Start and Run Your Own Coffee Shop and Lunch Bar

225 Pages·2009·0.72 MB·English

by  Heather Lyon

START AND RUN
YOUR OWN
COFFEE SHOP
AND LUNCH
BAR
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START AND RUN
YOUR OWN
COFFEE
SHOP AND
LUNCH BAR
Heather Lyon
howtobooks smallbusinessstart-ups
Published by How To Content,
A division of How To Books Ltd,
Spring Hill House, Spring Hill Road
Begbroke, Oxford OX5 1RX United Kingdom
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[email protected]
www.howtobooks.co.uk

All rights reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or stored in an
information retrieval system (other than for purposes of review) without the express
permission of the publisher in writing.

The right of Heather Lyon to be identified as author of this work has been asserted
by her in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

© 2008 Heather Lyon

First published in electronic form 2008

British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-84803-293-4

Produced for How To Books by
Deer Park Productions, Tavistock, Devon
Designed and typeset by Mousemat Design Ltd

NOTE: The material contained in this book is set out in good faith for general
guidance and no liability can be accepted for loss or expense incurred as a result of
relying in particular circumstances on statements made in the book. Laws and
regulations are complex and liable to change, and readers should check the current
position with relevant authorities before making personal arrangements.
This book is dedicated to Robert Pirrie, my late partner,
who initially encouraged me to write this book.
This page intentionally left blank
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements xi
Preface xiii
Chapter 1 Getting started 1
Planning your business 1
Thinking about your business agreement 3
Choosing a location 3
Offering a delivery service 8
Doing your research 9
Chapter 2 Choosing your shop unit 11
Are you going to purchase or lease your premises? 11
Purchasing your premises 11
Leasing your premises 12
Chapter 3 Getting advice 15
Working with professional advisers 15
Understanding insurance 19
Finding help in your area 20
When do you need a licence? 21
Drawing up a business plan 21
Chapter 4 Creating your own coffee shop 25
Choosing a name 25
Building an image 26
Making the most of your menu 30
Should you opt for self-service or table service? 33
Deciding your opening hours 34
Chapter 5 Devising your menu 35
Catering to suit your customer 35
Serving cold-filled snacks and sandwiches 35
Serving hot-filled snacks and sandwiches 38
VII
START AND RUN YOUR OWN COFFEE SHOP AND LUNCH BAR
Making your own soup 38
Serving breakfasts 40
Serving home-cooked meals 40
Catering for children 41
Baking your own cakes 41
Offering a choice of hot and cold drinks 44
Chapter 6 Purchasing and leasing catering equipment 46
Buying new equipment 46
Buying second-hand equipment 47
Buying or leasing kitchen equipment 47
Buying furniture and fittings 59
Chapter 7 Choosing your suppliers 61
Finding your food suppliers 61
Buying from supermarkets 65
Using a cash and carry 65
Handling food safely 66
Chapter 8 Employing staff 67
Deciding how many staff you need 67
Employing immigrants 67
Recruiting your staff 68
Interviewing prospective employees 73
Dismissing staff 75
Chapter 9 Training your staff 81
Training staff on the job 81
Compiling a staff manual 82
Following up training 83
Teaching staff how to generate good customer relations 83
Dealing with difficult customers 84
Organizing regular staff meetings 86
Tackling absenteeism 87
Hanging on to good staff 88
Chapter 10 Complying with health, safety and hygiene laws 91
Be committed to cleanliness 91
Drawing up a cleaning schedule 91
VIII
CONTENTS
Tips for effective cleaning 93
Working with your local Environmental Health Department 95
Complying with the rules and regulations 96
Inspections by the Environmental Health Officer 98
Preparing and storing food safely 99
Eradicating food hazards 102
Getting advice about health and safety issues 104
Carrying out a risk assessment 105
Chapter 11 How to increase your business 108
Developing your marketing strategy 108
Using vouchers and flyers 109
Some more ideas for attracting customers 111
Handing out customer questionnaires 113
Using local radio and newspapers 114
Using your local tourist board 115
Using an outside agency 115
Chapter 12 Popular coffee shop recipes 116
Soups 118
Savoury recipes 132
Fillings or toppings for baked potatoes 136
Fillings for sandwiches 140
Popular cake recipes 142
Tray bakes 155
Chapter 13 The 12 skills you need to run a successful coffee shop 163
Appendix 1 Employment contract – full-time staff 165
Appendix 2 Employment contract – part-time staff 171
Appendix 3 Employment contract – weekend staff 177
Appendix 4 Job description pro forma 183
Appendix 5 Employee handbook 185
Appendix 6 Customer questionnaire 198
Appendix 7 Useful contact numbers and addresses 200
Index 203
IX