If you are fortunate enough to be able to dedicate your professional working life to opening a beautifully welcoming café that serves delicious and fresh food and drinks to the local community, then there is certainly a lot to think about.
So, in an effort to help you consolidate your tasks, here is how to prepare your new café for opening day.
Invest in Quality Appliances and Cookware
Without quality appliances and cookware, you will, frankly, be setting yourself up for a failure and as such, you need to spend time choosing the right equipment to suit the needs of your business.
Not only do the right kitchen appliances mean food hygiene standards are consistently exceptional, but this will also help you to maintain high levels of efficiency and help your staff to be happy and confident in their job.
Consider the size of your kitchen and do not be swayed by eye-catching deals on appliances that you simply do not need; your kitchen is about functionality, not aesthetics. Additionally, when it comes to designing the menu, stay simple and small for the first few months and trial new items as weekly specials, rather than committing to buying in bulk.
Think About Housekeeping and Maintenance
Naturally, food and hygiene standards are of optimum importance as the proprietor of a café, public house, or restaurant, but it is also crucial to ensure that all white goods and the plumbing and drainage systems are connected and fully functional.
A notably renowned plumbing service (such as Beehive Plumbing) will be more than obliging to conduct a full and thorough examination of your entire system and will offer advice and competitive quotes on any or all work that needs to be done ahead of the launch.
Work the Majority of Shifts Yourself
Another important point to remember ahead of the opening day of your new café is to keep the number of staff members you employ to a bare minimum, especially in the first weeks and months of launch.
Even those with a shrewd mind and prior experience in the hospitality industry can often overestimate their profits and as a result, tend to overstaff and lose money. Instead, work as many hours as you can yourself and furthermore, ask close friends and family members if they mind helping out in return for free cake and coffee.
In addition, you need to be aware of the differences between hiring experienced baristas with previous experience in coffee houses (who will be considerably more expensive) and young people and students who, whilst cheaper, will be nowhere near as knowledgeable.
Don’t Forget Business Insurance
Hopefully, you will have already factored into your projected outgoings the cost of rent for your new café business and business insurance, but if you have not yet taken out the latter, you need to do it now.
The basic legal obligations for any company in the United States vary, sometimes considerably, from state to state, so do be sure to check with your local department as to the necessary insurance and other certifications you need way ahead of time.
