Your business: how to open a summer cafe
Summer cafe is one of the most profitable types of seasonal business. Initial investments amount to about 600 thousand rubles – they can be recouped in 2-3 months and earn up to 2 million net profit per season.
The entertainment industry is actively developing every year. Food culture is growing outside the home. Especially high demand is observed in the warm season. This means that the summer cafe is a great opportunity to make money. Such places are the favorite place of the majority of citizens. Over the past eight years, the summer café market has increased by almost 20%, while the average bill has grown by about 35%.
If you are going to open a summer cafe, an entrepreneur must understand that he does not have time to build up. Seasonal business requires careful preparation “before” and quick response during the work. Open-air establishments operate from May to September. In those cities where the sunny warm weather does not last long, it is generally impractical to open such a format of catering establishments.
Pros and cons of the summer cafe
This type of institution provides various opportunities in the field of design, recipes, menus, marketing.
It is much easier to organize a summer cafe than a full-fledged restaurant. And the matter is not only in the difference of starting investments, but also in business processes. Therefore, if you wanted to work in the field of catering, the summer cafe is a great option for a novice entrepreneur who needs to gain experience.
In the summer, people tend to spend as much time outdoors as possible. Therefore, tables on the street will become your competitive advantage over gated establishments.
Pitfalls when opening a summer cafe
Business is seasonal and depends on the weather. If summer is cold and rainy, or, conversely, too hot, attendance will be significantly lower than planned. Also, you will have to collect an impressive package of documents and obtain permission from the city hall for the lease of land.
High competition is also one of the pitfalls of this business. Least of all the difficulties with the opening of the summer cafe will be on a private leased land. Everything is more complicated with the municipal territory. In addition to the problem with the lease of land, it is necessary to solve other issues: the administration imposes requirements on the improvement of the territory, the design of the facade, the interior and other parameters. In some cases, the fulfillment of all requirements may take several months. So if you want to enter the season with a ready-made business, then first consult the local Center for Entrepreneurship Support at the city administration.
Formats of summer cafe
The initial stage of opening a summer cafe is the choice of the format of the institution. The catering industry is developing and offering different formats, for each of which there is a consumer. The most common formats are:
Street food In fact, this is a prototype of fast food, which is organized on the street. The client can have a snack on the go. Cafe in the format of street food is a small kiosk-wagon, which sells shawarma, pancakes, hamburgers, etc. Next to the kiosk, they usually install racks or a couple of tables for those who want to have a snack in more comfortable conditions. The average bill of such cafes is 200 rubles. Materials on the discovery of popular types of street food can be found here.
The cafeteria is a small place where delicious drinks are served in combination with desserts. This includes galateria with ice cream. This is a suitable option for families with children. The average check is 350 rubles.
Cafe-terrace – an institution that offers a wide range of dishes, comfortable conditions for spending time, good service. The average check of such institutions starts from 600 rubles.
Cafe-barbecue – one of the most common formats summer cafe. In order to open a kebab house, you need to find a place not only for tables, but also for the mangal zone. Not all sites are suitable for this purpose. Here the average check is already 800 rubles.
Cafe on the beach – a mini-cafe that specializes in the preparation of beach food. Gourmet dishes will not be here, but you can eat in comfortable conditions. Such establishments open in or near the beaches. The format is very profitable, but the rent is quite expensive.
Place to open a summer cafe
The most profitable locations are park and tourist areas, embankments, the central streets of the city, the territory near the sights or the beautiful panorama of the city, crowded places, etc.
To place a summer cafe, you need to resolve the issue with the lease of land. If you have chosen a plot on a private territory, it will be easier for you: enter into a lease agreement – and you can start work. But if the land belongs to the municipality, then you will have to deal with the local administration, namely with the Committee on the management of city (municipal) property. You will need to get permission to install a cafe. And there may be some difficulties. You risk getting involved in paperwork, which is time consuming.
