as owner and all your staff must have their medical exams up to date and prove it with their occupational health card.
What can you offer?
Without a doubt, you can accompany the food with which you can enjoy a good cup of tea. The food will be mainly sweet: alfajores, cakes, pies, pastries… it is up to you, as long as you take into account all the palates: sweet, neutral, acid, among other nuances. However, a percentage of salty and sweet-and-sour should not be missing: sandwiches, Jesuits, ham and cheese scones, spring rolls, ricotta cake with raisins, etc.
Installation of the tea room
It is very important to plan both the furniture and the crockery, as both will set the style of the Tea Room. As for the premises, the recommendation is the round tables par excellence, as they are more comfortable for the customers and generate a more united micro-environment, which encourages dialogue, which is ultimately the main component. In order to join the classic with the modern, dark wood together with tablecloths embroidered with flowers are a very good option. Curtains are also an important part and should match the tablecloths.
The counter is a vital part of the Tea Room; it displays a box with the star teas you sell, those that are more aromatic and exotic, along with sweet foods covered by transparent lids. The counter should always be impeccably clean, tidy and look very tempting.
Tips for opening my own business
One recommendation that can make the place full once a week is to organize a theme day. That is, select a day, Monday to Friday, when you organize a parade, a concert, a stand up number, whatever you think your clientele will like.
Remember that it is very important to evaluate the tea rooms that already exist in order to consult the concepts that most attract the attention of the customers, their preferences, market rates and more.
As part of the promotion of your business, days before, during and after the launch of the tea room, you should distribute physical advertising on flyers and brochures in nearby areas. Digital advertising is not an option, it is an obligation. Create a website and social networks from which you can communicate with your customers, learn about their experience and post offers, you’ll see how soon you can get them to come to your stand you’ll see how powerful these tools can be.
Weaknesses: businesses that are part of the food sector are subject to a variety of licenses and regulations that are key to their operation. The lack of any of them or the non fulfillment of any condition, can generate the closing of the business.
On the other hand, remember that although hiring personnel is optional, a business like this, which requires a space not only for food preparation, but also one where tables can be set up for customers, needs to have people available for customer service, cleaning, cashiering, cooking, etc. That is why you should make sure that the staff you hire is suitable.
Points in favor: the key to a business with a concept like this is the differentiation to be able to distinguish it from other premises with which it competes, such as cafeterias. That is why the decoration plays a fundamental role in this first image. Once you achieve this, the promotion of your business will also be in the same line and your first customers will arrive.
Take advantage of the channels available to promote your business, as you have several in which you can appear. This enterprise has an open letter to creativity, so you should take advantage of it to the maximum.
Success stories
A tea room is one of the best options for those who want to start their own business, become their own boss and earn money, because it is a concept with a specific idea that can grow significantly. This is known by the big businessmen in the market, especially in this sector where competition is so high.
Learn in the following link the success stories of those who started like you and today, thanks to their effort and dedication, you can also grow like them, so set the course of your business and do not let the fear of the first venture take over you, because the first step is the most difficult and is what you’re doing.
Start your dream today.