EssentialComment EDITOR’S COMMENT
My local pub has just changed hands. The new landlords are a young couple; they've never run a pub before, but it has always been his ambition to have his own pub. Can't think of anything worse, myself! I've heard it said that running a pub is like having a party in your house every single night and being desperate to get rid of the last hangers-on so you can go to bed... Seems to me it's a hard life, and for not much reward
Running a café or coffee shop, however, now that's not such a bad idea. The more time I spend putting EC together the more I am coming to realise this industry is a goldmine for those who 'do it properly'. It's bang on-trend, fitting into the affordable treat category and appealing to the time-poor who need a quick pit stop or want to be able to get quality food and beverages to eat on the go. You don't have to stay open late in the evening, or sell alcohol (although I probably would - a glass of wine with your lunchtime sandwich should be seen as one of life's little perks, in my book!) and chucking out time is likely to take care of itself and be a rolling process throughout the day, as mums with toddlers in tow go home to the housework, commuters carry on to work (or home, at the other end of the day), business meetings come to an end and shoppers get back to the fray after taking a break. It's a niche market where independents can thrive. There's lots of help out there for the little guy - advice on food hygiene
tailored specifically to small food outlets (page 26), great ingredients to work with (page 8), and experts happy to share their knowledge (page 36).
The subject of our case study this month, Meat Roll (page 40), was a long time getting off the ground and no doubt gave owner Jim Rawcliffe a few grey hairs in the process, but what a great idea for a coffee shop with a difference. And there are fantastic profits to be made from the clever marketing of little extras like flavoured syrups (page 20). So, all I've got to do is come up with the concept, give myself a point of difference, find the right premises, communicate
my offer to my customers and bob's your uncle. If you don't see my name on this page in the future you can guess what I'll be doing...
In the meantime, here's another issue full of ideas to help you get the most out of your business. Happy reading!
Sue Dunk
SUE DUNK Editor
Fat, buttery macadamias will definitely feature on my menu
EDITOR: Sue Dunk
sue@essentialcafe.co.uk EDITOR IN CHIEF: Daniel Sait
dan@essentialcafe.co.uk PUBLISHING DIRECTOR: David Kitchener
david@essentialcafe.co.uk ADVERTISEMENT MANAGER: Ian Kitchener
ian@essentialcafe.co.uk ACCOUNTS:
accounts@essentialcafe.co.uk DESIGN: Stuart Hubbard - Concept Creatives,
design@conceptcreatives.co.uk CONTRIBUTORS: James Pringle; David Bashford, Food Alert
Essential Café magazine is published by Xpert Publishing Ltd, Innovation Centre Medway, Maidstone Road, Chatham, ME5 9FD. T: 01634 202 092 F: 0844 25 10 372 Registered in England No: 6807623.
While we make every effort that everything printed in Essential Café magazine is factually correct, we cannot be held responsible if factual errors occur. All articles are copyright and remain the property of Essential Café magazine.
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