Moving to the North Shore from Victoria we were determined to open a cafe that would blend local preferences with practical needs.
Step One was to do our market analysis and appreciate that our contact audience was likely to be affluent and discerning so our focus was on upscale offerings and quality. With this in mind we wanted to keep our menu simple but our offering of coffee more complex, more layered.
We were mindful that health-conscious options using sustainable practices for our premium blends would resonate with that discerning clientele.
We were lucky that location had rather fallen into our laps as we were able to quickly secure a high visibility location with good foot traffic close to shops. We could see people dropping in here while out for a daily or weekly shop. Easy access meant the elderly and those with disabilities would not be disadvantaged.
But after one visit it was clear that in order to create a welcoming and stylish environment that reflected our modern ideas and concepts we would need a builder and outfitter with style.
We were fortunate to find the ideal team to work with that opened up space out front and were able to bring the street into the cafe and the cafe into the street.
When it came to seating we went for variety as we felt our clientele would be from a fairly diverse background when it came to age and preferences. We were keen to ensure that the acoustics of the shop would support a pleasant “talking” atmosphere.
One of the key menu concerns was to try and source locally grown produce that we felt would be a selling point and help with our own integration as outsiders from the South!
In hiring considerations we only needed a small staff but we wanted them onboard with our ethos and concentrated on training to provide the best customer experience.
Feeling that the cafe would soon become a workspace for digital nomads on the go we created a well-equipped section that would accommodate their needs but not to dominate the whole space and our renovations reflected this consideration to a T.
When it came to advertising we were able to use popular local newspapers, social media and events in nearby Manly to create a buzz and attract customers in the locality. Maintaining our social media presence was key to building momentum as the business took off.
We helped to spearhead a local recycling initiative with other businesses and aligned ourselves with another local firm to design eco-friendly packaging. The last thing we wanted was a plastic container with our name and logo on it!
Ultimately with the dedicated help of a modern builder who lived up to their claims of passion and precision as well as following all the building codes we were able to open on time and begin thriving in a competitive and lucrative market.
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