Hi,
Newbie here, waiting to be approved as a member, but I just couldn't wait to join before I posted!
Would it be an imposition to ask advice on a business idea?
At home I have a Gaggia Classic in need of refurbishing and a De Longhi (can't remember the model and I'm feeling too lazy to go downstairs and find out!). We don't drink huge amounts of coffee as we're both out all day, but when we do drink it we like to have a decent cup of joe. The problem in our area is getting good-quality coffee ground for espresso machines - yes, I know of Has Beans and the various others who do email order, but......
When I lived in Cambridgeshire, one of my weekend delights was to go into a local coffee shop and drown in the smell of freshly-ground coffee. Whilst absorbing the aromas, I'd look at the various coffee beans on the shelves, feeling like a kid in an old-fashioned sweet shop (for those old enough to remember that!), then pick the bean that I wanted to try that week and have it ground to order by a very helpful and friendly shopkeeper. There is nothing like that around here, and I'd love to replicate it!
Trouble is, apart from being mad keen on our coffee, we don't really know where to start, we're not sure if it's a pipe-dream or if it could be a going concern, so if there's anyone out there who's bean there, got the t-shirt, and happy to share a few hints and tips, I'd love to hear them!
And yes, before anyone suggests it, I know that the Enterprise Agency will give advice on setting up in business, but they'll just tell me to leave it the big boys - Costa have just arrived in our little town - what I'm really looking for is the thoughts of people who know and love coffee.
Thanks in anticipation,
Ali