What is involved in opening a pastry shop? How would I begin?!
What is involved in opening a pastry shop? How would I begin?
A dream of mine has always been to own and work in a pastry shop. Specifically, a French-themed patisserie with French decor, music, food and beverages. When you step in the door, it would be like walking into a patisserie in Paris.
There is nothing in my area like it and I think it would do well.
How would I get started and what all would be involved?
Answers:
Money is the 1st consideration. You'll need somewhere between $150K-$300 to do a basic but professional startup. I was involved in the startup of a former friend's now world renowned (in bakery circles) bakery in Sonoma, CA. They spent $250K to get opened in a 1200 sq ft shop with a used 5' 3 deck oven, a used single rack revolving convection oven, used display cases, and no employees other than family. The biggest expense was the down payment on the building, which they bought, and remodeling/installation costs. And have you thought about a partner? I would do much more extensive research than Yahoo Answers. Email me if you want more info.
rent a shop out at your mall ant start it that way
You'd need a good business plan/concept. Not just the "idea" of what you want, but what the hours would be, how much staff you would need, how the scheduling would work. What sort of menu you would like, what days you are open, etc.
You'd also need someone to run the business aspect of it for you, unless you know a lot about business. You'd need to research a location for it. A bad location can be the end before you even get started.
Are you going to make all the pastries? If not, you'd need a pastry chef and some knowledge of the industry.
You'd need to get the finances worked out. Do you have the money to put into it? Would you need to take out a loan?, etc.
IMO starting any food related business is hard. It takes awhile to start seeing some profit. Most new restaurants tank within the first 5 years. You need to have a strong business plan before going ahead and jumping right into starting a shop.