I have been wanting my own cafe/bakery for a very long time. I have literally been gifted one here recently. I was going to start with a food trailer but the funding did not go through.
However, the guy selling the food trailer has a restaurant. He is currently not running it because his parents are very ill. He has offered to me in a sublet/coop fashion. (contracts and clearly defined boundaries etc is being drawn up). It is a fully functioning small restaurant. Health dept already approved, ovens, fridge/frezzer, sinks- all of it - in place already.
Only thing I am missing is a 3-5 tables and chairs. It is oven only, no cook top because no hood vent. Which really is not that big of a deal. I will mostly be baked goods, coffee, snack packs to go, and quick lunch items. He ran it as a crock pot restaurant. Most of his items were in crock pots.
I will be paying $1000 a month for rent and utlities.
I am terrified and excited at the same time. My daughter is the majority owner. She is lesbian and I wanted her to have something of her own. She is only 20. I wanted a place where I could feed people and EVERYONE was welcome. I will have a special nook for mom hugs! I have a little mom booth. It is for anyone who needs a mom hug or advice. There is a list of other mama bears people can contact as well.
We went to our towns pride last weekend and everyone loved my stuff I sold. I am great at delta 8 infusions. It is legal here. I had so many people interested!!!
Any major pitfalls others have encountered that I might want to watch out for?
The guy will stay on to help mentor me but any advice is helpful! I am very overwhlemed at the moment with happiness, being scared, and being ready for this next step.
Hi @MamaViv, and welcome to Pride in Business! I'm SO happy you shared your story here. While I haven't started a business myself, I grew up in my parents local pizza joint. It's definitely a terrifying and rewarding endeavor. It sounds like everything is falling into place for you, and am sending all the good vibes your way! Love the mom hug nook. 😉
Hopefully some of our other members can chime in with more advice. We've also put together a local guide to LGBTQ+ resources for Square sellers. I'm happy to look into additional business resources, like LGBTQ+ Chambers of Commerce, if you can let me know the nearest large city to your business! Also, if you're interested in using Square to sell CBD, I would suggest creating a separate account for that. You can find more details on our CBD program online.
Look forward to hearing back!
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