I am about to meet a coffee shop owner to inquire about buying the business. What questions should I ask? Coffee

I am exploring the opportunity of owning my own independent coffee shop. I have never worked in or owned a coffee shop before, nor have I ever owned a small business. I have dreamed of owning a coffee shop biz, though, so I'm taking steps to make that a reality. I meet with the current owner soon to learn about the business. What questions should I ask?

Some details about the coffee shop: The place is a local hang-out, offering a small menu of hot and cold drinks, and a few items to eat. The appeal of the place is that it's a casual place to access the internet and meet friends. A surrogate living room.

The coffee shop has been around since 1998, and the current owner bought it as a thriving business around 2007. Since then, the place has lost much of its appeal. The service is slow. The quality of the drinks is mediocre. The business clearly survives as simply a place to meet and hang out.

There is no formal kitchen; no stove or range. Also no ice maker. Just one double-door stainless steel refrigerator. It also has one double-door under-the-counter refrigerator, one blender, one espresso machine, one bean grinder, two larger commercial coffee makers, some kind counter-top convection oven, and a freezer that holds four 5-gallon ice cream containers (as well as bagged ice). Bottom line here is that I will probably have to buy new or upgrade most of the appliances.

The music system and choice of music is bad. The cameras and security system is bad. The place could use fresh paint and a deep cleaning. It needs a better POS system like Square, and not some mechanical register that doesn't track sales efficiently.

The place would benefit immensely from a full remodel, for sure, but like I said, it survives and has been around a while. I know that I could make the place much better just by offering better service, a better menu, and better seating. I could make it better just through better more caring decisions. And if I could afford to remodel it, it would be a great place.

What am I not thinking of? What am I missing? What questions should I ask? What else should I look for? HELP! :-)

Submitted November 30, 2015 at 08:35AM by inpasadena http://ift.tt/1HyQHjN Coffee