Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

I'm going to lower my defences to reply to this interesting thread properly, it deserves it.

I bought a discothèque as a business venture, with my eyes wide open. It had a high turnover, but had a history of trouble, of the worst kind, with a high possibility that it would lose its licence - which is why it was going cheap.

I changed the staff, decorated the place to make it more attractive to the kind of customers I wanted, or imagined I wanted, and stood outside on the opening night with my bouncers and spies to vet the incoming hordes.

My spies pointed out the troublemakers and I banned them, I remember banning the first 32 customers that arrived because they were all junkies. None of them went quietly, but I had a high builder's skip outside and put the idiots into it, they were too befuddled to climb out.

The police arrested me at 2am, allegedly for my own safety, or something to do with the builder's skip.

That calmed me down and I was forced to get rid of the people skip. My takings went down to zero and I realised my business plan wasn't going to work, or I wasn't going to live long enough to see it through.

It was time for plan B. I got a licence to open for longer than any of the other discos around and let it be known that junkies would be welcome again, the whole town was full of them. I even provided a 'cool' room for them at the back in case they overdosed.

Finally, I employed ten of the sexiest barmaids around and encouraged them to dress appropriately.

My takings went through the roof, but I had trouble sleeping at night (during the day), even with a shotgun under my bed. I spent my time watering down the spirits (as an act of kindness) and counting money and got thoroughly miserable.

I came to Spain to escape and opened a disco in Estepona . . .

Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

There are two in a shopping complex in a nearby town and never seem to have more than a couple of customers.

Rosemary

Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

I can believe that. As I mentioned earlier, I feel these type of places work better in the bigger cities, and I don't think they can normally have much success in towns. Although the likes of Starbucks and Cafe Nerro perhaps prove me wrong.

Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

Sound advice. I know someone who has a comfortable living from renting out some locales. Businesses keep going bust but along comes another sucker paying a premium for the lease and he has no risk whatsoever.

I can't see the concept working in Spain.

Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

In most cases getting a franchise is a mugs game.

I know of a few who have come unstuck, the criteria as regards town size were quite strict in the past.

More recently they will allow outlets in smaller towns, or have sold more frachises in bigger ones where the original franchonse owners were told there would not be anymore.

Also the goalposts are often moved, ie Mcdonalds, now open for breakfast, at 6am I think.
More products more packaging, all bought from the franchise company, exta staff needed for the extra opening hours, in some cases not enough custom to cover the costs, so profits get eaten into.

When telepizza first started, the prices were much higher than now, I have seen a pizza plus 2 cans of Mahou fpr 9euros, unheard of in the past.

The sales may increase with the offers, but more staff are probably needed than before and the takings may not have varied much.

They bring out new products all the time,McChicken wings etc, some may need more kitchen equipmant and so on.

They have got you by the short and curlies and there is nothing you can do, every move you make is dictated by a higher power, target to reach etc.

It can and does work for a great number of people, but there are just as many trapped after investing heavily in so called ready made gold mines.

Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

I think the worst aspect of it, is you are tied to the popularity of the chain, and if the management of the chain take the wrong path, you have no way of escaping the sinking ship. McDs have shown themselves to be adaptable in recent years - at one point business analysts were predicting their demise, but they came back stronger. I wonder about Nandos, which has been very popular in the UK, but depends very strongly on people eating chicken.

Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

[QUOTE=HBG;9380142]I'm going to lower my defences to reply to this interesting thread properly, it deserves it.
QUOTE]

I have to reply back to you just to say thanks for sharing your interesting experience. After all, as you said, you lowered your defences to share that experience, so I owe it to you to get back to you on that and say thanks.

I hope you have better times now, less stressful and smooth running. That is what I try to look for these days...if possible. :o

Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

After selling out of my business in the UK I bought and ran a franchise for 4 years before I came to Spain. It was very successful. Choosing your franchise carefully is the trick, and speaking to other franchisees to see how they are treated

Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

I think they are closed at 15.00!!

Re: Cafe Opening Times
 

:eek:even earlier than I thought!!