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Hey guys Do you think it would be better to buy over another business and bring in better coffee and focus it to that a bit more and take away coffee or to try and find a new blank canvas

Just back from a morning out in Altrincham. Our Town is fast becoming the place to visit for its coffee. This morning we were at The Market House. I had a Macchiato & the ladies had a Latte each. All the drinks were made & served with passion. Great variety of food all around. I noted the Beans in use were from Atkinsons, really nice. Maybe we should give them a try sometime for the DSOL

Wonder if the 3 local Starbucks are worried yet........ http://www.timeout.com/london/blog/a-phone-box-in-hampstead-has-been-turned-into-a-coffee-shop-021916

Hi everyone i was wondering what alternatives sell well in coffee shops. i have seen some coffee shops trying to sell art and honey and jams etc but i was wondering what are the most funky things you have seen thanks

The Birmingham coffee scene is a strange beast. There are loads of coffee shops to suite a whole variety of tastes from classic Italian style to speciality. The one thing that they all have in common is the not particularly coffee friendly Birmingham tap water. The water sits in the very soft category and as such it makes it really challenging to make tasty coffee and this is pretty obvious when you visit a lot of shops here. Much of the filter coffee is bland and espresso can be thin and sour. I'm always on the lookout for a great coffee when I'm out and about in Brum so I was really excited when our very own @garydyke1 told me about a new place that was opening up here and not only that but he would be heading up the coffee section! The place is called Tilt and it only opened two weeks ago. It combines speciality coffee by Origin with various guest coffees sourced from some cracking roasters both in the UK and abroad. Guest offerings so far have been from Brum’s own Quarter Horse Coffee Roasters and Five Elephant in Berlin with Passion Fruit Roasters from that there up north, up next. They've opted for a simple coffee menu offering espresso, a couple of milk drinks and filter. Each style drink has a safe option and something more adventurous. The safe option being aimed at those who prefer a more traditional style coffee and adventure bringing something a little different to the table. Finally, they offer a coffee flight where you can enjoy the same coffee 3-ways i.e. espresso, milk drink and a filter. Knowing Gary’s love of coffee, great pallet and meticulous attention to detail I was expecting a lot on the coffee front, needless to say I wasn’t let down. The rest of the guys there also really know what they’re doing, actually I've not had a coffee made by Gary yet and they've all been delicious! They also have a selection of loose leaf tea and soft drinks if you’re not into coffee. After speaking to Gary about this new venture it was clear that the quality of the coffee drinks was not down to Barista skill alone. The coffee itself is all high quality. They have invested in quality kit, LM Linea, a pair of Mythos Ones for espresso and an EK for Brewed. They are using remineralised water for both espresso and filter and are using a different profile for each to optimise the flavour profiles. They are working with the roasters to ensure that coffee is roasted to complement the water profiles in the shop. This attention to detail all adds up to make the final beverage every bit as it could possibly be. So the coffee is great but what about the beer? I’ve probably had a couple of dozen beers in there since it opened and I’ve never had anything I didn’t like, in fact, the majority have been outstanding. I believe that one of the owners is a beer super geek and really knows his stuff, I can’t argue with his taste, it’s impeccable, and I can’t wait to get back there this weekend! I’m getting old these days and when I go out I prefer to be able to have a chat with my friends (yeah that’s right!) without having to shout over loud music. I’m glad to report that Tilt has a relaxed vibe with an eclectic but very cool soundtrack that sits in the background so you can tune in and out of it at your leisure. So we have delicious coffee, amazing beer and a great atmosphere, what else could make your day that little bit more interesting? Pinball of course! You don’t see these machines about so often and in the digital age there’s something really satisfying about the simplicity of a well-designed pinball machine that keeps you coming back for more. For me it really is the icing on the cake for this place! It’s probably fairly obvious by now that I really like this place but it’s true, I can't get enough of it! I love my coffee, I love my beer, so the only downside is that it’s not next door to my house. If you’re in Brum and fancy a brew then do go and check it out, you won’t be disappointed! Check the guys out on twitter to hear about the latest goings on https://twitter.com/Tilt_Brum

Hi everyone, I'm opening a coffee shop in Loughborough and came to this forum to get some information in compact machines, good grinders and coffee distributers in the Midlands area. Not sure where to start, so much going on in this site! But I hope I find the things I am looking for. I am a baker and provide catering and desserts to the Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire area... if your question is cake related, or what to eat with your cup of coffee I can answer! Thanks Marta

Hi there this is my first post on this forum, i hope that it is in the right place I'm opening a new coffee shop with about 30 seats and i would like to have a free wifi for the customers, which one is the best provider or the best deal that i can get?

Hello folks I've decided to sell my specialty coffee business in Glasgow, is it okay to put info on coffee forums and which thread is best to put it in? Steph

In Budapest just now. Was in Espresso Embassy yesterday. In Bean Buster today. Can recommend both. Bean Buster use Steampunk beans, weird coming all the way from Scotland to drink a bean rosted near me .

Hi, I'm new to this and am interested in knowing if anyone can advise on how we are best advertising our fully equipped and stocked Coffee Shop for rent? We are based in Birtley near Gateshead in the North East. The 'retail space' has been converted into a Coffee Shop with a very large rear kitchen (hopefully to deliver on buffet/parties/catering orders) and as we have already 3 businesses in the same premises, we can't provide the focus on developing the Coffee Shop further. Thus, our thoughts were to rent it out. We've spent approx £17,500 on converting/equipping the shop and we are real proud of what we've achieved to date, but really need to hand over the day to day running to another business person. As some of the facilities are shared, its important for us to work with someone who we feel we can trust (as well as obviously having the legal stuff in place plus references and Guarantors). Any idea how we best go about doing this, other than an advert on Gumtree?!!! All suggestions would be most welcome, with thanks in advance. Dav

Are any Coffee Forums UK Members going to be at Ride London on 03 August? Might be an opportunity to catch up in a coffee shop near the traffic free route

You can view the page at http://coffeeforums.co.uk/content.php?311-La-Marzocco’s-Pop-up-coffee-shop-announces-full-line-up-for-The-London-Coffee-Festival

I had the pleasure of drinking coffee in Colonna and Small's in Bath this weekend. Utterly fabulous coffee, amazing attention to detail, every shot has the ground coffee weighed and the espresso is also weighed. Different weights for each of the coffees offered. Some degree of caffeine toxicity late morning as a result of the visit! A truly great place to drink coffee. Paul :coffee:

Hello, I've been in and out of the forum for the past year, and pursuing better espresso the entire time. As the one year mark is approaching, I'm extracting espresso far superior to that of any high street chain (he says) and I'm now taking the financial plunge into rounding off the experience with a IberItal MC2. The question is...Is it worth looking into coffee bean subscriptions or are these a way of roasterys shifting slow moving beans (maybe I'm a great big sceptic) Has anyone had experience with sub's in the past. My gf does work a few seconds walk from the Nude Espresso coffee shop/roastery in London, would this be a better option and PAYG?

Hi there, I'm Jamie from Manchester - I fell in love with coffee in Melbourne a few years ago whilst travelling on a year out and found work as a Barista there - I haven't looked back since! If anything, I came back a complete coffee snob! I have always loved food and cooking and would think nothing of buying the best ingredients but was quite content with drinking instant coffee... Melbourne changed all that - the coffee/cafe scene is like nothing I had ever experienced. It's all about the independents and a real passion for crafting (& drinking!!) the best silky coffee you can imagine - to say it was infectious is an understatement! After working there for the best part of a year; coming back to the UK was torturous and virtually impossible to find a decent coffee. I toyed with the idea of setting up a coffee shop over the last few years but my passion has gone further and would like to roast my own product alongside and hope to have my business up and running in the next 6-12months - so watch this space! I'm pleased to read there a plenty of coffee nuts here, so I look forward to sharing/gaining some ideas, opinions and advice Cheers, Jamie

I have a couple of hours to kill after a meeting in Dublin soon. Any recommendations for a quick schlurp?

Hi to all those fellow coffee lovers out there! In mid Sept I take over a coffee/deli house in Sussex and am excitedly looking forward to the experience. We shall be serving great coffee and, as you would expect, lots of lovely treats. I look forward to spending time well spent on here digesting and sharing views etc. My initial question regards insurance; Public Liability and Employer. What are your experiences? Which insurer has been good for you and you would be happy to recommend? Many thanks Jules

I love FlyWheel coffee in San Francisco. Although it is a little way across the pond, if anyone is ever out there, they make a great siphon. First place I have seen the serves Siphon. I have no relation to FlyWheel, just a happy customer.

Hi my new job is going to be for a charity, the role is defined by myself and as such I need to find some of the equipment myself. Cost is going to be a limiting factor and somehow I need to get a machine and grinder for under £1000 I might even have a more restrictive budget but for now I am trying to gauge what is available to take to the management. So I have posted the in wanted although it will take time to get to them have a sit down discuss then ultimately, hopefully, get the go ahead. As such advice would be appreciated. I am developing menus and figuring out which suppliers to go with, as the powers that be want to offer cheap coffee. I want good coffee (as do they) and we need to meet somewhere in the middle. One good thing is it will not be profit driven but at the same time it can't be loss making. It will be interesting to get to know how a charitable business works too. Thanks

Hello everybody, I am currently researching and developing a business plan for opening a coffee shop in Glasgow. I have stumbled upon several questions in my research so far, the answers to which I am sure will be useful to all of us: Location: Footfall versus rent: Most central locations where there is a lot of footfall also have rents exceeding 40,000 p.a. for 1000 sq. ft - 1500 sq. ft. I know that you should choose the location based on value but how would you go about determining the value of the location. For any existing business owners what made you choose your current location - close proximity to universities, business centres, hospitals? I have noticed that coffee shops tend go in clusters: is it a bad idea to position yourself to other popular coffee shops or it is actually good assuming you can gain more exposure by creating a scene or at least sharing a customer base. What about positioning yourself and partnering with business serving other interests of your customer base e.g. organic produce shops, bicycle shops, yoga studios and anything related to quality and health focused way of life. Premises: What are the most important qualities for good premises for a coffee shop. So far I have found that the class licence of the premises is something to be handled after choosing the premises (e.g. in most cases the property would have Class 1 but that doesn't mean that you can't talk to the Council if they have any plans to switching to Class 3). What about the layout of the coffee shop, many retail properties have big basements but as a coffee shop owner, do you really need that ancillary space or is it just waste of rent. To all existing owners: was there something you didn't realize that was immensely important about the premises until later when you started renting and operating on the premises. Thank you all for taking the time to discuss and answer my questions. Best Regards, Colin

Well, not been on for a few weeks as I have been a busy boy indeed. Having read all the threads on here and getting very succesful results with the little Moda Mio and a French Press, I walked into my cafe at our fishing lakes and thought "No no this will not do!" So - New menu, redecorate, new extraction, lights, seating and tables we have nearly turned our little greasy spoon into Jack's Coffee Shop - named after my son. I have just got a great deal on a LaSpaziale S5 Compact and a grinder from one of my existing suppliers, so hopefully we will soon be serving great food and even better coffee! I'll post some pics when it's finished! Anyone wanting a free cup can have one if they mention this forum when they come in! Directions can be found on our website - http://www.ohamlakes.co.uk I'm sure I'll be needing some help from the gurus on here very soon

Hi all, I just joined today and am toying with the idea of opening a coffee (& tea) shop. I have not done this before, so will need to learn a lot about this (list of equipment needed, what espresso machine, sourcing beans & leaf teas, etc). If I go down the route of opening a shop, it will be focused on providing high quality drinks. Thanks Tony

This coffee shop will BLOW YOUR MIND! More...

TheCoffeeTweet: Thinking of starting up your coffee shop in the recession? - http://tinyurl.com/c6wq93 More...

Right guy, another discussion has started to ramble on a different thread, so want to funnel it into here. Drink prices has long been a real thorn in my side. When I started at Coffee Aroma, I didn't really mind the £2 we charge per most coffees. However with increased knowledge, realisation of our workload, and understanding of coffee prices, I started to get annoyed. We were slowly becoming the cheapest coffee shop in town. Cheaper than the chains that buy cheap coffee, use the most efficient and cheapest method of coffee production, and cut corners in many places. I had a real issue with this, why should we have to charge less than these giants. We are quality, we put in the work and the passion, and we buy expensive coffee to guarantee the quality we expect. However, this seems to be a mass discussed point. Should we really drop our profit margins just to give people an easy option to swap from the chains, or should we charge what I think we deserve? Chris