# Does anyone else dream of quitting their job and starting a coffee shop?



## BeanandComeandGone (Jun 11, 2015)

...Or is it just me?


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## Dylan (Dec 5, 2011)

Yup, one day.


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## CageyH (Oct 8, 2017)

No. I am quite happy in my current job. It is more of a "Bistro" culture here in France so a proper coffee shop strikes me as hard work!


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## Stevie (Nov 18, 2015)

I had this dream about 3 years ago... and my shop opens in 2 weeks!


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## 4515 (Jan 30, 2013)

Not me.

I think it would become a chore rather than a hobby


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## DavecUK (Aug 6, 2013)

BeanandComeandGone said:


> ...Or is it just me?


I think you are the first person to ever have that dream......................


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## Jony (Sep 8, 2017)

It would be a chore! for me


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Nah.


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

Own business = extremely hard work, no real holidays, huge uncertainty, tremendous stress, total responsibility for your employees, never having to say 'yessir' to a crap boss.... worth it every minute of every day.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

I did once . . . Then I removed my rose-tinted glasses









There is nothing wrong working for oneself, but in the food/drink industry?, And coffee especially? No. Thank. You!


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

Obnic said:


> never having to say 'yessir' to a crap boss.... worth it every minute of every day.


This is easily the best bit of the job.


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

DavecUK said:


> I think you are the first person to ever have that dream......................




















Actually, we've at least been talking about a small outlet accompanying our future roastery







we're based out in the countryside, so you wouldn't find proper coffee houses nearby. On the other side, this also means you wouldn't necessarily have respective bypassing customers straight away. Word of mouth would be an even bigger factor to attract the appropriate audience.

In general, we don't strive to be a world champion roastery, but provide the best and freshest beans for the people in our environment. So it could work out to also brew and serve - but one thing at a time and we'll see... we won't stress it - the real dream for now is roasting!


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## kdr152 (Dec 27, 2017)

Every day! Have the idea, the associated businesses and the name. Just need the skills!







.

Cycling plus coffee plus a few other additions and a few stolen ideas and I reckon it could be a winner. Hard work and marketing to support.

Maybe?! Would prefer to work myself to a standstill knowing it was my money then doing it now knowing it's someone else reaping!


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## Nopapercup (Nov 6, 2016)

kdr152 said:


> Every day! Have the idea, the associated businesses and the name. Just need the skills!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Rapha Cycle Club does this in Soho and they seem to be always busy.


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## buzz (Jun 1, 2017)

Well quit my job to travel, but upon my return I plan to open a mobile business. Not quite as scary as a shop, but still an adventure..


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## 4515 (Jan 30, 2013)

Obnic said:


> Own business = extremely hard work, no real holidays, huge uncertainty, tremendous stress, total responsibility for your employees, never having to say 'yessir' to a crap boss.... worth it every minute of every day.


Agreed


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## Teejay (Dec 4, 2017)

Not something I would consider a dream. Seems like more hard work and worry.


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## buzz (Jun 1, 2017)

One way to approach this, without the huge financial risk, would be to try and get a little corner of an existing high street shop. I believe Gwilyn Davies started this way in a clothes shop in London.


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## Dumnorix (Dec 29, 2017)

I do have a long term aim to do so. In the meantime I am planning to see if I can get some experience in the trade- I am currently working part time so this will be a possibility as I have a day off a week. My only worry is that it could become a chore, as other posters have mentioned.


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## Grimley (Jan 18, 2015)

One word - No. I've got quite good at making a decent coffee (For myself & Family) but for paying customers is another matter. They don't like your coffee, its either money back or make them another one which hits already slim profit margin. There are (Many in my opinion) who have different ideas about how coffee should be served which would conflict with my opinion. Arguments would ensue, word would get round & that would be end of business for me. That & the fact you'd have bills/wages/other outgoings to pay first before putting money in your own pocket, Enforcement authorities (HSE,Enviromental health, local council etc) to deal with, more hassle than its worth for me.


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## buzz (Jun 1, 2017)

To be honest Grimley, I'd have thought complaints about coffee would be the least of your problems. Average Joe wouldn't appreciate how good it actually was!

Whereas someone in the know, would appreciate it.

Assuming you weren't serving muck that is.

Much bigger problems to worry about than the odd cup of free coffee to keep someone happy.

As you pointed out, HSE can be a pain, but really shouldn't be a huge hurdle with some common sense.

Sure you're not making excuses ?


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## Mrboots2u (May 10, 2013)

buzz said:


> To be honest Grimley, I'd have thought complaints about coffee would be the least of your problems. Average Joe wouldn't appreciate how good it actually was!
> 
> Whereas someone in the know, would appreciate it.
> 
> ...


This coffee is sour

Can you make me an extra hot coffee

What syrups do you have

I am going to sit in a seat for 2 hours sucking up your wifi and space for a one coffee .

Can i only have one one shot

Can i have an extra shot

This coffee isn't big enough .

I just want a " normal coffee " give me a normal coffee .

Do you have hemp milk , can i have the hemp milk extra skinny

This isn't a macchiato , it's too small.


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

totally agree that customers and officials would completely ruin the experience









seriously, though, it vastly depends on your location whether or not you can make people happier with what you're doing. Also it depends on your setup, do you sell through a window or have never satisfied posh slackers hang out at your premises half a day or a bunch of self-entitled connaisseurs from around the corner telling bypassers where to get better brew...


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## kdr152 (Dec 27, 2017)

Have a look at Steel Vintage Bikes - Berlin. Looks like a great place and business. Rapha - great clothing and the CC is a fantastic idea but, it's a bit high end.

There's a place for something similar with a twist!!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Done the second part, working on the first


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## Jon (Dec 3, 2010)

jeebsy said:


> Done the second part, working on the first


I swear I saw your gaff on the box the other night!?!


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)

Jon said:


> I swear I saw your gaff on the box the other night!?!


Yeah we were on Super Shoppers on Channel 4 doing a thing about flat whites


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## jeebsy (May 5, 2013)




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## buzz (Jun 1, 2017)

Mrboots2u said:


> This coffee is sour - offer to remake, failing that, they dont return as they don't like it. One less problem.
> 
> Can you make me an extra hot coffee - Sure
> 
> ...


 -

So the occasional customer asking a few daft questions is going to stop you attempting to realize a dream..? Blimey.

Just smile and answer..

This is what you get dealing with the public, you'd get these annoying people in any public interaction job.


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

buzz said:


> -
> 
> So the occasional customer asking a few daft questions is going to stop you attempting to realize a dream..? Blimey.
> 
> ...


Yep, although there will be many people (even here on the forums) rather not take on any public interaction job. And that's a fairly good thing, otherwise we'd see over 15k additional coffee shops run by forum members alone







imagine the competition!

I believe running such a business is something you have to be built for. A true landlord needs to provide service with dignity, not being a brown-nose is key to success IMHO.


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## MildredM (Feb 13, 2017)

buzz said:


> -
> 
> So the occasional customer asking a few daft questions is going to stop you attempting to realize a dream..? Blimey.
> 
> ...


Oh Yes *smiling* *answering*


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## u2jewel (Aug 17, 2017)

The older I get, more intense the sensation of wasting time/life gets.

Putting materialism aside, one thing I've always been envious of is having a job you like and enjoy.

Courage/fear vs regret

If passion and job can merge, then great. If passion becomes a job, then it might not be passionate to me anymore.. But that's OK, I have other passions in life, but then I'm back to square 1...it's a job.

I want to be 18 again. Start over.

I inherited my job (family business) and amongst many wise words from my father that fell on my deaf ears, the stand out is "do something you can be passionate about"

The problem was... At the time, my hobbies were all illegal! If only I loved coffee back then...


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## Beanedict (Aug 14, 2017)

Robots will take over this sector in the next 5 years ...


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## jimbojohn55 (Jan 15, 2016)

Beanedict said:


> Robots will take over this sector in the next 5 years ...


Its true and they will be evil evil robots intent on causing suffering


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## aaroncornish (Nov 7, 2012)

Most days but then I wouldn't be able to afford my amazon habit


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

If robots are going to take over, why isn't there a long queue next to every Costa Express machine? There is one in my local Tesco and I've never seen anyone use it! I think many people like a bit of interaction with other human beings, and the idea that someone has given a **** about the quality of the drink they've just made for you.


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## Beanedict (Aug 14, 2017)

hotmetal said:


> If robots are going to take over, why isn't there a long queue next to every Costa Express machine? There is one in my local Tesco and I've never seen anyone use it! I think many people like a bit of interaction with other human beings, and the idea that someone has given a **** about the quality of the drink they've just made for you.


OK, robots will take it over in 10 years









1. new generation is more happy to interact with robots than old

2. robots are getting better at interacting

3. once the price of a cup gets much cheaper from robot than it is from human, things will change on a dime.

as an example: I hate robots in shops and other places. I hated electronic immigration gate at the air port. But recently I went through those gates at the airport several times, and the process is now much smoother. In other words, I see many layoffs in the next 10 years. Of course, there will always be human baristas, but 99% of people will use robots.

I recently tried a green bean to cup machine, that roasts, grinds and makes coffee based on the recipe in form of RFID attached to a bag of green coffee. The final coffee turned out to be crap, but I can see how this kind of process gets refined, then world class roasters will sell their roasting information for that specific green bean in a form of digital data, straight into those automatic machines - you'll download the recipe into the machine straight from internet for 1p and the machine will make a better coffee than most enthusiasts ever will. But as I said, we have a few years of grace time before that









The questions that the author of this thread needs to ask: do I have an independent income to support my passion/hobby of running a coffee a shop.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

What everyone forgets, is that once we have all been made redundant by robots, nobody will have any money, so even the greedy people at the top will have no market for anything, and when everyone has nothing left to lose, 99% of the population will be so desperate (never mind resentful) that the people who profited from it all will be living behind high walls and paying their fortune to armed guards. Or making killer robots. Now where's my wooden clog?


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## Beanedict (Aug 14, 2017)

hotmetal said:


> What everyone forgets, is that once we have all been made redundant by robots, nobody will have any money,...


yes







a valid concern. This may be the outcome, in which case I will probably see you at the barricades. Other people think that demonetisation of things (products getting so cheap it's almost free) due to robotisation and universal income will offset for unemployment, then people will redefine who they are from their occupation to their passion instead. Many coffee shops may appear, but not as profit making business. I can certainly see the old concepts like labour and capitalism mutating into something new in the future economy. The natural hierarchy of things is changing and mixing up. The poorest people in africa that go without food some days, have mobile phones and access to global communication and financial transactions in the middle of nowhere. The latter was a luxury of uber rich no so long ago.


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## hotmetal (Oct 31, 2013)

Interesting idea. But if everything has to be do cheap it's practically free, where's the motivation to actually make anything? I'm sure what will actually happen is we'll regress to the middle ages where we all end up slaving for some big landowners or tech giants who have taken control of everything including food and water as well as people's means of interaction and transaction. Glad I don't have kids to be honest.


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

Not so fast people, can the few of us please first fulfil their dreams?


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## Beanedict (Aug 14, 2017)

hotmetal said:


> Interesting idea. But if everything has to be do cheap it's practically free, where's the motivation to actually make anything? I'm sure what will actually happen is we'll regress to the middle ages where we all end up slaving for some big landowners or tech giants who have taken control of everything including food and water as well as people's means of interaction and transaction. Glad I don't have kids to be honest.


Incidentally, the film Idiocracy is on tonight







10% of people produce 90% of stuff already anyway (see, Pareto distribution in wealth production), so all of us lazy bums will just die of boredom









we all should find out passion, so coffee shop might be just it!


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## M4xime (Feb 16, 2015)

Thinking about this quite a lot at the moment, even more so when I come back from holidays


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

M4xime said:


> Thinking about this quite a lot at the moment, even more so when I come back from holidays


because of all the bad coffee abroad?


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## Beanedict (Aug 14, 2017)

Hasi said:


> Not so fast people, can the few of us please first fulfil their dreams?


Follow your dream @Hasi !!! Why live with regret in the future?! Follow the freaking dream !!! yeah! Just check your numbers with a few cool heads you can trust







- you want to give your dream the best possible shot.


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## spanspoon (Jan 17, 2018)

yeah that and a microbrewery (pub)


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## IggyK (May 13, 2017)

Ditto Amazon habit! Bang on, although I still dream. Neighbour Coffee Garage. Oh the irony if everyone in my neighbourhood drank tea/or even worse no coffee at all







something tells me I've not thought this through?


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## Obnic (Jan 14, 2014)

Beanedict said:


> OK, robots will take it over in 10 years... world class roasters will sell their roasting information for that specific green bean in a form of digital data, straight into those automatic machines - you'll download the recipe into the machine straight from internet for 1p...


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## Beanedict (Aug 14, 2017)

Kind of relevant. As part of my coffee beans comparison project, I am searching for roasters online. One roaster, that I already added to my website, stopped selling for 3 months now (presumed gone out of business) and many roasters that I stumbled on social media, not published in a long time and links to their websites are now dead. This is sad, but normal - it does not mean that your business will have the same fate. There are many reasons for closing down, some of them are good reasons, some are irrelevant reasons. Just do it, but please get the numbers right.


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## Stevie (Nov 18, 2015)

So we've been open three months now... Everything's going well, we're hitting 100 coffees a day in a our small shop - but like some other people mentioned the tougher stuff is the stuff no one's really taught me. I'm responsible for my employee's pensions, payroll, the accounting/books and lots of people generally wanting things from you. It's pretty satisfying though when customers appreciate you, and keep coming back for your coffee, though!

@44poets on Instagram if you want to see some photos


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## Hasi (Dec 27, 2017)

Stevie said:


> So we've been open three months now... Everything's going well, we're hitting 100 coffees a day in a our small shop - but like some other people mentioned the tougher stuff is the stuff no one's really taught me. I'm responsible for my employee's pensions, payroll, the accounting/books and lots of people generally wanting things from you. It's pretty satisfying though when customers appreciate you, and keep coming back for your coffee, though!


Congrats!

I can imagine the hustle and bustle of a coffee corner. And with 100+ coffees per day you surely have very little time to think too much about responsibility.



Stevie said:


> @44poets on Instagram if you want to see some photos


Love it!! Also wowed by the greengrocer part of the story, awesome place indeed.

I'll totally drop in if I happen to be in the area one day







Keep it up (and open)!


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## jlarkin (Apr 26, 2015)

Stevie said:


> So we've been open three months now... Everything's going well, we're hitting 100 coffees a day in a our small shop - but like some other people mentioned the tougher stuff is the stuff no one's really taught me. I'm responsible for my employee's pensions, payroll, the accounting/books and lots of people generally wanting things from you. It's pretty satisfying though when customers appreciate you, and keep coming back for your coffee, though!
> 
> @44poets on Instagram if you want to see some photos


Well done - I hope it carries on strong for you!


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