Catering business

[Winnie Brown]

I am a teacher and I teach A Level Economics and Business. I have been catering for friends and various events for free, however, I would love to have my cafe selling various dishes especially African and Caribbean food, spices dishes and vegetarian food. However, due to capital I cannot afford but I am looking to rent or find a partnership or sub let a cafe in Stoke on Trent or Hertfordshire. Can anyone help or give me advice how to start? I have my Level 2 food hygiene.

 

[Mr D]

I'd start with working in a café, learning everything you can about it. A lot more involved than catering for friends and events.
You would need money for equipment (even if leased), supplies, food, staff, utilities, rent, business rates, advertising etc.

It can be done. Not necessarily easy and you may long for the high pay and time off of a teacher - a business owner can work 365 days a year for a pittance at times.

 

[billmccallum1957]

contact https://www.stokestaffslep.org.uk/enterprise-support/funding-finance/

 

[ethical PR]

Why don't you start by having a regular stall at your local food market and one off events.\

This will be much cheaper and you can learn lots in terms of budgeting, quantities, pricing, marketing and also invest any profits into saving up to start your own cafe .

You could also see if somewhere that is a cafe during the day would let you rent it out in the evening.

Where I live a couple of people who Afro Caribbean food at home and promote it mainly through social media.

Lots of options you can look at rather than rushing into starting up a cafe straight away.

 

[Socio South West]

Much as you state your love and passion for catering and cooking, as with anything you enjoy doing out of the workplace, there is a big gulf between doing it on a casual basis and doing it full time for a living. At present if you cost a job slightly wrong, its not a big issue as you don't depend on the income.... but for a café or restaurant a costings error can be fatal to the business.

Translating a dream to a business in any business sector is not an easy pathway, especially when you are probably earning a reasonable salary teaching - despite the frustrations of the job.

@Mr D has a good idea - work in a café or restaurant in your spare time and learn the business that way, and if the fire within still burns after a while, then start some serious planning to take up the challenge.