`new` ideas for a cafe...

[Encantador]

Yes, we know that nothing is ever really `new`.

I posted on here a while ago as my wife and I are looking at leasing a cafe. It is pretty much kitted out and ready to go and has been closed since December.

We have the usual array of coffee shops in the relatively small town centre and two family owned (same family) long established coffee shop/cafes nearby. They stick to pretty traditional type stuff, scones, tea cakes, lasagne, cottage pie etc. The prices in the one are quite high in our opinion (£6.95 for a cheese and tomato omelette), the other one is slightly cheaper but has a smaller range.

We have not started to negotiate the lease yet, still waiting for the agent.

We think as well as the cafe customers, there is room for a take-away service for the town centre workers, probably based around pasta and salad bowls plus fresh soups.

A lot of people would be walking past our premises to get to the other two, so we think if we can get them in, we might be in with a chance. We are confident we can produce good quality food at a reasonable price.

Just wondering what people would like to see on the menu, or what have you seen elsewhere which you thought was a good idea. We will be going down the freshly cooked, locally sourced (where possible) route which is all the rage at the moment, but want to be different to those around but not tied into a specific market, so not `themed`.

Any ideas, suggestions would be welcome.

Thanks

Steve
Anyone like `bagels`?

 

[janet40wood]

What about delivering to local businesses, having an online presence? Nowadays all retail needs to be part online, part shop/cafe.
Soup, pasta, bagels, italian flatbread and all homebaking is making a comeback especially cupcakes.
There is a cafe in our local town which do felafel, greek salads, pitta bread etc. Just a few ideas....

 

[Encantador]

What about delivering to local businesses, having an online presence? Nowadays all retail needs to be part online, part shop/cafe.
Soup, pasta, bagels, italian flatbread and all homebaking is making a comeback especially cupcakes.
There is a cafe in our local town which do felafel, greek salads, pitta bread etc. Just a few ideas....

Thanks for the reply.

We will have a online presence and will also be using FB and Twitter to update on daily specials etc.

We will be contacting local businesses and offering a service for any meetings etc, from traditional (sandwiches etc) to something a bit more upmarket. We would obviously deliver these.

Thanks

Steve

 

[iArtist]

How about 'wrap' style sandwiches, they're a nice alternative. Meanwhile Subway does a nice trade something similar would work I guess. Milkshakes and smoothies that are healthy etc.

 

[janet40wood]

Using subway as an example but offering makeup of different salad bowls is one thing that was very popular in a town I visited especially with workers who are bored of sandwiches. Tasty, and personalized

 

[Fred_the_frog]

How about an app where you can order food/ drinks to be ready for a certain time. So the customer opens the app, orders the food and pays (and gives a time (13:30- 13:40). Then the customer just have to walk in, show a screen on their phone, collect the food/drink and walk out (So they can skip the queue, if they are in a rush). You could do it online as a ecommerce type thing if you don't have money to make an app.

Obviously you'd need to make sure people would use the service first though!

 

[iArtist]

How about an app where you can order food/ drinks to be ready for a certain time. So the customer opens the app, orders the food and pays (and gives a time (13:30- 13:40). Then the customer just have to walk in, show a screen on their phone, collect the food/drink and walk out (So they can skip the queue, if they are in a rush). You could do it online as a ecommerce type thing if you don't have money to make an app.

Obviously you'd need to make sure people would use the service first though!

There are a few sites you can join that would set up this service for you, hungry horse and so on.

 

[simon field]

I've said this quite a bit lately, but if you can master hot carvery meats (turkey ,beef, pork) along with some quality local butchers sausages and bacon in freshly baked baguettes you can make a killing.

 

[Alan]

Sorry this isn't very specific and probably pretty obvious, but whatever you do make sure you do it very very well from day 1.

A catering establishment opened near us and did it badly, very badly too big a launch, not enough staff, too poor quality food, and page 1 of google is now full of bad reviews so much so that any one wouldn't touch them with a barge pole.

Don't think that matters? Well I was surprised, when I suggested we went there for lunch, my wife who is a basic e-mail & google user told me not to bother due the the reviews. Ordinary people will research you online.