We opened today!

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/long-shot-how-much-to-open-a-coffee-shop

It’s been absolutely manic all day – non stop from 9am.

Completely cleaned out of bacon sandwiches by midday and cake stock has been very popular!

Minor issue with the till which stopped working and one customer who doesn’t like the decor. But I think all in it’s gone as well as we could hope!

Website should be up soon but it’s in Cholsey Oxfordshire ox10 and is called the four teas!

But most importantly we’ve got bike mags to read and do lots of cake!

Any bikers nearby feel free to drop in – we have secure storage round the back for bikes too!

Thanks to all for all your comments and help on the original post and to mrs rob who project managed the whole thing!

If anyone is doing rides nearby let us know and we can open early or late _ normal hours 9 to 5.30 mon to sat and 9 to midday Sunday

Hope this doesn’t class as free advertising 🙂

Well done and good luck 🙂

It’s good to see people having the confidence to do stuff like this.

Good for you – I was one of the sceptics but I wish you well.

Cholsey eh, posh bugger 😉 Congrats on opening, will pop in when next in the area.

Well done, hope it stays busy for you 🙂

Nice one – hope it stays busy.

rob2 – I presume you have a coffee machine but I have a Rancilio classe8 3group in my garage if you get busier?.

I was one of the sceptics

how unexpected.

Good luck to you rob, and bravo for the balls to do it!

Congrats – hope it continues to work well for you both! 😀

Congratulations and fair play for having the balls to do it. Upload some photos 🙂 I wish you all the best

I really wish you the best. Starting a business is not easy and can be very rewarding / frustrating and takes a bit of balls to do it.

Hope it goes very well.

May even push on from our usual Henley / Marlow coffee stop if we are ever on an epic road ride.

Ooooh.. I could visit you on a lunchtime ride and do a secret shopper 🙂

Oh, and most importantly – which bike mags?

Congratulations hope it works well for you.

I could also visit on a lunchtime.

…would have to set of just after breakfast though.

Good luck with the venture OP.

Edit: According to Google Maps, I can make it in time if I leave after brunch.

Post pictures!

Good luck, how far are you from Woodstock?

Didn’t know TJ was a business expert! 😛

Not too far away from me. I’ll pop in sometime. Good luck!

Al – WTF are you doing in Woodstock? (20-30 miles btw)

Well done to the both of you – cake photos please 😀

Al -WTF are you doing in Woodstock?

Still trying to stop. 😆

cynic-al – Member

Didn’t know TJ was a business expert!

Posted 7 minutes ago # Report-Post

He is just an expert, at being an expert. 😯

So much did it cost to open the coffee shop? 😀

Good luck!

bravo for the balls to do it!

+1

Nice work – let us know in a few months if you still recommend it to others, it’s sort of a dream of mine…

Amazing 🙂 I really do wish you the best 🙂

I really should do the same in my village. It also needs a fish and chip shop.

Go on, post a few piccies

So much did it cost to open the coffee shop?

+1 and good on you and “May God bless her it and all who sail drink and eat in her it.”

Congratulations and good luck!

How useful was the advice in the old thread?

umm photos please

Assuming I can find somewhere to abandon the car we’ll be in tomorrow!

Well done, if i’m ever passing i’ll drop by 😉

You’ll never work for anyone else again!

Another reason for which I regret leaving civilisation for Ireland 🙁
One day I’ll pop in, good luck and all the best!

Excellent, good job 🙂

Just one thing tho, I always get a little annoyed when coffee shops shut at 5.30, cos I often want something after the shops have closed.. but I’m sure you’ve done your research.

Plus, I don’t live nearby so my opinion is not important 🙂

Well done.

So which coffee machine did you get? Two or three group?

ahhhhhh … bbaacccoooonnnnn … I like. (just ate a bag of pork crackling the food for gods).

There is no recession in your area so things will only get even better.

Just make sure you post a cup of your Americano to me for “expert” tasting.

😆

p/s: show us your deco and some pics of your shop please. The coffee machine and grinder too.

Wow! Excellent!

Some pics would be cool.

Well Done.

9 to midday Sunday

Missing out the Sunday afternoon punters me thinks

Pics – check. Will get posted up!

Bike mags – mix if everything, singletrackworld, what mtb, mbuk, and, I’m sorry, but some mbr too, but not many 😉

Opening hours – oddly we have no planning restrictions so we have loads of flexibility. It’s a fairly big village so we plan to adapt to what people are looking for. I favour longer hours but mrs rob is not so keen!

What did it cost..??? Well need to close out the books but close to 17k all in. That includes all shop fitting, electrics, alarm, decorating, furniture, catering equipment – most of which we got second hand and got some really good deals – sign writing etc. If anyone is thinking of doing the same happy to ping the full details and the suppliers. It could easily top 25k but we did lots and I mean lots of negotiating and work ourselves.

Coffee machine is a three group. For the life of me remember the make. It’s on lease purchase which is not the cheapest way to do it but limits our capital risk. The filter coffee is a bunn if that helps!

It’s a but surreal to think we’ve actually done it!

Sunday afternoon – agreed but want to see what demand we have as we need to employ the Sunday staff so need to make sure the numbers add up. The weekend is quite hard to judge at the moment as the village is really quiet on a Sunday. Lots to think about though!

hmm I reckon I could get a cafe stop in Cholsey into my regular 100km Chilterns loop. See you soon then 😀