# Lots of questions from a new coffee shop owner



## dpetteng (Jul 31, 2017)

So we are opening a new coffee shop in Hertfordshire but we are new to coffee shops and catering. We have already been on a coffee shop and barista course but have tons of questions:

1. The course we went on was fantastic but he had very fixed views on grinders and said we should buy 2 Simonelli grinders at around a grand each. Seems a lot but looking for advice. We are going to use a Faema E61 Legend.

2. We can not cook in our coffee shop but we can warm food so were thinking of a Merrychef and pannini press. Any views on this?

3. Sinks - sounds simple but maybe not. I have now realized we need a general sink and a handwash sink. Will I need the same in both serving areas and prep areas?

4. We are trying to figure the right coffee. Already tried Matthew Algie and didn't like it. Thinkiing of either a specialist like Union or Segafrado which is more retail. Any views?

I know these seem like dumb questions but we are newbies.

Dave


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## BertVanGoo (Nov 20, 2015)

Hi Dave,

I'm in the final week of opening my first shop.

With the grinder question that sounds like they may sell them and hats why they recommend them? Personally I'm using a mazzer robur for house and then going to use something else for my deli and decaf.

With the sinks we have two separate sinks in the serving area and three in the kitchen. Both have a hand basin which is only to be used for washing hands. The others are for waste water and food prep. Best bet is to speak to the council and the person who will be checking you out. Thankfully our lady was very friendly and helpful

Good luck


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## dpetteng (Jul 31, 2017)

Thanks and good advice. Can you tell me the model of mazzer grinder you are using?


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## Thecatlinux (Mar 10, 2014)

Contact foundry coffee roasters Sheffield


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## Stanic (Dec 12, 2015)

1. Yeah they are apparently selling them, decide based on your budget

2. A good warm snack can help to get more people in

3. Not sure,check the regulations

4. Plenty of high quality roasters in the UK to choose from (I would be suspicious if the description was "Ethically Sourced Triple Certified Organic Coffee")


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## BertVanGoo (Nov 20, 2015)

dpetteng said:


> Thanks and good advice. Can you tell me the model of mazzer grinder you are using?


It's a Mazzer Robur on demand


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## dpetteng (Jul 31, 2017)

Wow, grinders are expensive! Yours is more than I was going to spend. Maybe I need a reality check on the price of these things


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## PeterL (Aug 5, 2015)

I got to see the sight of 2 coffee shops yesterday, 2 doors apart on the strand, one speciality, one selling illy from the 20KG keg.

The speciality shop had a 10 person service queue from 8-9AM continuously, fast turn over and a lot of non coffee sales like croissants and breakfast bircher pots sold.

The primary product sold was the coffee, the rest add-on's, the other shop was 20P cheaper on their coffee and sold 2 in the time I was there.

In short, you can dominate your area if your coffee is the best vs your other logical footfall locations, don't scrimp and if you don't know why a grinder costs more look at it's speed per shot matched with your machine group capacity and make sure the only thing people are waiting for is milk to steam. I would spend more time looking at your likely footfall, likely peak periods and more importantly get to know what good coffee tastes like before you make any equipment purchases. Spend time in some good shops first.

More so stay away from the package sellers like Matthew Algie as they ain't in it for the coffee and the clients can get that anywhere.


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## dpetteng (Jul 31, 2017)

PeterL said:


> I got to see the sight of 2 coffee shops yesterday, 2 doors apart on the strand, one speciality, one selling illy from the 20KG keg.
> 
> The speciality shop had a 10 person service queue from 8-9AM continuously, fast turn over and a lot of non coffee sales like croissants and breakfast bircher pots sold.
> 
> ...


I agree, we have done a lot of research and even though we are in a village setting, we are going for a high quality product so looking for great beans and great machinery. Not trying to cut corners I am just new to this trade and had no idea how much grinders were. Some things are cheaper than I thought like ice makers!


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## 4085 (Nov 23, 2012)

buy your kit once and buy it right......there are two main areas in making a shot......the skill of the barista and the type of equipment. I am not saying run out and spend 20k but the grinder is important. The Robur is a conical grinder which in my view tends to work best with darker beans. Your beans are mega important. there are literally dozens of potential roasters out there. Settle on your bean first then ask the roaster about grinder recommendations. It is a commercial setting so have a commercial grinder.......skimp on any of the above, and you might as well serve the illy referred to above


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## PeterL (Aug 5, 2015)

dpetteng said:


> I agree, we have done a lot of research and even though we are in a village setting, we are going for a high quality product so looking for great beans and great machinery. Not trying to cut corners I am just new to this trade and had no idea how much grinders were. Some things are cheaper than I thought like ice makers!


You have lots of people on here using top end grinders for 3 a day coffee making, me included.

Top end coffee is like religion, it's the attention to small details and accurate repetition count for everything and a good grinder takes a lot of this load by making shot sizes consistent and removing the risk of variations, if you can't hire expert staff at least learn how to tune in coffee and use a single dose grinder that will then mean the variances from the staff are on things like tamp weight and milk handling.


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## dpetteng (Jul 31, 2017)

Understood and great advice, thanks


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## wyattc (Apr 7, 2017)

Just quickly (and hopefully helpfully)...I run a coffee company supplying coffee, machines, grinders, etc and we get enquiries from folks in your position all the time.

- Grinders -- often the grinder is as important, if not more important, than the machine itself. The speed and consistency of grind can have a massive impact on your bottom line. It's worth a few quid more per week to get something good.

- Coffee -- most folks will happily send you samples, so just request them from a few folks you like the look of. It's important you prepare the samples the same way you'd be preparing your coffee for sale, though, as different preparation methods produce different results (the same bean via Aeropress will taste different coming from bean to cup or a barista machine). Echoing the above, don't skimp on coffee beans either. The difference between coffee that costs £20/kg v £10/kg is around 10p per cup. If good beans mean you can charge 50% more for your coffees or will serve 2x as many drinks then it's obviously worth it.

- Also, depending on your branding strategy, you may want to ask the roaster for POS materials as well. Most will give you those if you're happy to agree to buy coffee from them for a fixed period of time.

Send me a DM if you have any questions about anything!


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## BertVanGoo (Nov 20, 2015)

dpetteng said:


> Wow, grinders are expensive! Yours is more than I was going to spend. Maybe I need a reality check on the price of these things


We're renting for the first year. Two reasons for this, cashflow and if things didn't work out then we're not sat on a £10k of machinery we have to try and sell


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## ZappyAd (Jul 19, 2017)

dpetteng said:


> I agree, we have done a lot of research and even though we are in a village setting, we are going for a high quality product so looking for great beans and great machinery. Not trying to cut corners I am just new to this trade and had no idea how much grinders were. Some things are cheaper than I thought like ice makers!


Is it a busy village with lots of people that want good coffee? I'm always intrigued about how coffee / cafe businesses figure out the whereabouts of a good location to open up. Do you have any insights you can share on how you figured it out?


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## HPLBravo (Nov 21, 2017)

This is another thread which I have found increasingly useful so thank you for the questions and the answers.


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## Scotford (Apr 24, 2014)

If you're going to spend near the money a Robur costs on a grinder, get a Mythos. Much more consistent and will see you right for a long time.


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## Stevie (Nov 18, 2015)

The grinder is potentially the most important thing in the shop. The better the grinder the more consistent it will be in terms of dose, the less wastage you'll get and the better tasting coffee you'll find.

The roaster depends on how speciality you want to go. If you're mid market then Union is a safe a bet for sure. If you want to go a little more premium then you'll need a more artisan roaster and someone that feels right for your brand.

It sounds like you need to do a lot more research. I'd visit a bunch of respected coffee shops so you can see what beans they use and how they prepare the coffee.

Never skimp on a grinder. Like Scott said above, a single Mythos One (about £1800) will serve you well for a long time, and they have decent resale values.


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