Ideal Coffee Shop

MRadd
MRadd Posts: 205
edited September 2009 in The bottom bracket
Hi Guys and Gals...

Just fishing around for a few ideas. I have it in my head to start my own business and combine my 2 great passions in life. Cycling and Coffee.

All i'm after, is peoples opions of various coffee shops they've been to in the past and what they liked / didn't like! What they'd want if it was "their" coffee shop. I'll even take advice on what sort of cakes to make!

I'll start off a little,

I like comfy couches.
Home cooked / baked cakes and bread.
Plenty of vegetarian options,
Space to park your bike securely.
Variety of drinks.

It would become a cycling cafe. Memorabilia on the walls, cycling on the TV (when it's on!) and not just for roadies, it would be for ALL, whatever you ride.

Please feel free to add to my list!

Many thanks...
: "Why don't i remember breaking my face?" :

: Semi Professional Grease Monkey, Full time Tea boy... :
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Comments

  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    TV showing live cycling / DVDs of past races etc.

    Selling little bits like tubes, gels etc.

    Track pump

    Good cake

    Water cooler
  • Matt the Tester
    Matt the Tester Posts: 1,261
    free refreshments funded by the great lance armstrong!

    and a free upgrade facility.
    Coveryourcar.co.uk RT Tester
    north west of england.
  • STEFANOS4784
    STEFANOS4784 Posts: 4,109
    Cakes which are sliced really big :wink:
    winter beast: http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff016.jpg
    Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg
  • Matt the Tester
    Matt the Tester Posts: 1,261
    STEFANOS4784 wrote:
    Cakes which are sliced really big :wink:
    possibly gatauex?
    Coveryourcar.co.uk RT Tester
    north west of england.
  • mask of sanity
    mask of sanity Posts: 610
    Few podium girls would go down well! :wink:

    Sounds like a great idea! As NapoleonD said, selling spares and gels etc. would be a great idea!
  • STEFANOS4784
    STEFANOS4784 Posts: 4,109
    Yes gateux and other really sweet sickly looking things, there's a carvery type place at the bottom of the hill by Burrington Combe and they look really attractive 8)
    winter beast: http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff016.jpg
    Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg
  • flite
    flite Posts: 226
    Definitely veggie options, and some plainer food ( eg cheese scones, shortbread) cos we can't all eat cream cake and then ride up the next killer hill
    Floor covering that won't be damaged by road cleats
    Clean loos
    Somewhere to hang wet clothes
    Space for things like publicity for local clubs, entry forms for future events etc

    Good luck with your enterprise
  • takethehighroad
    takethehighroad Posts: 6,822
    A counter made out of old bike bits etc.

    Cake, Kendal Mint and otherwise.

    +1 on the energy gels, maybe look into working it into the drinks somehow.

    All the best, let us know how it goes.
  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    you've all forgotten the most important thing surely?

    "serves excellent coffee".
  • Chicane-UK
    Chicane-UK Posts: 105
    Hmmm...

    My perfect coffee shop is a good selection of different beans, baristas who know what they're talking about and know how to make a decent cup of the stuff and a good selection of cakes / snacks.

    Combine that with some good seats, some good music, I think you've ticked the boxes! I've always quite liked the occasional stores which have bookshelves with some books you can read whilst you're in there!
    Planet X Nanolight High Modulus (Roadie) | 2008 Giant Bowery (Fixie)
  • Harry182
    Harry182 Posts: 1,170
    Life-size, signed Victoria Pendleton poster on the wall smiling at me when I come in. She should be in full team lycra and with her track bike.

    She'd provide an incentive for the ride out and get the blood pumping for the ride home!
  • teagar
    teagar Posts: 2,100
    Harry182 wrote:
    Life-size, signed Victoria Pendleton poster on the wall smiling at me when I come in. She should be in full team lycra and with her track bike.

    She'd provide an incentive for the ride out and get the blood pumping for the ride home!

    Might get the blood pumping to areas which arn't strictly beneficial to cycling fast...
    Note: the above post is an opinion and not fact. It might be a lie.
  • Fat Head
    Fat Head Posts: 765
    Somewhere to leave the bikes without them getting stolen.

    An Amsterdam themed cafe might be good too.
  • MRadd
    MRadd Posts: 205
    Wow, didn't expect so many comments!

    Particularily liking the Pendelton poster idea! Just not sure how my gf is feeling on that one!

    Gels in drinks is certainly an idea i will get cracking on with at some point.

    Bar made of bike bits? My gf sugested Carbon Fibre!

    Seriously though, thank you to all for the comments. Keep them coming, i'm extremely grateful!

    Mark
    : "Why don't i remember breaking my face?" :

    : Semi Professional Grease Monkey, Full time Tea boy... :
  • blakef111
    blakef111 Posts: 374
    a general "come on in atmosphere" is always good and make sure you get a selection of bike based magazines in the magazine rack for when people come in, its an investment of about £15 a month but well worth it, covered, secure bike area is a must and i was thinking how cool it would be to have japanese style shoe racks by the front door, no ruining your nice shiny floor and no slipping over moments, whenever the club go to a cake stop we always leave shoes outside, perhaps helmet hooks on the back of the chairs.

    i'll try and think of some more stuff tomorrow
  • Roger_This
    Roger_This Posts: 136
    'Yes gateux and other really sweet sickly looking things'

    'possibly gatauex?'

    Can't anybody on this site spell cake proper? Shocking :D
  • Roger_This
    Roger_This Posts: 136
    Has to be in the right location of course. Quiet, tables outside with a great view of where we just cycled from alllll those miles away.

    Nae bairns - don't want the bike to get scratched or gloop spilled on it.
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    Coffee is a disgusting drink, gave it up 20 years ago and don't miss it at all. uuurrggghhh!!!!!!!!! waste of funging time imo.
  • synchronicity
    synchronicity Posts: 1,415
    giant mancp wrote:
    Coffee is a disgusting drink, gave it up 20 years ago and don't miss it at all. uuurrggghhh!!!!!!!!! waste of funging time imo.

    Having lived in Australia, I totally & wholeheartedly agree, but have you ever drunk coffee in Italy, France or Spain? :arrow:

    1) Hire a Italian/French/Spanish barrista.

    2) Make sure you sell iced coffee... I'm sure you'll get a few hot & sweaty riders needing a simultaneous caffeine fix + cold hit.
    vertebr.ae | precision braking & shifting
  • deal
    deal Posts: 857
    cold beer :D
  • mikeq
    mikeq Posts: 141
    Wood burning stove. Cafe at loch katrine has one surrounded by comfy couches, this was very welcome when we got soaked, you could get 10 people round it.

    Homemade Soup, we like soup when out for a long ride.
    Cycling from Glasgow to Paris to raise funds for Asthma UK

    www.velochallenge.org
  • disgruntledgoat
    disgruntledgoat Posts: 8,957
    Use of the phone to call for rescue. And great espresso for euro-posers like me.
    "In many ways, my story was that of a raging, Christ-like figure who hauled himself off the cross, looked up at the Romans with blood in his eyes and said 'My turn, sock cookers'"

    @gietvangent
  • guilliano
    guilliano Posts: 5,495
    A little workshop and a tin for donations towards the cost of tools, grease etc.

    Big comfy armchairs, preferably made from soft, worn leather

    Agree with the shoe rack at the door..... especially if you have MTBers coming in on a wet day

    Woodland/countryside location with a lake or river nearby...... nice and tranquil.

    To save the barrista(s) time you could have a huge urn and different teas set out on a serve yourself basis with a coin slot that activates the urn or dispenses a cup to ensure it's paid for

    Bike washing facilities

    A couple of those huge dryers like you get after water rides at theme parks

    And obviously the secure covered bike parking with locks supplied (not everyone carries one)
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/guilliano/
  • gert_lush
    gert_lush Posts: 634
    all sounds jolly excellent, I would certainly sit down, have a coffee, and never move again by the sounds of it! :D

    one thing it me be worth bearing in mind,is to make it inviting for non bikey people too, the reason I say that is I imagine there will be times, i.e. in the middle of the week where there would be lots of non bieky people mulling around wanting a nice coffee etc too and all business is good business so it needs to attract genaral customers too, just cater very well for us bikers at the same time
    hope it comes together

    p.s. would this be a gloucester based cafe place?
    FCN 8 mainly
    FCN 4 sometimes
  • Matt the Tester
    Matt the Tester Posts: 1,261
    it would be based in southport sadly ;)
    don't know what else to add.
    Coveryourcar.co.uk RT Tester
    north west of england.
  • MRadd
    MRadd Posts: 205
    Location at the moment is very much in the wind. Haven't quite thought that one through. Obviously i want it to be reasonably close to a town for the "non" bikey people.. .but it also needs to be sufficiently out of the way for "bikey" people to enjoy the peace and quiet.

    I'm currently in the forest of dean, so maybe this is the place?!
    : "Why don't i remember breaking my face?" :

    : Semi Professional Grease Monkey, Full time Tea boy... :
  • trekrider127
    trekrider127 Posts: 83
    uumm .... before we all get carried away!

    I'd make sure you make it more than welcoming to non-bikey people - the harsh reality it is that you won't make sufficient income from the biking community to make it work without them.

    After all we spend it all on carbon frames - and life size pics of VP by the sounds ....

    (Economic Reality Check!)
  • gert_lush
    gert_lush Posts: 634
    The only reason I asked as it said your location was gloucester :D

    me and my housemate always talked about how it would be cool to have something just like this in Bristol, never more than chat, but the whole comfy seats, bike parking, home made cake and a bike wash woudl be great, hhmm dragons den? haha
    FCN 8 mainly
    FCN 4 sometimes
  • Matt the Tester
    Matt the Tester Posts: 1,261
    possibly dragons den ;)
    Coveryourcar.co.uk RT Tester
    north west of england.
  • dodgy
    dodgy Posts: 2,890
    blakef111 wrote:
    a general "come on in atmosphere" is always good and make sure you get a selection of bike based magazines in the magazine rack for when people come in, its an investment of about £15 a month but well worth it, covered, secure bike area is a must and i was thinking how cool it would be to have japanese style shoe racks by the front door, no ruining your nice shiny floor and no slipping over moments, whenever the club go to a cake stop we always leave shoes outside, perhaps helmet hooks on the back of the chairs.

    i'll try and think of some more stuff tomorrow

    Love the idea of helmet hooks, often overlooked issue that.

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