Please i been helping out a friend in her Cafe which is inside a workplace and for ahile it was doing quite good but it's gone quite quiet not sure why but as she is new to this business side of things shes doing pretty well supplying a variety of foods and she doesn't buy stuff from bakery and sell it everything from her pies, sausage rolls, cheese rolls , bacon and egg mcmuffins to her slices cookies and cake/muffins etc are all home made every morning. People always compliment her food etc but just trying to think of more ways or things/ideas to make her sell more ... . are there any cafe or ex cafe owners with ideas or what would sell more as i think she needs to do easy and cheaply made things so she actually makes a profit and can actually make a profit at the end of each day. She does meals each day like fish/falafel/bacon and egg/chicken burgers with fries, frittata with salad, soup with bread etc which are all $6 each which i think is the normal price as i've worked at places b4 and the cafe had way more expensive food than that i dont think the price is an issue. They say the last lady that leased the cafe did the same meals week in week out but this lady does different meals every day. What is she doing wrong given them too much or a choice would it be better to stick to simple recipies etc or... . please you input would be appreciated thanks
tazzaboy2,
Aug 3, 4:33am
Is her cafe advertised? that would help(in papers) advertising does cost but you should get people. Is the cafe appealing? food sounds good. . probably keep it simple. . no difficult things. do you bake a bunch of slices to sell in the cafe as in packs? our bakery cafe here just opened and it a massive hit. . always busy. . new rangiora bakery now called something else. . they have specials al the time like pck of massive texas muffins for $4. 50, pizza scones. . 5 for $4 i think. . good luck keep up the good work.
nfh1,
Aug 3, 4:34am
Those meals seem very cheap. Is there much competition around? Clean and comfortable seating? Is it warm inside?
I have a thing with fried food smells - I usually go to cafes who do not do fried things - nothing worse than having a cake with the smell of fried food in the air!
Not sure if any of that is of any help but the food sounds fine so perhaps something about the surroundings? ? ? ?
tazzaboy2,
Aug 3, 4:34am
i use to be a baker assistant btw, no chef or cafe experience.
vaughan60,
Aug 3, 4:42am
okay um cant advertise as this cafe is in the top floor of a building but only for the staff in the building not for the public i thought of a suggestion box
vaughan60,
Aug 3, 4:43am
like poeple are up there for lunch morning tea etc every day but yeah just dont understand it and they always commenting saying hmmm yum whats that yummy smell etc
nfh1,
Aug 3, 4:48am
I did not realise that the cafe was in a building and private - I would think the economy is the trouble. No passing trade so she is just pulling from the same people every day.
Money is really tight for some and one of the easiest ways to cut back is to make lunch.
Is there a loyalty scheme - Buy five lunches get one free, or half price?
vaughan60,
Aug 3, 4:52am
yeah i've mentioned that like a coffee card but for meals or scones
nfh1,
Aug 3, 4:59am
Free coffee with lunch? Or Half Price Coffee with Lunch?
How many potential customers are there in the building? It could be that a cafe in a position like that is just not viable.
juliewn,
Aug 3, 5:27am
$6 sounds quite cheap for fritatta with salad, or soup with bread, etc. .
I've noticed that with the recession, many shops have increased the variety of items they're selling - baby clothes at a gift shop, for example. . maybe thinking outside the square could help, to offer things that haven't been available till now. .
She could offer dinner-type meals to take home - with the orders placed before 10. 30am - and picked up just before the cafe closes. . soup with rolls, lasagne with salad, savoury mince pie and salad/vegetables, bacon and egg pie with salad/veges, beef casserole with vegetables, etc... - with meals available for 2, 4 or more people - so when they're ordered - and paid for - by 10. 30, she has the time to make them before they're collected. Containers would be needed, however would pay for themselves quickly.
I know when I was working long hours, this type of meal would have been very much appreciated. . and probably would be by others. .
Good luck. .
jmonster,
Aug 3, 6:52am
We have a cafe in our building and they do a coffee card- this is pretty standard now a days. They also do coffee and muffin deals where you pay $4 for med coffee and the daily muffin, and they do a service where you can email them your coffee request and they have it ready to pick it up when you get down there. They also have a catering section and they pretty cater any morning tea or staff functions we have. A suggestion box is always a good idea- get your customers to tell you what they want and then deliver! Cheers and good luck to your friend
fisher,
Aug 3, 7:38am
Take a walk around town with a notepad and paper... go into some cafes etc and pinch some ideas ... especially from any close cafe's in your area... are they going out to these other cafes. . ? ? ?
slk96,
Aug 3, 11:50am
Hi, Could she go around, or get someone else to go around the workplace with a basket of cakes or whatever at morning tea, sell them cheap and at the same time hand out a wee flyer telling them what they can buy and also get some feedback. It might be just people tend to take their own lunches these days.
kob,
Aug 3, 1:01pm
my advisewould be to ask questions to the people who do come in to eat. Even thought its on the top floor of a building you are not forced to go there, maybe the reason the lady before got out was because there was a new bakery(mostly Kambodian owned) who does a huge range of things for 1-2 bucks, people in their breaks can leave a building unless of course the property is isolated. There are lots of factors maybe just maybe she has changed her brand of coffee and people dont like the change sometimes cafes go for a cheaper brand in tough times and diff coffee taste totally diff to diff people
kob,
Aug 3, 1:07pm
if the cafe nneds to be there to service staff that works there, have a meeting with mangement and find out what they can do to help, maybe they can help subsidise the coffee cards, cause if they need ou to be there, they wont want to see you down hill at all or suffer, so thats another though as well. I know of plenty of cafes whoi have found ways to use leftovers and make them into tomorrows products ham from the sammies monday become ham in the pinwheel scone tues, tomoato in the sammies mon become tomatoes in B & E pie tues and so on so therea re ways of surviving tough times
cookessentials,
Aug 3, 1:50pm
Does she have a loyalty card system? ie: a free coffee or slice with so manyy $ spent or number of coffees purchased. Atmosphere is always a biggie too.
topherino,
Aug 3, 3:30pm
I'm so over the loyalty card thing!
IMO stick to regular offers. McDonalds is so succesful because people get the same thing everytime. If they really like your mac cheese, and have a craving for it, then toodle up to your shop and theres no mc cheese, that will stop them coming back.
Consistency is key.
charlieb2,
Aug 3, 4:42pm
My suggestion would be for her to try having the same menu... as topherino said... . People will come back if they KNOW that yummy mac cheese they had last week will still be on the menu this week... . Maybe she could try having a 'special of the day' so she is getting to do a bit of variety... .
and have a VERY SHORT survey on the tables with a drop box on the table. . to get some ideas from those who are eating in. Maybe also give the survey out to those doing a quick coffee and muffin run.
pickles7,
Aug 3, 5:02pm
The percentage of people who buy lunch at there work place every day is very low, no matter the price. The building would need 500 plus workers to make it worth while. Maybe a contract to the buildings occupants to look after all tea breaks would be the way to go. There are a lot of people who make up trays of food going from building to building selling , and food-vending machines, they all take a toll on sales.
lavender32,
Aug 3, 5:14pm
Haven't read all posts but my first thought would be taking the food to the customers. Maybe getting orders in the morning & delivering to offices at lunch time or morning tea time.
bitser,
Aug 3, 5:33pm
give them a reason to hang around - NEW magazines and papers etc.
Also some background music is good atmosphere - wise
amazing_grace,
Aug 3, 5:40pm
I hate loyalty cards etc too, my handbag is jammed with them and they just frustrate me... I am more inclined to stay if there is good stuff to read! and the food is healthy (I cant bear the pie and pud kind of cafes)... . Combo deals are good, coffee and cake for $6 etc... .
indy95,
Aug 3, 5:46pm
Vaughan60, you said in your first post that the cafe was doing reasonably well at the start but has now gone quiet. This might just be a seasonal thing but perhaps your friend needs to look at the type of food being served and think about whether it is appropriate for the area and the people who come into the cafe. This isn't meant to sound snobbish but maybe they just want something different from what is on offer.
The idea of sending someone round the building to take orders is worth considering and maybe a morning/afternoon tea run with fresh muffins, scones etc. would be a good idea.
I have no experience of running a cafe or working in one but I do have plenty of experience as a customer. The things I look for are cleanliness, a warm, welcoming atmosphere, a range of fresh, well presented food and friendly, helpful staff who know how to smile and give the impression that they are actually pleased that you are there.
elliehen,
Aug 3, 6:04pm
One of the most successful local cafes near me has some two-seater couches set in L-shapes around a coffee table. Workers coming from sterile steel and glass offices might appreciate a choice of somewhere comfortable to sit, rather than on clattering spiky-legged chairs at wobbly tables. Booths encourage co-workers to sit and stay too.
blt10,
Aug 3, 6:09pm
Soup with bread sounds ok but the frittata and salad, burgers and fries sound rather cheap maybe add a dollar or 2. Can do macaroni cheese without loading with bacon.
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