

How coffee shops helped my startup - sekm
http://joel.is/post/28696125686/how-coffee-shops-helped-my-startup

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edoloughlin
I'd like to read the other side to this. Something like "How penniless startup
founders tanked my coffee shop turnover".

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da02
Disclaimer: I never ran a coffee shop.

Then again, most coffeeshops don't seem don't go under just because penniless
startup founders. When you lower your prices and then put out a tip jar (after
attracting the cheapskates) you are just asking to go bankrupt.

Look at small bookstores back in the late 90s: "And then one day Barnes and
Nobles puts couches and cafes in the stores and practically begged people to
read books in their store without buying them."

<http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000052.html>

If people can rent out airbed space, why not rent out a booth for a day or on
an hourly basis. You can even stop making coffee and just put in Red Bull
vending machines.

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RobAley
I AM a former coffee shop owner. Our shop tanked for several reasons, but none
of them were penniless startup founders or similar. In fact, business went up
after we encouraged such frugal workers to come in and set up camp. I think
this was partly because the fuller a coffee shop looks, the more appealing it
is to those passing by (it must be the place to be!) and partly because of the
related "others" that they drag in for meetings or just to say hi to, who all
grab a quick coffee while they were there.

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vampirechicken
Did any of those new companies reach out to you for their corporate coffee
service?

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RobAley
I'm based in the UK, and corporate coffee service (I assume you mean coffee
delivery to their premises) isn't really popular here. People either make
their own coffee at work or go out to a coffee shop to get out of the office.
We did have a couple of those companies set up an account for their staff to
use, for when they wanted to work out of the office, and we also sold bags of
beans/ground coffee which a lot of the local businesses bought for in-house
use.

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vampirechicken
In the US, a company/office will often contract a service to provide any or
all of: coffee, tea, brewers/water heaters, pots/carafes, cream & sugar, water
filtration, and vending machines.

It is often very bad coffee, usually pre-portioned and boxed by the gross. It
tends to be purchased for cost and convenience rather than for flavor.

Some of us revolt form the corporate coffee overlords and form coffee clubs.
We get wholesale deals from local roasters and buy in increments of 5# or
more, and reap substantial discounts while enjoying better coffee.

If I built a business in your coffee shop, and you closed your space but
remained in the trade, I'd give you first crack at my coffee needs. If I call
it an obsession can I continue to deny that there might be an addiction?

