In a world that is getting more digitally advanced and more inclined towards screens, not much love is given to the traditional approach of picking up a book. The convenience of using mobile apps for entertainment and relaxation continues to skyrocket as technology improves, leading to a declining population of book readers. A Pew Research Center study finds that over 24% of people did not pick a book to read in the past year. Moreover, people below 15 years old only spend 16 minutes in a day to read. With no end in sight for technological innovation, the downward trend might continue.
However, there are still plenty of benefits to reading a book that could attract people to do it. The activity can improve emotional intelligence and cognitive skills, as well as keep mental health intact. As a result, people will still pick up a book despite having smartphones. The only thing stopping them is access to books they find interesting, and you can provide them with that by pairing it with one of the most attractive leisure establishments for younger generations: a coffee shop. Here’s how to open a bookstore coffee shop to encourage people to read again and profit from the venture.
Prepare Your Finances
Learning how to open a bookstore coffee shop requires you to approach this venture like any other business. There will be plenty of preparations and planning to consider, especially from a financial standpoint. Financial planning is vital to ensure a good start for your bookstore coffee shop, especially since most businesses close within two years due to poor financial management. Most coffee shops often require business owners to shell out up to $20,000 to $120,000, with the higher amount providing a more stable financial reserve to cover the first two years of the business when it might take a while to gain profit. Fortunately, there are many ways to build up the finances. You can apply for a small business loan to get started on your business faster. Meanwhile, saving enough money might be ideal if you want to avoid going into debt. Securing donations from your community might also be a good option since your coffee shop can benefit them.
Of course, planning where you should dedicate your money is ideal when learning how to open a bookstore coffee shop. The equipment, facilities, and furniture you need for the establishment should be first to provide customers with the essential dining experience. Then, investing in staff will be crucial to ensure that there are people taking orders, making coffees, and cleaning the facilities. Where you might differ from other coffee shops financially is the need to invest in books. Having a variety of selections will be vital to ensure you engage more customers. Your collection should consist of 50-100 books with a few popular choices and hidden gems. If you don’t have enough business capital, you can encourage the community to donate pre-loved books, ensuring your establishment will always have a few new selections every month. Financial readiness is an essential step in how to open a bookstore coffee shop, making it the first priority in preparation for the venture.
Have Your Exterior Repaired
Today, the coffee shop industry is getting more competitive due to the demands for aesthetics among consumers. People take to Instagram and other social media platforms to post aesthetic content. Coffee shops know how much their establishment designs attract customers, making it a priority when planning how to open a bookstore coffee shop. The establishment’s exterior will be the first point of contact for potential visitors, capable of a first impression that gets them to walk into the coffee shop. As a result, investing in beautifying the exterior is a good step to a profitable bookstore coffee shop.
Of course, the fundamentals of the exterior should be considered first. The roof should be functional and durable enough to withstand the weather and debris. You can partner with local roofing companies to help you achieve it. While you might focus more on aesthetics, you can still get the best roofing services to ensure that durability is never a problem, preventing you from performing maintenance constantly. The walls, windows, and exterior displays will also require attention if you want to beautify the establishment. Insert elements that can help everyone in the community know that they can drink coffee and read books inside, providing them with a different experience compared to other coffee shops. Nature is also a popular design factor that can attract people to your cafe, making it ideal to strategize landscaping for better curb appeal. Of course, maintaining the exterior will be vital, so hiring staff for cleaning and repairs might be an added expense. When you have an aesthetic exterior, your coffee shop can attract community members by the dozen every day, ensuring profitability for your business.
Get Your Space Inspected
Understanding how to open a bookstore coffee shop will require you to invest in a commercial establishment that community members can visit easily. Unfortunately, it means paying relatively high for a good space in a high-traffic area. Commercial establishments like those will always have high prices, but you can benefit from ensuring customers will pass by. However, inspecting if the space is a good investment beyond the location’s convenience will be vital. Those efforts start with a general inspection.
A general inspection will ensure that the space is suitable for your bookstore coffee shop idea. Inspectors will assess the area for any repair needs, especially the foundation. Everything about a commercial property’s structure will depend on the foundation’s health. If you find an affordable option in a high-traffic area, chances are you might need foundation repair services before you begin operations. Try to weigh the estimated costs for those repairs before you decide to invest in the affordable space. Another area where you might need to focus on is pest infestations. As a food and beverage establishment, a bookstore coffee shop must be clean and sanitized at all times, so having pests before you even set up equipment is a problem. Moreover, some pests could damage a property, especially when it has been vacant for so long. Infestation restoration repairs will be necessary to remove those, ensuring no problems when you set up operations. Inspections can uncover many issues, so having your options inspected before investing in them is the right move when learning how to open a bookstore coffee shop.
Renovate Your Interior
Once you rent a commercial property, it is time to design the bookstore coffee shop. Again, it is essential to consider aesthetics as a profitable factor when executed right, and it starts with proper preparations. You can begin by discarding unwanted materials and debris to ensure you know how much space you can utilize and what materials to procure. Getting dumpster deliveries can ensure you can remove the existing items in the property to clear space for your renovation. It also allows you to minimize waste by salvaging the items that can contribute to your newly renovated design.
Then, you can start to focus on the construction phase. A bookstore coffee shop should both be functional and welcoming to ensure customers can spend time drinking beverages and reading books in the area. Warm lighting, comfortable seating, and stacked bookshelves should be present in the customers’ area. You must also be strategic with placing the coffee stations and counters to ensure everyone knows where to go first when they enter the premises. Creating aesthetic spaces where people can take pictures of themselves will also be vital when designing. Wallpapers, natural elements, and even coffee art decor can all contribute to renovated interiors, making it a vital part of learning how to open a bookstore coffee shop.
Create a Comfortable Environment
While functionality and aesthetics might be the essential aspects to prioritize when learning how to open a bookstore coffee shop, you must never forget about comfort. A cafe should provide a comfortable environment, allowing customers to enjoy their time drinking coffee and reading books. It all starts with cozy seating. Besides the usual table and dining chair combinations, your store might benefit from introducing sofas and bean bags to the area. Private lounges for quiet reads might also be a good investment since readers often want an intimate environment as they fully immerse themselves in what they are reading. Once you have those comfortable seating arrangements, you can make your bookstore coffee shop more profitable.
However, temperature will also be a factor in your customers’ comfort. You do not want your visitors to be sweaty or to feel cold when trying to read for hours. Investing in AC install services will ensure your commercial space is comfortable for consumers. Of course, there will be times when the HVAC system will require maintenance. If customers feel uncomfortable with the temperature, they might leave with an unpleasant experience and then leave unsatisfactory reviews. Contacting an AC repair company will be necessary when encountering problems with the HVAC system. They can fix those issues immediately, ensuring overall comfort for both staff and consumers.
Maintain Your Parking Lot
Having a great bookstore coffee shop might be achievable with a few exterior and interior renovations. However, it is still essential to consider the full customer experience. In an industry as competitive as the coffee shop sector, you must be able to provide all-around satisfaction, and most businesses forget that it starts with the customers traveling to the establishment. Bad parking experiences can frustrate customers enough to put them in a sour mood when they enter the establishment or even consider leaving without visiting the store. As a result, maintaining a good parking lot must be a top priority when learning how to open a bookstore coffee shop.
Building a functional and easy-to-navigate parking spot will start with securing concrete service. Ensuring the parking spaces are friendly for car tires will give customers a good experience before they even enter the store. Proper painting of parking directions will also help them navigate the area, making their visit feel more efficient and satisfying. Of course, customers do not want their cars to collect heat under the sun or be difficult to reach during the rain. As a result, building a roofing structure on top of the parking space can be an ideal investment. While building a parking lot might not be a priority when learning how to open a bookstore coffee shop, having it can ensure you can accommodate as many customers as you want. It might not be a long time before you have to display “parking full” signs, which means your shop is booming.
Keep Your Kitchen Spotless
While coffee and books are the main attractions for a bookstore coffee shop, you might want to invest in building a kitchen. Pastries, pasta, and even full meals can give customers the full dining experience that will make them want to stay longer or even consider return visits. If you have good food, you can compete with other local coffee shops that do have it. Of course, providing customers with quality food will require you to build a commercial kitchen, and keeping it spotless should be part of the day-to-day routine.
Ensure that your kitchen staff performs cleaning chores before and after their shift. Silverware, appliances, and devices require washing and scrubbing after every use. The floors and walls need scrubbing and mopping to prevent slip and trip hazards for personnel. However, you might have to secure professional services for complicated cleaning routines. Getting a drain cleaning service once every few months will ensure that flooding will not happen inside the kitchen, especially when mopping floors. Deep cleaning services will also be vital twice or thrice a year, ensuring the kitchen is spotless. Customers might not see the full kitchen, but maintaining a spotless one will ensure your meals are always clean and healthy for their satisfaction.
Opening a bookstore coffee shop might take a while before it becomes profitable. However, proper planning can lead to faster growth. These steps are only a few to consider in your preparations, ensuring your community finally has access to the books they need for personal development, all while enjoying a good cup of coffee
