Is Owning a Café Profitable in Australia?

Profit is one of the primary motives for starting a business of your own. Of course, you’ll also have the privilege of setting your schedule and being your boss, especially in the coffee shop industry; but the money-making potential will make or break you.

So the big question: is owning a cafe profitable? The short answer is: Yes. It can be if you work smart and hard enough.

It’s not difficult to get started in the wholesale coffee industry, but you’re unlikely to become wealthy from your coffee shop profits. You should have realistic expectations. You can make your coffee shop a profitable business by doing things right.

You will most likely see customers enjoying coffee, espresso, lattes, teas, pastries, and other items at a busy specialty coffee shop. The use of work-friendly features like Wi-Fi is also becoming more common, and coffee shops are frequently used as meeting spots.

Some Stats to Keep in Mind

Around 2.5 billion cups of coffee are consumed each day worldwide, according to experts. Coffee shops are expected to enjoy a 67% growth in sales by 2022 in the ready-to-drink market.

Furthermore, coffee suppliers and other like-minded service businesses show unbelievable resilience, eliminating some of the uncertainty that comes with owning a small business. You might want to consider opening a wholesale coffee shop if you love coffee and are entrepreneurial.

Tips to make sure your Coffee Shop is profitable

1. Create a Business Plan

It’s imperative to develop a detailed business plan before starting a business, which forces you to think carefully about how you plan and structure your business. To place your shop appropriately in the market, you need to research the industry and the local market. Think about how your company will grow in these segments:

• Your brand and mission for your wholesale coffee shop
• Analyze the market. Know who you’re competing against
• Your menu and drinks
• Staffing and management structure
• Marketing strategy
• Startup costs and financial projections

2. Be smart about choosing a location

When it comes to finding customers, location is everything, especially if your business relies on it. When looking for a rental, don’t just pay attention to the price per square foot. The amount of business-driven to your shop will be greatly influenced by factors like convenient parking, proximity to entertainment venues, or easy access to heavily trafficked streets and busy shopping districts.

The following parameters are what you’re looking for:

• Easily accessible and centrally located
• Consistent foot traffic and high visibility
• Creating the space that is right for you

3. Put aside money for expenses

Keep in mind that you need to think about your business expenses as well as your startup costs. Although you will start generating revenue immediately, you will be focusing all your attention and energy on your new business for around six months, to maximize your coffee shop profit.

You should set aside enough money for at least six months of expenses. If you want to run a coffee shop while working another job or side gig, you’ll need to decide whether it’s feasible or not to do so.

4. Marketing

Your marketing efforts should begin before you open the doors to your new business. Develop your website and use social media to drum up interest, but also connect with the local community.

Your business will be behind the moment you begin marketing. It’s crucial that people are excited to come in on an opening day. It’s a good idea to plan your marketing strategy several months before your store opens and begin targeting potential customers.

Sample muffin trays can be distributed at community events for free or local businesses can receive flyers with samples. The local newspaper can carry a coupon for a discount. Take advantage of the opportunity to create curiosity around if you’re sprucing up your storefront.

5. Professional customer service

Foodservice businesses, in particular, need to offer excellent customer service to be successful. Coffee shops that are successful use counter service. Ordering and paying for drinks and snacks before they are ready, and informing customers when they are ready, reduces labor costs and allows you to handle the rush better.

A table service model is generally more labor-intensive, slower, and more effective in restaurants with full meals and longer dining hours, but it’s not impossible. If your business model allows it, offering table service can increase upselling opportunities.

5. Provide a variety of snacks

It’s also important to realize that a coffee shop cannot survive on coffee sales alone, despite the high markup on coffee. Diversification is crucial to the success of retail and food service businesses. Your customers will make additional purchases if you display a variety of quality snacks at the counter.

Although most bakery items go well with coffee, you should think beyond the typical muffins and pastries if you want to maximize your brand. Can you partner with a local bakery or sandwich shop? Local bakeries are often willing to sell baked goods wholesale to small businesses, as many customers are eager to support small businesses. What sort of treatment would suit the image of your coffee shop?

Improving your Capacity

There’s a good chance that your business can expand soon. It’s also possible to increase sales by removing barriers (like reservations) or by reaching out to new segments (like opening earlier for commuters).

You can achieve this in several ways:

• Increase the speed of service. Customers will return more often if you provide faster service. Despite its simplicity, so many cafes are too slow to serve it.
• Add more tables if your seating is full during peak hours. You might find it difficult at first to extend your business hours, but it will pay off in the end.
• Customers can receive incentives if they visit during quiet times.
• You might want to add mobile ordering options.

Comparing Café Options

Starting a coffee shop can be done in three ways:

• Invest in a franchise: Franchises will handle the majority of the major business decisions so you can jump into business with a built-in model. Franchise providers provide turnkey businesses in locations selected by them.
• Buy a business that already exists: Turnkey operations can also be acquired by way of buying a for-sale or under-renovated shop. Finding a business to buy can be a challenging process.
• Make a fresh start: It is the most difficult and time-consuming to start a business from scratch, but it is also the most flexible and has the best potential to increase profits.

Regardless of your choice, there are fundamentals for success. They are the three key elements you should consider incorporating into your coffee shop business plan.

Main Revenue Factors

Revenue from your coffee shop is derived from two factors: average receipts and total sales. As the owner, you will have to keep both of these numbers improving or at least steady at all times. The number of transactions you had with your customers that day is your sales number. Generally, more visitors mean more sales. No matter how many items are purchased at once, each receipt represents one transaction.

Increasing Cafe Profits

Keeping costs under control will not only allow you to make more coffee shop profit, but it will also allow you to average your fixed costs over a larger number of sales. When times are slow, keep fewer workers on the floor and schedule enough workers for the busiest shifts. Make sure you’re brewing your coffee correctly to reduce the amount of coffee you throw away.

You should look for the best deals on everything from coffee mugs to tables. Compile detailed records of your bookkeeping and use them to gain as much information as possible. It will be imperative that you are proactive, knowledgeable, and savvy to maintain your livelihood.

Final Words

A wholesale coffee shop can dramatically change your life if you earn enough money to run it. The quality of life for some people improves because they can buy new houses and cars. Wholesale coffee shop owners can expect to earn between AUS$80,000 and $200,000 annually. You should remember that those are just averages. Others will make more.

So, this brings us to the ultimate question, “Is owning a café profitable?” The answer is yes. In the end, it all depends on you.