"LITE LUNCH" MENU QUESTION...

[SunriseCoffeeLasVegas]

that's interesting. We are a type to restaurant without a kitchen so, If we were to do it would have to vegeterian sandwiches and salads. We are located in Las Vegas and I don't think soup is a big deal here.

How do you steam eggs? I tried it this morning and I think I did something wrong because I almost through up. LOL.

Do you microwave everything to heat it up?

There is a sandwich shop, brewery, taco shop and Mcdonald's not to far.
If I were to carry something I wanted it to be once a day, vegeterian, and delicious. or fruits and yogurt, and salads.

We do fresh baked muffins in the morning but, I am also looking into donuts from a small local donut shop.


Thanks!

 

[tletourneau]

that's interesting. We are a type to restaurant without a kitchen so, If we were to do it would have to vegeterian sandwiches and salads. We are located in Las Vegas and I don't think soup is a big deal here.

How do you steam eggs? I tried it this morning and I think I did something wrong because I almost through up. LOL.

We use an electric egg poacher, which is technically a steamer as the eggs aren't submerged in water. I couldn't find a commercial NSF one so I talked the local health department into a varaince for a nicer consumer unit. Something like the Cuisinart EEP-6 Electric Nonstick Egg Poacher.

Do you microwave everything to heat it up?

Yep, everything but the eggs and toast/bagels those get toasted in a Waring commercial wide slot toaster. We love our microwave, it serves us well. That and the health department won't let us have a hot top without a vented hood with a fire extinguishing system.

There is a sandwich shop, brewery, taco shop and Mcdonald's not to far.
If I were to carry something I wanted it to be once a day, vegeterian, and delicious. or fruits and yogurt, and salads.

That sound like a good idea for your market, healthy choices and easy to prepare.

We do fresh baked muffins in the morning but, I am also looking into donuts from a small local donut shop.

Do you do cookies? They can be a nice little revenue generator. We use Otis Spunkmeyer and people love them.

Thanks!

Welcome!

 

[SunriseCoffeeLasVegas]

We do cookies and brownies. People like their cookies and the muffins sell pretty well. It's a nice little revenue generator and our baker is such an awesome person so, she works with our needs.

I will start doing danishes in the mornings starting monday. Do you think danishes or donuts are better?

Maybe I should carry both?

And how did you introduce your lunch menu? Do you have a large breakfast crowd for bagel sandwiches?

Do you do advertising and how long did it take before you started being in the black?


Sorry about the questions and I appreciate all the knowledge that you have imparted.

 

[tletourneau]

Cookies are great! We bake in-house using a dedicated convection oven provided by the cookie vendor and the smell of fresh baked cookies and fresh coffee is great in the mornings!

I'd do both the danish and doughnut and check the volumes after a month and drop whatever doesn't sell. If they're even and you have the space keep them both.

We had always hinted that we may do some food so when we added it to the menu no one was shocked. Right now we probably sell 6 to 10 breakfast sandwiches in the morning. About half go to a regular coffee clutch that shows up every morning and goes through 2 or 3 airpots. bagel sales are also picking up, yet another nice little revenue generator.

We had one new buisness ad and I ran a coupon in the local paper. We've also done some sharity stuff with other businesses that's gotten our name out a bit doing shared ads. Things like donating pounds of coffee to silent charity auctions. Otherwise it's word of mouth and fliers although I have thought of doing door hangers.

Black, oh man don't I wish! I've only been open 3 months but we're starting to get closer. Every week is better than the last.

 

[Tophie2]

This is the problem errrr situation I am having, people are REQUESTING lunch and it is the last thing I want to do. I mean we have awesome breakfast croissants and bagles with sausage egg and cheese and asst pastries, but the lunch is killing me, we sell out every time but I still do not care for it. It is getting to the point that are health inspector is telling us we are on the egge of resturants and hotels in the amount of food we sell. What a pita. LOL

 

[CCCRoaster]

I am opening a coffee roasting/retailing business. The thing is, there is nothing around that serves lunch. Would it be a good idea or a bad idea to add some light lunch items? What would you suggest? My goal is not to be a "restaurant" but to be a coffee business and I don't want to do anything to detract from that.

Maybe there is no demand for it?

Just because there isn't doesn't mean there should be.
I just did an opening with a woman who wanted to do a coffee and snack shop, in her first week she has done 85% sandwiches and food items. She will be wonderfully successful in her location but I think will be working much harder for a lower margin than she had anticipated.

 

[BigDave]

I work with a very small coffee shop that wanted to offer a "lite lunch" menu, but couldn't because they simply don't have the space for a panini grill, storage, or sandwich prep area. Plus, anything they added would have filled their small space with the dreaded aromas. What he ended up doing was "partnering" with a very popular deli that is relatively close by. They deliver a deli cart of sandwiches that he puts in his case for sale. It works well for him because his shop gets a sign at the deli and on their website and he can ride on their well-respected, more well-known (for now) name. I know his margin is almost non-existent on the sandwiches, but he claims that its helped his business because it keeps customers who might otherwise get their coffee elsewhere. I'd want to try to measure this claim, if it were me.

This might be a good way to test the market to see if there is really demand for it without committing a lot of finances that direction. If you really want to open a coffee shop, not a cafe, then I would start that way (assuming you've done your research to know that a coffee shop is in demand).

Just another thought.

Big Dave!

 

[AJPRATT]

Hello! Sorry, but I have been away for a while. The only food items we have are our desserts, bagels, muffins (I guess the typical cafe fare). We also do breakfast sandwiches on bagels (bacon or sausage egg and cheese) and soup. We nuke the eggs, which turn out great and use heat and serve bacon and sausage. I bought a panini press a long time ago and haven't used it yet. I wouldn't mind breaking it out and doing two or three simple sandwiches. Any suggestions?

 

[tletourneau]

Well I think if you can do the Panini’s and you don't mind doing them then go for it. I'd say the four common meats (assuming you want meats) turkey, ham, roast beef and pastrami (or corned beef) and a couple of choices for cheeses and whatever veg you'd need. Add them as a "Special Item" at first and just write it on a board somewhere before putting it in print. See how it sells and if it's OK then make it a permanent add.

I wanted to do Panini’s but the MN health dept told me I'd need a hood with an extinguisher to use one, at that point I might as well put in a 24" flattop and turn into a restaurant (not).