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  • askthecoffeeguy
    replied
    Re: open at last

    270 coffees today!

    Each day were improving upon the day before

    Were now an agent for the Herald Sun, the Age, and the Australian, and theres a special deal available for students, so we literally getting 500 pax plus a day through the door - which is a wonderful start for a new cafe!

    And thanks to Chris from Talk Coffee we also now have the perfect (IMHO) paring of a G10 with a K10 (Expobar espresso machine and Compak WBC grinder, that is)

    Still going through a bit of a learning curve with both machines, even though I have a K10 in my other store - but it still takes time to run-in a new machine, and being a new grinder I find that the grind has to be constantly monitored until the machine finds its level

    Ive purposely put off actively promoting the store, as I want to get our procedures and staffing in place first, but now with this whole being a newspaper agent thing, that theory has flown out the window, as were very busy each day for the two staff we have on (me and the store manager) - and Im now furiously searching for an additional employee to fill the gap

    Kitchen Mark I is starting to come together, with pie oven arriving tomorrow and upright freezer on the way

    But Im going to invest in a commercial glass washer tomorrow - as Im damed if Im going to spend he rest of my days up to my elbows in soap suds...

    Kitchen Mark II will be introduced in a matter of time

    At the moment we buy nearly all our food in from a couple of very good suppliers who make fresh to order each day, and chances are that we will retain some aspect of this in future operations

    But the plan is to put our own kitchen in as soon as prudent to do so, so that we can be more self sufficient, supply multiple stores, and achieve a better return on our produce at the end of the day

    For now though business is good, customers are happy, and we are seeing a noticeable increase in trade each day

    Once we start running with more staff and a fuller menu (in a week or two at the most?), I think that this will have a dramatic impact upon trade, as at the moment a significant part of our earnings is derived from our coffee sales (which Im happy to see continue by the way) - but there is definitely room for improvement in the food department, and this should have a corresponding impact upon all sales

    Were also furiously changing over bench-tops, commercial refrigeration, and putting up shelves, to make the place half-way functional - but these changes are all mostly cosmetic, and a complete over-hall is planed for later in the year

    So I would have to say that business is good and future prospects are good - which is really the most that a new cafe owner can expect to hope for

    That and Im blessed to have found Lucy, our store manager - may she stay with us for many years!

    Cheers,

    Pat

    PS: Still no photos - I have some on my phone but that means switching to a PC to load them up and even the thought of doing that is painful at the moment

    PPS: Got a phone call from the Tax Department in the middle of a busy coffee rush today, and it was one of those calls that you just gotta take ! Man, the look on the customers faces when I was haggling with the tax man (er... woman actually she sounded kinda cute) was priceless!

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  • Private
    replied
    Re: open at last

    Hows the progress, how many coffees you up to a day now?

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  • askthecoffeeguy
    replied
    Re: open at last

    Originally posted by Wushoes - David S link=1204830552/15#18 date=1206356033
    2 minutes pat? Seriously...you should be ashamed of yourself mate!
    actually, Im thinking of keeping a broom by the door to sweep the annoying ones out before they get a foot in!

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  • Wushoes
    replied
    Re: open at last

    2 minutes pat? Seriously...you should be ashamed of yourself mate!

    K10 upgrade fever? I say go for it.

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  • askthecoffeeguy
    replied
    Re: open at last

    180 coffees today and thats with us still running on a limited food menu!

    Next week some commercial kitchen equipment arrives which will enable us to go into full production mode - looking forward to a corresponding increase in trade!

    having said that the students are on holidays now for two weeks (lucky students!) - so I cant see us being too busy in the interim

    oh well... good time to put procedures in place and to focus on staff training and customer satisfaction

    on a positive note new coffee machine seems to be working well. still experiencing a steep learning curve with same, but appear to be making some progress

    enjoying dialing in preferable temperature on the group heads to complement the flavour profile of the SO Honduras coffee that were using

    Have a happy easter!

    Pat

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  • askthecoffeeguy
    replied
    Re: open at last

    Originally posted by GrindOnDemand link=1204830552/0#14 date=1205896631
    Originally posted by askthecoffeeguy link=1204830552/0#13 date=1205895562
    actually the guy who complained was back again for coffee today
    was he armed with a stopwatch Pat? :
    actually, he had a newish looking mobile phone - one of those ones with a large screen - and he appeared to be counting off the seconds!

    thankfully new coffee machine had it sorted today! ;D

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  • TC
    replied
    Re: open at last

    Originally posted by GrindOnDemand link=1204830552/0#14 date=1205896631
    Originally posted by askthecoffeeguy link=1204830552/0#13 date=1205895562
    actually the guy who complained was back again for coffee today
    was he armed with a stopwatch Pat? :
    Hi Pat,

    I suggest that you install a Cafe Bar for those like him who want it fast mate  ;D

    Chris

    Leave a comment:


  • GrindOnDemand
    replied
    Re: open at last

    Originally posted by askthecoffeeguy link=1204830552/0#13 date=1205895562
    actually the guy who complained was back again for coffee today
    was he armed with a stopwatch Pat? :

    Leave a comment:


  • askthecoffeeguy
    replied
    Re: open at last

    actually the guy who complained was back again for coffee today, and the dude who i wouldnt sell the milk to is head of a department that I had to deal directly with first thing today!

    see how these things can come back to bite you on the bum...

    Leave a comment:


  • scoota_gal
    replied
    Re: open at last

    Complained about a 2 minute wait! :

    Some people...

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  • askthecoffeeguy
    replied
    Re: open at last

    well nearly two weeks in and so far so good.

    new coffee machine arrived yesterday: expobar g10 3 group, and it certainly has helped to speed up production quite a bit

    main display fridge has been repaired and is up and running, so ts time to boost up production on the food side of things, now that I can be confident that our coffee quality should remain intact with a more industrial machine

    still no aircon though, which is a bit of a killer in melbournes 40C (well 39C actually but whos counting) heat. its actually hotter inside the cafe than out, as theres no way for the heat to escape, so I dumped 2 lots of beans yesterday, as they were cooked

    now that Ive got the new espresso machine I think its time to upgrade the grinder as well: got a macap conical burr and a k8 for the decaf

    the macap produces great and consistent ground for grind on demand but the plasticy looking blades in the dosing chamber create a fair amount of static fly-away sending the dose in every which direction, unless youve ground the exact amount necessary for the coffee you are making

    uh oh: I can feel a k10 coming on, either that or more industrial blades in the dosing chamber- so I am making inquiries about each right now

    sent 2 customers packing in the last few days... one complained that waiting 2 mins for a coffee (he timed it) from the time of placing his order, was far too long

    so i told him to take his custom elsewhere (not in those words but)

    and the other wanted to buy milk off us on a regular basis ("just like we did with the previous operator")

    when I politely explained that if I provided this service for him then I would have to provide it to every customer who asked, and already Im running out of milk for myself some days, he said: "oh well.. youve lost my custom then!"

    so i politely told him to rack off (not in those words) - which is most unlike me in general - i think the long hours and unbearably hot days might be taking their toll a little...

    but i will say one thing: I stand by the products that I sell, and if a customer has a genuine complaint Im happy to address it, and as things stand Ive been handing out quite a few complementary SO piccolos, and Im happy to discuss coffee til the cows come home with anyone who cares to do so!

    cheers,

    pat

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  • falling_short
    replied
    Re: open at last

    good luck with it all!

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  • askthecoffeeguy
    replied
    Re: open at last

    yeah must get around to putting some pics up (and taking some for that matter!)

    were closed weekends which is a tremendous relief considering how much work is involved getting a new place off the ground and up and running

    i have to say so far so good - we made 150 coffees on thur and thats without advertising the fact that were open, and while running with a limited menu until we are ready to go with a more complete kitchen set up

    hopefully my finances will come through in the next week which will allow us to be a bit more expansive in terms of what we are doing

    but all the same things are going extremely well all things considered, and we are already breaking even in terms of our (admittedly minimal at this stage) set up costs

    new coffee machine arrives on tue: Exobar G10 dual boiler machine with individual heat on demand thermoblocks running to each group head, allowing temperature control adjustment to complement the sweet spot of whichever coffee we are using

    In theory at least this also means that the water running to the coffee has not been repeatedly boiled prior to extraction - so the water retains more O2 which oxygenates the coffee - bringing out the aromatics of the coffee in a subtle way (correct me if Im wrong here tech-heads)

    Ill also be promoting our products and services a bit more aggressively once the new machine comes in, as it will be better able to keep up with demand and be able to maintain greater consistency than our current machine - which makes beautiful coffee - but which struggles to keep up in the milk heating department

    Also just got the fridge doors repaired on Fri on the main display fridge, which, crazily, were both about a cm too small for the frame they were fitted into - meaning that they kept falling out all the time and the glass was completely gone in one of them!

    Have had one coke self-service display fridge cut out during the week - couldnt keep up with the excessive heat

    No great loss though as Im not planning on carrying any coke products anyway

    Had the air con serviced during the week: motor had blown up, and intake vents had not been cleaned in years - said the repair guy

    Not that it made much difference in the end anyway, as the condenser unit for cooling the air had also packed it in, so I had no cold air anyway

    Thankfully Ive got 5 mounted ceiling fans, and an industrial-grade free standing fan as well, which, even though it was set up 20 feet away, still managed to keep me and the coffee machine / grinder cool in the heat

    Trialed a new manager on Tue and hired her Wed: Lucys from Brisbane and has 4 years barista experience working in hard-core sounding coffee joints with names like: Raw Espresso, and Hard Espresso

    So I feel pretty blessed in this department: I now have a couple of store managers across several sites, which gives me and my staff much greater flexibility than previously

    My new glassware and crockery also arrived on Thur, and Im very happy about that!

    I managed to pick up some lovely glassware and fine china cups at very reasonable prices

    The glassware was run out stock - prob because the Duralex glassware range is now back in, creating a surplus of other items which prob would not move so well

    So Im looking forward to increasing my food range now that the main display fridge is finally fixed and working properly! My finance should come through in the next week or so, allowing me to renovate as necessary, and to stock the place properly with commercial equipment, and already we are building a faithful and loyal client base, which should continue to grow and expand over time...

    So I would have to say so far so good, and the future is looking better still!

    Cheers,

    Pat


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  • SupremeRoasters
    replied
    Re: open at last

    Hows day 8 mate? Still looking forward to seeing pics.

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  • askthecoffeeguy
    replied
    Re: open at last

    thanks guys another bumper day today with SO Honduras coffee pouring brilliantly: wonderful aroma of vanilla beans and creme brulee on a creamy biscuity palate. Also seeing plenty of new faces and return patronage which is a good sign. Another 120 coffees today on day 3

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