I had a really neat idea for a great shop to open one day.
It would open in the morning, and function as a sub deli through the lunch rush until probably 2-3 in the afternoon. At that time it would close, and would then reopen at around 7-8 PM, and serve as a coffee house until maybe 2 AM.
What do y’all think? I could use the closed time to shift the decor around, possibly rearrance the furniture, etc. There could be elaborate wall decorations painted in such a way that they would only appear under blacklights, and the blacklights would only be turned on during the coffee hours.
Place it near a university, and give it a snazzy name. Could it be profitable?
Works for me.
Can I get a Reuben with light rye and extra sauerkraut to go, with a carmel latte with whole milk also please?
Would it be profitable? I don’t know.
I do know that you have to charge $5 for a cup of coffee if you want to be able to pay for two shifts of waiters. Opening hours like that require mass volume to be profitable.
Oh.
I thought you meant “submissive/coffee shop.”
Having worked in a coupla restaurants and other retail places, I shall say just this one thing:
Moving the furniture around is a BITCH. It is not something you want to do every day.
And that extended break in the afternoon - if you place it near a university, you’re gonna miss a lot of business from the kids coming off their afternoon classes and looking for a place to hang.
It sounds like a neat idea, I just wouldn’t close it in the afternoon. Take a page from the fast-food places and just shut down the sandwich shop round about 2. No food, just coffee now with whatever pastries you want to dispense. That way you let the students still have the opportunity to grab a decent lunch but you don’t have to keep food prep guys on all night.
There are several places in DC that already operate this way. Two thirds of the businesse’s name is “Tea & Coffee” but they have breakfast, club sandwiches & subs, etc. The only difference from the OP is that the places I’ve seen don’t need to close- they serve pretty much everything all day long (open 24 hours).
In the morning, people want mostly coffee, danish, eggs & bacon, etc. As noon grows near, more people start asking for cold cut subs, club sandwiches or salads. Later in the evening, it’s a mix of people eating breakfast-y items & mocha lattes. There are no serious dinner entres available, just light fare.
There is no table service, otherwise it would be restaurant. You get your coffee or sandwich and then go find a seat somewhere.