Opening your own café: what they don't always tell you (30 years of experience to share)

For nearly thirty years, Café Castelo has been supporting passionate entrepreneurs in the opening and growth of their "coffee shops".
Before being a brand, we are first and foremost a roasting and distribution company. We have had the privilege of collaborating with several cafes: Brûlerie Europa, Café Noisette, La Cafétière, les Cafés de Julie, Les Caprices d'Alice, le Café Refuge, and many more.

Over the years, we have seen dreams become reality, projects transform, and above all, passionate people learn and grow in a profession that is as demanding as it is rewarding.

Today, we wanted to share with you some essential points to keep in mind before getting started. Not advice you read in manuals, but truths you discover by actually experiencing the profession.

1. There will never be a “good time”

We often say to ourselves: “I’m going to wait for the right moment.”
But the truth is, it doesn't exist.

Even with the best intentions, the right partners, and meticulous preparation, There will always be an unforeseen event: a delay, an unexpected cost, a decision to postpone, and that's normal.

Some dream of opening a cafe in retirement, thinking it will be a quiet pastime. But a café is a business in its own right. You have to be present, attentive, and organized. It is an environment of passion, yes, but also of rhythm, service, management and consistency.

Opening a cafe is, above all, a commitment.
A project that requires heart, patience and a good dose of flexibility.

2. There will always be criticism...and that's okay.

Even if you choose the best roastery, the best coffees, the best location and the most beautiful design, there will always be someone who won't like it.

It's inevitable.

There will be comments, comparisons, and "I would have done it differently".
We need to learn to listen to what is constructive, without letting ourselves get discouraged.
The most important thing is that you love what you do, that you are proud of your product, and that your loyal customers love to come back.

You can't please everyone, but you can please those who are like you.
And they are your true community.

3. You will wear several hats

When you open a café, you quickly discover that you become a little bit of everything:
manager, barista, accountant, content creator, technician, buyer, negotiator…

Some can afford to hire specialists from the outset.
Others need to learn, read, train, try, fail, start again... and that's perfectly normal! (You have to be patient, especially with yourself.)

Today, we have access to an incredible amount of content and training.
At Café Castelo, we also offer a complete barista training course to help our partners understand the art of coffee and the basics of the “Castelo bar”.

And above all, we don't leave our customers seuls.Quand We support you in your opening, we are here to answer your questions, adjust your machines, do tests, taste the coffees together. It's a true partnership.

Coffee is an expertise, but being an entrepreneur means being a generalist.

You have to dare to learn, surround yourself with the right people, and trust yourself.

4.Your café's identity: what people feel

You can have the best coffee and the best location in the world, but what people will remember is how they felt coming to your place.

That is why it is necessary to define from the outset:

• there personality of your coffee,

• THE audience you want to reach,

• and above all the emotion you want to create.

Some cafes are peaceful havens, others are meeting places.
There are coffee shops that are also workspaces, others integrated into a hair salon, a cat shelter, or a family space.

There is no wrong formula, but you simply need to know who you are.
The strongest marketing today is authentic marketing: that which reflects your values, your tastes and your reality.

What we remember about a coffee shop is as much the richness of its contents as the atmosphere we discover there. We remember it for the warmth we felt.

5. Consistency: being “better than ever”, every day

At Café Castelo, our promise, Better than ever, has become much more than a slogan: it's a philosophy.

In a cafe, as in any business, consistency does not mean “staying the same”.
It means having the same passion, the same energy and the same high standards every day as on the first day.
Questioning oneself, observing, adjusting, daring to change what one thought was established in order to continue to progress.

Being consistent also means knowing how to make difficult decisions for the good of your team and your company. Sometimes, you have to part ways with someone you like, simply because they are not the right person for the job.
These decisions are demanding, but they are part of an entrepreneur's role: to protect the mission and consistency of their business.

Being “better than ever” means choosing each day to move forward with clarity, respect and passion, even when it is difficult.

Café Castelo: 30 years of support, and still the same passion

For nearly three decades, Café Castelo supports "coffee shops" and we share with them not only our coffees, but also our experience, our tools and our passion.

Because, ultimately, opening a cafe is much more than just a business idea.
It's a human adventure, made up of work, emotions, challenges and small daily victories.

And it has been a privilege, for thirty years, to be a part of it.

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