Olympic favourite inspires new '˜old school' café revival

The much-loved Olympic Coffee House is no more. Could you have what it takes to run the city's next favourite café?
Could this be the inspiration for your next career move?Could this be the inspiration for your next career move?
Could this be the inspiration for your next career move?

It’s been the fabric of Leeds’ social life for decades. The no-frills home to the perfect full English fry up, and where countless teenage romances blossomed over burgers and chips.

So, when the much-loved Olympic Coffee House put up the closed sign for the last time, there was barely a dry eye.

It’s the end of an era. The Olympic was among the few old school cafes – many expertly run by Greek-Cypriot families – to have survived untouched for over 40 years.The café is expected to be back in action soon – the new owner is planning a café for the premises – but hungry locals are left yearning for old school café culture.

So, how do you create that distinctive café vibe that kept the locals coming back? And do you have what it takes to run a café of your own?

Family first

The best cafes have family values at their core. Quite often it’s family behind the scenes too, using recipes passed down the generations.

Working with family means sticking together through thick in thin, so consider roping in relatives to make your dream a reality.

Taste of success

Cafés fail or succeed on their fare’s quality. It’s one thing to be dubbed a ‘greasy spoon’ and quite another to serve up unappetising nosh.

Opt for fresh, locally sourced ingredients every time and make a meal out of tried and tested favourites - a good fry up always ticks the right box - served with top notch tea and coffee and you can’t go far wrong.

Quality control

The key to building up a faithful clientele is ensuring they get what they expect. Customers want to know that their favourite dish – even if it’s just a bacon roll – will be served up the same next week as it was yesterday.

Making sure your menu is reliable and features trusted favourites, to make your customers regulars.

Bring the smiles

Service with a smile might be difficult when you’ve been on your feet all day, but it’s the vital ingredient in making customers feel welcome.Get sociable

Nowadays, all businesses – even little high street cafes – need to be heard on social media to really succeed. With so much competition out there, building up a strong following on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter can really help.

Interact with your customers to let the chat and good times flow.

Find your ‘USP’

The best coffee, the biggest fry up, the juiciest burger or the friendliest staff – hone in on a unique selling point (USP) to help your business stand out from the crowd.

Be prepared

It’s not easy running a café. It’s long hours and there’s a lot to stay on top of: stock, preparation and even the cleaning.But there can be good rewards and the satisfaction that comes with being your own boss. Get busy!

The Olympic Coffee House was sold by Ernest Wilson & Co on behalf of its long-established owners and has a portfolio of attractive café premises which are currently seeking new owners.

Established in 1956, Ernest Wilson & Co helps its clients buy and sell businesses. Its experienced team has concluded thousands of commercial property deals, with finance options and support throughout the sale process.

Find out more by calling 0113 238 2900 or visit the website www.ernest-wilson.co.uk

Related topics: