Best coffee shop/chain/franchise

elgransenor

Hi,
just interested in finding out what people think is the best coffee shop in Ireland?
This can include a mom&pop, independent coffee shop and/or a franchise such as Insomnia,Costa Coffee etc.
And why do you pick this one?

R3al

cafe sol, just because there is one 30 seconds from my work place

leahcim

For me it would be Costa because they have very nice coffee and a nice atmosphere. There has been theads discussing this sort of question over in the coffee and tea section of boards.ie in the past.

elgransenor

leahcim wrote: »

For me it would be Costa because they have very nice coffee and a nice atmosphere. There has been theads discussing this sort of question over in the coffee and tea section of boards.ie in the past.

Ok,thanks.

aspasp1

elgransenor wrote: »

Hi,
just interested in finding out what people think is the best coffee shop in Ireland?
This can include a mom&pop, independent coffee shop and/or a franchise such as Insomnia,Costa Coffee etc.
And why do you pick this one?

have you thought of BBs them seem to be doing good in limerick here

madmik

insomnia

niceirishfella

Hi Op,

you ask "what is best coffee shop in Ireland".

Are you asking regarding which is the best to go into for a cuppa and a bagel or the best to invest in?

as this is a business and entrepreneurial forum?

elgransenor

niceirishfella wrote: »

Hi Op,

you ask "what is best coffee shop in Ireland".

Are you asking regarding which is the best to go into for a cuppa and a bagel or the best to invest in?

as this is a business and entrepreneurial forum?

I am working from the philosophy that whichever one is best to go into for a coffee and bagel would be the best one to invest in,all things being equal.

It is from an investment point of view though that I am particularly inerested in.

eamon234

Take my advice and save yourself a fortune set up yourself - anyone can make a good cup of coffee with the right training - check out companies like Pallas Foods they have a full Cafe range with an extensive brochure covering coffees snacks and equipment and branding and offer full training on the equipment without having to pay most of what you earn back to a moneygrabbing franchiser.
People will generally use a coffee shop once the coffee and food are good and it's situated in the right place it's Location Location Location with coffee shops I don't think people are that concerned with the name over the door. If it's in the wrong place no-one will use it no matter what "big brand" it is.
Who knows if you get the balance right maybe you could be the one doing the franchising!

niceirishfella

eamon234 wrote: »

Take my advice and save yourself a fortune set up yourself - anyone can make a good cup of coffee with the right training - check out companies like Pallas Foods they have a full Cafe range with an extensive brochure covering coffees snacks and equipment and branding and offer full training on the equipment without having to pay most of what you earn back to a moneygrabbing franchiser.
People will generally use a coffee shop once the coffee and food are good and it's situated in the right place it's Location Location Location with coffee shops I don't think people are that concerned with the name over the door. If it's in the wrong place no-one will use it no matter what "big brand" it is.
Who knows if you get the balance right maybe you could be the one doing the franchising!

I completely agree. Set up yourself.
It'll be cheaper, you have 100% freedom and you could wind up developing your own franchiseable model in the long run.:pac:

Da Funky Munky

eamon234 wrote: »

Take my advice and save yourself a fortune set up yourself - anyone can make a good cup of coffee with the right training - check out companies like Pallas Foods

Their website has nothing about a Cafe range or training which doesnt exactly give me a warm fuzzy feeling if I was going to work with them.

Bandara

eamon234 wrote: »

Take my advice and save yourself a fortune set up yourself - anyone can make a good cup of coffee with the right training - check out companies like Pallas Foods they have a full Cafe range with an extensive brochure covering coffees snacks and equipment and branding and offer full training on the equipment without having to pay most of what you earn back to a moneygrabbing franchiser.
People will generally use a coffee shop once the coffee and food are good and it's situated in the right place it's Location Location Location with coffee shops I don't think people are that concerned with the name over the door. If it's in the wrong place no-one will use it no matter what "big brand" it is.
Who knows if you get the balance right maybe you could be the one doing the franchising!

Sorry but I have to completely disagree.

The days of people going to "Tommys Coffee Shop" are gone, people are too busy, under too much pressure and are too transient to build up a relationship with where they go for a throw away item like a coffee and a muffin. How often do you actually get to sit down on a weekday and savour a coffee and a cake? imo it rarely happens these days, its more a quick shot into the system and back on the go again, having a chat or reading the paper for an hour over a coffee is a luxury of the past for a hell of a lot of people.

All they are looking for is a clean professional slick outlet, that does a decent coffee in a good quality cup with nice chairs and somewhat pleasant staff.

They don't have to time to go looking for it so they automatically deviate towards the Insomnias of this world as they know all the boxes will be ticked no matter what the location.

Location is another thing, there are no good locations left, they are all already occupied so competition is going to be fierce, how can you establish yourself when your unique selling point is individuality something you need to get people in the door to sample. My argument would be that they are just never going to bother coming in the door in enough quantities to stop you going out of buiness at the end of year one. Also you go talk to a landlord about putting a independent coffee shop in, if its a good location he won't touch you with a barge pole, why would he? Insomnia etc will put thier names directly onto the lease which is 100 times a better proposition than dealing with a single trader.

And furthermore I'm be very wary of opening anything independant as if you are successful you can expect to be the victim of clustering sooner rather than later. You think the local chain store is going to fight fair? They will bomb you out of the water.

Sorry, I know I keep coming accross as a negative person, I'm not at all, I just have strong views on certain lines of thinking, I do respect your opinion and agree it has good merits but I simply think the risk is high enough with a strong franchise these days, let alone trying to create a name and try to make money at the very same time.

Your going to lose so much in year one that year two, three and four will be irrelevant and will just right the ship after its initial losses.

I have to ask whats the point of that?

Regards,

HT.

niceirishfella

HT,
whist your answers are long and thoughtful, you are not a guru in business here and some of your comments don't stack up. I disagree with you in this instance.
Independant is the way to go, depending on location also.
I find cafe franchise's overrated, as a business person and a consumer.

Bandara

niceirishfella wrote: »

HT,
whist your answers are long and thoughtful, you are not a guru in business here and some of your comments don't stack up. I disagree with you in this instance.
Independant is the way to go, depending on location also.
I find cafe franchise's overrated, as a business person and a consumer.

I never claim to be anything like a guru, I'd be embarrassed to be considered anything other than a normal person who work hard and trys his best, I've done every stupid mistake possible in business, some more than once and some I still make all the time. The forum is for different opinions and ideas and feedback for the users to pick through and take what they want on board, I've got some great ideas and been shown and different ways of thinking and approaching pronblems/issues from posters on here that I wouldn't normally agree with, thats what this is all about surely?

niceirishfella

Hammertime wrote: »

I never claim to be anything like a guru, I'd be embarrassed to be considered anything other than a normal person who work hard and trys his best, I've done every stupid mistake possible in business, some more than once and some I still make all the time. The forum is for different opinions and ideas and feedback for the users to pick through and take what they want on board, I've got some great ideas and been shown and different ways of thinking and approaching pronblems/issues from posters on here that I wouldn't normally agree with, thats what this is all about surely?

HT, I'm not having a go, but its the tone of your advice. You remind me of an olde school teacher that 1) goes on wayyyy toooooo much and 2) preaches from on high.
Jusy my 2 cents.

Bandara

niceirishfella wrote: »

HT, I'm not having a go, but its the tone of your advice. You remind me of an olde school teacher that 1) goes on wayyyy toooooo much and 2) preaches from on high.
Jusy my 2 cents.

I apologise if thats the case, I assure you its not meant that way at all, my style of writing is coming accross wrong.

niceirishfella

Hammertime wrote: »

I apologise if thats the case, I assure you its not meant that way at all, my style of writing is coming accross wrong.

ahhhhhh, its no hassles. Maybe it just me:D
no worries.

Lord Nikon

A town close to where I live has not many franchises at all. One fastfood outlet Supermacs, but no pizza, coffee, sandwich shops, nothing.

Town would be thriving daily, with pay-parking, and Tescos, Aldi, Lidl, and a Dunnes Stores too in the town too.

Would this be a town to take a francise in or set up?