9 Tips for Successfully Running a Café Business (+ Details of Capital)

If you pay attention, there are always hit cafes popping up around us. Starting from the form of a coffee shop to those that carry a family-friendly theme. Café business opportunities are always there and growing every year. The concept of a cafe has also changed with the times. If 5 years ago, we still haven't encountered many industrial café concepts. However, nowadays many cafes use industrial or rustic themed interior designs which young people much like. So, to be able to compete in this cafe business, business actors are not only concerned with the quality of the food but also comfort and the selection of attractive interior designs that can be used as selfie activities together.

For BFI friends who have plans to run a café business, this article can be used as a reference to find out the right steps or tips in starting their business. Here, the BFI Finance team provides tips for success and the range of business capital needed to run this café business.

9 Tips for Successfully Running a Cafe Business

1. Determine The Concept of the Cafe That is Carried

The first step in running a cafe business is to determine the theme or concept of the cafe that you are stretching. The concept of a café will determine the food and beverage menu you serve, the interior design of the café, and the marketing strategy you use. Here are some cafe concepts that you can inspire:

• Urban/contemporary cafe
• Coffee shop
• Pet Café
• Specialty cafes (Korean food, Japanese food, etc.)
• And others.

The choice of this café concept must be based on market research first, BFI friends, such as from the interest in the purchasing power of customers and the trends that were developing at that time. No less important, you also have to consider the budget you have, and whether it can be developed to run the cafe business concept you choose.

2. Choose a Strategic Café Location

The establishment of a cafe is an alternative place to gather or just as a place of relaxation for a moment. Therefore, choosing the right place is a top priority. The selection of the right place can be considered from the aspect of crowds, ease of road access, and security. If you are targeting a café as a hangout place, choose a location that is lively and easily accessible, so the chances of your café being seen and visited by customers are greater.

Determining the location of the cafe must also be adjusted to your target customer. If you are setting up a cafe with an affordable menu for students, then choose a location close to campus. Or if you target customers in general, you can choose a location that is close to the busiest points in the city.

3. Choose a Delicious and Original Menu

One of the successes of a cafe comes from its delicious and original food menu. If you have an authentic recipe, try to market it widely and make it the main menu in your café business.

Provide a complete café menu starting from an appetizer, main course, and dessert. Also serve a menu that can be eaten by large groups (more than 4 people). For serving drinks, adjust to your target customer. If you carry the concept of a family-friendly café, serve a diverse drink menu that can be enjoyed by children to adults.

4. Create an Attractive Café Interior and Exterior Design

After determining the menu that you will serve, then you can determine the interior and exterior design of the café. The selection of this design is adjusted to the initial theme of your café business. The choice of interior and exterior design is important to note because it can be an instagramable photo spot for customers. Here's a cafe design that you can choose from:

• Industrial style
• Design with wooden interior
• Monochrome design
• Unfurnished cement decoration
• Vintage style
• Organic style
• Use of exposed bricks
• Design with metal and wood materials
• Modern style
• And others.

You can use the services of an architect and interior designer to determine the most appropriate building and interior design.

5. Choose the Best Supplier

The fifth step in running a café business is to choose the best supplier for making food menus and café equipment. In choosing a food ingredient supplier, choose a supplier that provides the best quality at affordable prices. Because it requires processing every day, therefore the freshness of food raw materials must also be a top priority. You can also negotiate with suppliers, regarding the right payment terms. Is it done every 2 weeks or monthly?

Furthermore, in choosing furniture to support interior design, choose furniture that matches the main concept of your café business. You can choose a furniture supplier from out of town if it offers better quality and design.

6. Maximize Own Involvement in Operational Activities

In several aspects, the owner's involvement in the cafe's business operations is also needed. If you are the owner as well as the person in charge of food production, it's a good idea to be fully involved or check regularly to maintain the quality of the recipe. As the owner, you can also assist in serving customers such as being responsible for payments at the cashier and doing bookkeeping.

There is nothing wrong with entrusting other people with the cafe's operational activities. If you have more budget, you can consider hiring employees who are assigned as cafe managers, services, and chefs.

7. Create an Attractive and Targeted Marketing Strategy

If all the needs in running a cafe business have been met, then make a marketing strategy that is right on target. Café businesses tend to have quite a lot of young customers, so you can use social media as a promotional tool. You can introduce your brand through social media such as Facebook and Instagram to be known by more people. In addition, you can also carry out other promotional activities through social media such as giveaway activities, introducing the latest menu, or informing promotions with special discounts.

You can also register your café business through the Google My Business feature so that when people search for your brand via Google, your café brand will appear containing your business location, contact details, reviews, and photos from customers.

The café business is also synonymous with giving special discounts on big days such as Independence Day, Ramadan, Christmas, and so on. So, take advantage of certain moments to be able to attract as many customers as possible.

8. Use Existing Networking

No less important is to continue to take advantage of the networking you have to maximize customer visits to your café. Your business colleagues, for example, can use your café as a meeting place or just as a place to spend time with family. Through networking, your café business also has the possibility to get large orders, such as at social gatherings, birthday celebrations, and so on.

9. Provide the Best Service to Customers

Because the cafe business is not only about buying and selling food products, then always pay attention to how to respond to customers properly and correctly. Serve friendly and full of smiles when you receive and deliver orders from customers.

Accept all input and constructive customer criticism to improve your café business. With good service, of course, customers will be more comfortable in enjoying the dishes served. And if the customer has a positive impression, it is possible that the customer will recommend your café to some of his colleagues.

Range of Café Business Capital Required

The capital needed to open a simple and modern café business is certainly different. The difference lies in the needs of the café, starting from the customer capacity, the selection of equipment, and equipment to the monthly rental fee. For a simple cafe business capital, at least Rp. 15,000,000 is needed, not including monthly operating capital. Meanwhile, the capital needed to open a modern café business costs at least more than Rp. 30,000,000.

The full range of capital is as follows:

Simple Café Business Capital Range

Simple Café Initial Capital

Operational Capital per Month

Modern Café Business Capital Range

Modern Café Initial Capital

Operational Capital per Month

The above needs can still be adjusted, for example in terms of the number of employees, kitchen equipment, room decoration costs, and others. The capital needed to open a cafe business is not small. If you have a special savings fund that is used for business, it never hurts to use it for the purposes of running this café business. If you need more funds to increase your business capital, you can apply for a business capital loan through BFI Finance! BFI Finance accepts BPKB guarantees for cars, motorbikes, and house certificates as collateral. Don't worry if your vehicle's BPKB has not been renamed and the vehicle tax is dead because we will help you through the approval process. Click the link below for more information.

Information on Application for Car BPKB Guarantee Loans

Information on Application for BPKB Motor Guarantee Loans

Information on Application for Home Certificate Guarantee Loan

Running a business does not only require venture capital but requires consistency and an unyielding attitude! We wish you good luck in starting your business, BFI friends. Hopefully, this article helps. BFI Finance, the Solution for All Your Financial Needs.