Being a coffee lover, you must have thought about running a café one day. However, you should know that there’s no such thing as easy when it comes to putting up a café, or any business for that matter. You may think that it’s going to be all fun since you’re only selling drinks and easy-to-cook meals. But the truth is, it’s kind of challenging to decide and think about every item you need to run a successful business, especially when you’re still starting.
So, if you’re asking, “what equipment do I need to run a small café?”, this article will be your guide. From refrigeration systems to industrial coffee bean grinders, paper products, flatware, storage, and more, there are many items and equipment you need to have. Here, you will get a complete guide on coffee tools and equipment to ensure you’ve got everything you need.
Small Café List of Important Equipment
Despite the ups and downs of business due to health protocol and restrictions during this pandemic, it’s still a good idea to get into café business. People are still craving coffee, and no virus can stop that. When you open a coffee shop, you would be asking yourself, “What equipment do I need to run a small café?”
Well, to start, you need to research some of the few trends and have the best coffee tools and equipment that fits your budget. Here is a complete list of coffee shop equipment you will need to get started.
Automatic Coffee Makers
Since coffee will always account for a great portion of the sales of your store, then you will need a coffee maker for it. The coffee maker must not only be automatic, but it should also be sturdy and can produce a high quantity of coffee a day. In addition, it must be quick enough to meet customers’ demands, especially at the busiest times of the day, such as mornings and the dead hours of the afternoon.
Your automatic coffee maker must be large enough to produce generous batches of coffee, so you will not always brew coffee in a day. And if you happen to observe, coffee shops intend to have multiple coffee makers to make different blends simultaneously. That said, you can start with having twin coffee brewers for large orders. Most café owners suggest having 2-3 coffee makers when starting.
Espresso Machine
Many customers like coffee drinks that contain espresso. Of course, you shouldn’t miss on an excellent and high-quality espresso machine. Unfortunately, finding the best espresso machines in the market these days can be challenging. Sticker shock is usual with espresso machines. That’s why you must have a better understanding of what makes an excellent espresso machine. You must know how to get the best value to find the right one.
Functional POS (Point of Sale) System
Every establishment, regardless if it’s big or small, must have a POS system. Since more and more countries are not on a cash-to-cash basis for payments, a POS would help, as it’s what many customers prefer. In addition, it helps in managing employees and take payments anywhere.
It does more than just sales, as it also helps you keep track of your coffee shop’s inventory. Though it may seem critical, it could help you monitor the analytics and profits of your business and check out customers easily. Furthermore, you will be able to upgrade what your coffee business is offering, get additional support, and deliver functionalities.
Industrial Coffee Grinder
Most coffee shops use coffee beans that aren’t ground to make the finest coffee possible. In his note, then you should add an industrial coffee grinder to the café equipment list. It’s a good idea to invest in a functional coffee grinder as it helps make a difference in the flavors and aroma of espresso or coffee you serve.
Industrial Blenders
When opening a café, you should also consider that not all customers are into coffees. Some prefer blended smoothies and non-coffee drinks. That’s why you will also need at least one blender to attend to this trend and customer needs.
You should go for high-quality and industrial blenders for your coffee shop. It’s always better to buy blender equipment that does not break so easily, especially when your coffee shop starts blending frozen drinks daily.
Storage and Refrigeration
Another question runs to your mind when running a small café; other than “What equipment do I need to run a small café?” you might also ask where you’re going to store goods. Since you will also serve food other than drinks, you must have proper storage and refrigeration to store your goods.
You must have a comprehensive refrigeration and storage system and make sure that your perishable foods adhere to the regulatory guidelines. It plays an important part when you are in the food industry. For starters, at least you should have industrial refrigerators, insulated containers, and proper shelving and storage.
Oven and Toasters
If the question “what equipment do I need to run a small café?”, is still bugging you, maybe you need to consider the food that you’re going to offer. If your café has a small selection of hot food, you will likely need an easy way to prepare the food you will serve. For example, perhaps you will open for breakfast and serve sandwiches, pastries, or bagels. That said, you will need a pop-up toaster or a conveyor toaster.
Furthermore, if you are going to serve frozen breakfast sandwiches, you might want to have a compact oven that your crew or baristas can easily access. One or two ovens will do to make serving breakfast easy. And it’s highly recommended that you invest in the high-quality and fastest ovens and toasters in the market these days.
Shelving
Storages aren’t the things you should have to organize and store goods. You also need shelving, likes crates and boxes that come handy to store ingredient and other inventory. Without shelving and another organizer system, you would likely have a hard time serving your customers, or worse, cut your profit.
Conclusion
It’s fine if you keep on asking yourself about “What equipment do I need to run a small café?” Since you’re starting, you always aim to improve and grow your business. So, you need to focus on things that will help you in running your small café.
With the right equipment and tools in place, your small café business will have a strong foundation until it reaches success. I hope you can finalize the coffee shop equipment and may your café business grow and become a recognizable brand.