So, I got this idea stuck in my head a while back – owning my own coffee shop. Seemed like a nice change of pace, you know? Being my own boss, the smell of coffee all day. Sounds good on paper.
First thing I did was just start looking around online. Typed in the obvious stuff: “coffee shop business for sale near me”. Man, you get a lot of hits. All sorts of listings popped up.
Getting Started with the Search
My process was pretty straightforward at the beginning. I just started making a list.
- Checked those big business-for-sale websites.
- Looked at local classifieds, sometimes you find stuff there.
- Even asked around a bit, talked to a few brokers who specialize in restaurants and cafes.
Right away, I noticed a few things. A lot of these places were asking for crazy money. Like, really dreaming. And the descriptions? Super vague. “Profitable turnkey operation,” they all said. Yeah, right.
Digging Deeper – The Visits
Okay, so browsing listings is one thing. The real work started when I actually went to check these places out. I made appointments, tried to look like a serious buyer. Walked in, ordered a coffee, tried to get a feel for the vibe. Sat there for a bit, watched the customers, watched the staff.
Talked to a few owners. Some were burnt out, you could tell. Ready to just dump the place. Others seemed like they were hiding something. You ask about the numbers, the real profit-and-loss stuff, and they get dodgy. “My accountant has all that,” or “We can discuss that later.” Red flags, you know?
Finding decent financials was tough. Seriously tough. Lots of cash businesses, hard to track what’s really going in and out unless they keep meticulous records, and many didn’t seem to. Or maybe they just didn’t want me to see the real records.
The Hard Lessons
I spent maybe three, four months actively looking. Visited probably a dozen shops seriously, looked at the details for maybe twenty or thirty.
What I learned? Well, a lot of “for sale” businesses are for sale for a reason. Maybe the location’s bad, maybe the rent is killing them, maybe they just never made real money. The dream of just stepping into a perfectly running, profitable shop? Much harder to find than you’d think.
Saw one place, great location, looked busy. Then I found out the lease was ending in six months and the landlord was planning a massive rent hike. The seller conveniently forgot to mention that upfront. Another place had ancient equipment, everything looked ready to break down. That’s not “turnkey,” that’s a money pit waiting to happen.
Where I Ended Up
So, did I buy one? Nope. Didn’t find the right fit, didn’t find a deal where the numbers made sense and I felt good about the seller and the situation. It was kinda disappointing, honestly. Put a lot of time and energy into it.
But it wasn’t a waste of time. I learned a ton about what to look for, the questions to ask, how to read between the lines. Maybe the dream isn’t dead, but I realized it’s way more work than just buying a job. You gotta be super careful, do your homework like crazy. For now, I’m back at my old routine, but keeping my eyes open. Maybe the right place will pop up someday. Or maybe I’ll just stick to brewing coffee at home. It’s cheaper, anyway.
