Running your own cafe

[KinkyBoots]

So, you have your own cafe. Your own business. You're the boss. What does your cafe look like? What do you offer? Hoiw big will your cafe be? Is there a theme to it or is it just a plain cafe?

[Mist]

A huge egg.

[Skive]

Mine would be in Amsterdam! ;)

[morrocan roll]

mine would be a transport cafe. full of truckers and bikers and hitch hikers. propper heart attack greasy fry up breakfasts. big chrome juke box full of the doors, canned heat, jj cale bob dylan and lots of other road music.

[KinkyBoots]

Im wanting to run my own cafe in a few years time maybe and I think all your ideas may give me some inspiration.

[SuzyCreamcheese]

id have loads of plants, massive ones and with stained glass windows and id call it the greenhouse

[Glittery]

It's my ambition in life to own my own cafe/bar, I will succeed one day ya know!

By day I'll serve nice food and wine, no burgers n chips, things like paninnis and salads.

By night It'll be a funky young place that everyone wants to be in and is always packed out. I'll serve cocktails and tasty wine's, no karaoke or plasma screens for footie games.

Will be a classy place run by a classy bird ;)

[witch-kitten]

hey- cool , my mum want to open one too- maybe u should both go into a bussy -ness!!! or maybe not... i no what she's like!

well, i'd have a garden outside, not on a path, so you can relax outside, inside would be in purples pinks, and cream, very soothing, with relaxing tunes.... tables n chairs in the center, and at the windows would be big cream leather sofas, i'd sell cakes, ans snacks, as meals would be a hassel!! its would have a theme of a very carm -like in the sky type thing, where eny one can just chill.

you need your basic H&H 1st tho! if you go do that, i'll go with you, could do with it anyway.

hope that helps:)

later kinkyboots!

kitty xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[BeckyBoo]

Originally posted by KinkyBoots
Im wanting to run my own cafe in a few years time maybe and I think all your ideas may give me some inspiration.

Have you thought about getting one of them catering vans to start off with. Going to local events and make some money there to eventually set up a proper cafe?
There is lots of money to be made in these catering trailers, I know someone who only works weekends with his hot roast pork sarnies as his main thing he sells, he makes enough to keep him and not have to work all week.
Its a thought because you can get money behind you 1st then go bigger and better :)

[Mr_Wobble]

Originally posted by BeckyBoo

There is lots of money to be made in these catering trailers No shit!
I'm not surprised. Three or four quid for some flash cooked grey meat, a slap of soggy stuffing, and dollop of cheapo apple sauce. Oh, and you get free cruchy black bits if you're lucky!

Does he make enough from Spring, through to Autumn, to keep him going all year though? Or does he have to do some other work to keep going?

Mr_Wobble ;)

[Fenix Blade]

It'd be...well there was some programme on TV tonight about Britains best home. There was this one that was modern in a rural landscape - I'd love it like that.

[BeckyBoo]

Originally posted by Mr_Wobble
Does he make enough from Spring, through to Autumn, to keep him going all year though? Or does he have to do some other work to keep going?

Mr_Wobble ;) [/B]


Yeah he works all year round. Started off with just a little burger van and now has one of them big catering trailers, he employs staff and has recently opened another one.
All year round he has his stall at car boots sales , fayres anywhere he can to be honest.
Hes raking it in :yes:

[Shogun]

I would have my cafe in Amsterdam...not much more needed to be said here.

A load of tables and seats and funky paintings on the walls for people to relax with nice chilling music.;)

[rockerchick]

mine would be a 70s style diner that sold american food:D

[Lil Laura]

Oooh!!

A 50's diner, all red and chrome like. There'd be a jukebox playing 50's songs (proper 50's songs - not songs from Grease!). The waiters/waitresses would be on rollerskates, and there'd be photos of like..Elvis and people on the walls. It'd serve burgers, hot dogs, fries, as well as salads and stuff, and icecream sundaes!! But the burgers/hot dogs/fries wouldn't be greasy and horrible - quality food!

My friend did her Graphics Coursework for GCSE on menus, posters etc for a 50's style diner...I enjoyed it even more than she did, hehe :D

[Flake_Mustaine]

my cafe would be a real 1950's American diner too.. called:

"Smuggsie's Burger Bar" :D

and it would rule!!

[Guest_]

It'd be a trucker cafe, and it'd deep fry everything.

[D'OHnut]

Originally posted by Flake_Mustaine
my cafe would be a real 1950's American diner too.. called:

"Smuggsie's Burger Bar" :D

and it would rule!!

Selling deep-fried Flakes? lol

[BeckyBoo]

Originally posted by bad seed
It'd be a trucker cafe, and it'd deep fry everything.

you cant beat the *greasy joes* cafe, if anyones ever on the motorway and they see loads of truckers outside then thats the place you wanna stop.
Filling meals, larger than average platefuls and very cheap :D

[Guest_]

Originally posted by BeckyBoo
you cant beat the *greasy joes* cafe, if anyones ever on the motorway and they see loads of truckers outside then thats the place you wanna stop.
Filling meals, larger than average platefuls and very cheap :D

Yep! Like that :D

[kevlar85]

Mine would be called The Waterside and be next to a river, by day it would be a French style coffee shop with slate flooring, a wooden bar with a marble top, newspapers in a rack for people to read, an al-fresco area out front with comfy dining chairs ie; not armchairs at a table but not hard wooden dining chairs either, with proper coffee and croissants and cakes.

Then at night we'd turn on the uplighters, put table cloths on, lay out the knives and forks and napkins and turn it into a trendy restaurant serving European cusine.

[Guest_]

Actually, to be honest...it'd be expensive, and serve food of Italian descent.

Which I would cook. It'd also serve tasty wines.

:yum:

[Sa-ra-ra-ra]

Ooooh, i like this thread.

Mine would be a fairly trendy cafe, but in a homey way... have like, art by up and coming artists on the walls, which people could buy and comfy chairs to sit in - a combination of wooden chairs with padded seats, and sort of armchairs. There would be a few plants around to make it feel more relaxed, and it would sell more... upmarket snacks, like ciabatta with stuff on, and croissants and warm baguettes, nice cakes and stuff, with gluten and lactose free options.

There would be different types of coffees and teas for sale, and freshly squeezed fruit juice.

It'd be on two floors, with the top floor being smoking, and the downstairs being non smoking, so that people don't get irritated about that.

Outside there'd be a patio, with maybe a water feature in it somewhere, but no pond so that there's no threat to small children. Have big plants round the edge - like, shrubs and brightly coloured flowering plants. The tables and chairs would be cast iron, and the seats would have pads on them to save people's bottoms :)

And there would be newspapers and current magazines for people to read around as well.

I want my own café!

[kingsiggy]

Ohh, I really want my own café as well.
I want a vegetarian café with a vegan option of everything including all the cakes and fake meat food. I think I would start off with just cakes and things but work towards some proper cheap meals.
I know exactly how I want it, once I have made enough money it will be over a few floors with a floor where bands can play, a floor which can be a cocktail bar at night and the ordinary café floor. Perhaps some of them will double up.
Everything in it will be lovely, with all different kinds of chairs, like those 70's hanging ones, and big comfy couches. I am most excited about dressing it up on special occassions like Christmas and Valentines day and thinking of special offers ^.^

I can't wait! :heart:

[NinjaMaster]

You do realise that this thread is over 3 years old and, like most small businesses within their first 3 years of business, all the cafés in this thread have closed.

:p

[**Helen**]

You do realise that this thread is over 3 years old and, like most small businesses within their first 3 years of business, all the cafés in this thread have closed.

:p

:lol: I like it.

However, some threads can survive. I'll move this into food & drink and if it dies, it dies.

[VinylVicky]

It will be in Amsterdam - nuff said ;)

[xXxXxSarahxXxXx]

hey- cool , my mum want to open one too- maybe u should both go into a bussy -ness!!! or maybe not... i no what she's like!

well, i'd have a garden outside, not on a path, so you can relax outside, inside would be in purples pinks, and cream, very soothing, with relaxing tunes.... tables n chairs in the center, and at the windows would be big cream leather sofas, i'd sell cakes, ans snacks, as meals would be a hassel!! its would have a theme of a very carm -like in the sky type thing, where eny one can just chill.

you need your basic H&H 1st tho! if you go do that, i'll go with you, could do with it anyway.

hope that helps:)

later kinkyboots!

kitty xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

I'm not a fan of these leather sofas in cafe's, Can't help but think about all the manky food that may have slipped down the sides of the cushions. :yuck:

[piccolo]

I've always had an idea of running a cafe with a young people's support service attached; that's kind of my ideal.

It would be light and airy, and although there'd be info around it wouldn't be overbearing so it could still be a good place to hang out. And there'd be those little free internet pod things, and wireless access.

And we'd have home made cake and fair trade stuff, but it would all be affordable.

I'd like to have a book exchange, too. There's one in a bar near me, it's so good you can get some amazing stuff.

It's all a total dream really.

Isn't running a cafe just something everyone wants to do?! Maybe it's just me...

[Miffy]

A huge egg.

Is that what it would look like, or what it would offer, or both?

Although you probably can't remember by now.

[noangel]

If I had my own café it would be café-come-second hand-bookshop, were you could loan and trade in books.

crumbs, tea stains and dog ends would just part of the character of the place.. a place were people could chill. not one of those ultra hip places that only attract a select crowd, this would be for everyone…I’m just a hippie at heart I guess:heart: … cos my music taste is pretty eclectic, I would probably play obscure tracks like mogwai or belle and Sebastian, our even have themed days were I only play doe wop, soul etc on one day then grunge, nu-metal on another. So no one is alienated.
The baggy trouser gangsters, pop princess and indie geeks would unite under one roof

…..well I can dream can't I. I’ve even imaged the décor:
all employee and management pictures on the wall but done-up as their favourite band/artist or film hero and also pic’s of them as babies cos there always cute!!

[Girl_gunner]

mine would be filled with squishy armchairs and smoke and kitsch ashtrays and posters and bits and pieces everywhere with tasty italian coffee and an ever changing menu of tasty foods. bliss

[Young and sexy]

Ohhh this is my dream! :hyper:

I'd have a lovely little quirky cafe. It wouldn't be all modern pine and stainless steel - oh no! It'd have loads of kitsch bits and retro stuff, nothing totally matching, those old poster tin things (Bisto, Coca Cola etc), local artists art work.. All that sort of thing. Out the back there'd be a little area/shop with some vintage clothes, stuff I'd done myself and all that. Downstairs in the basement type area would be where local bands could do gigs etc on certain nights of the week, and perhaps a monthly art exhibition of some of the local artists' artwork that was on the walls upstairs for sale. I'd call it something cute, straight to the point.. Like Yum or something. We'd do loads of nice smoothies, different teas, fair trade coffee, all that kinda thing. It would appeal to everyone :razz:

As you can see I haven't ever given this any thought or anything..

ETA: Grr, this thread is so old. I wondered when I flicked through the pages after replying why all the old posters were back. :|

[Jazza]

If anyone's ever seen the cafe in River City, the inspiration from that comes from the cafe up the road from me. I'd have it like that, except roomier.

[I'm With Stupid]

I wouldn't care as long as it made money. But with that in mind, I'd probably have something linked to a university campus, since the chances of a starbucks moving in next door would be pretty slim.