Community groups hoping to raise money for causes or for ongoing costs sometimes think about opening a café as a one-off, occasional, or permanent venture. It can be a brilliant way to raise funds, and to reach more members of the wider community, so if you think it might be something your group would like to pursue, here are some essential tips and things to remember.

Do you have a kitchen that can support a café?

This is the very first thing to establish before you can proceed. If you are producing food in volume, then you need a kitchen that is safe, hygienic, and well equipped. That is especially true if you are serving that food to members of the public.

Many community group kitchens are ‘domestic-style’, and the materials and design are not suitable for the semi-commercial use of a shared facility. Materials like vinyl-wrapped MDF are prone to peeling, and highly absorbent. Sealant around sinks and splashback deteriorates and leaves gaps in which bacteria thrive.

When faced with heavy usage, that domestic style kitchen swiftly deteriorates, and is not a hygienic environment for food preparation.

Whether or not you plan to open a café, your community group should consider a semi-commercial style kitchen. Steelplan would always recommend a polyester powder-coated mild steel carcass with a stainless-steel worktop, which are durable and easy to clean.

A semi-commercial kitchen also eliminates the germ and mess hotspots of a domestic style kitchen. For example, you remove the need for sealant entirely with a recessed and seamless-welded sink which is grained and polished into the worktop, and with a folded rear upstand at all wall abutments.

Practical steps and considerations for opening your café

Once you have the kitchen you need, there are some other practical steps and considerations while you are preparing to open and operate your new café.

• Have you registered? Your café is a food business and will need to register with your local authority.
• Do you have the people you need to operate the café? Depending on opening days and opening hours, the café could be very demanding on people’s time. Ensure you have the volunteers necessary to prepare and sell the food, handle the funds and the revenue, and clean the kitchen.
• Do you have a thorough cleaning rota? You will almost certainly have a cleaning rota already, but if you are operating a café, your type and frequency of kitchen usage might increase dramatically, and so might the mess. And, as a registered food business, you could face unannounced inspection from the local authority. Make sure your cleaning routine is sufficient.
• Do you have the equipment you need? As well as a suitable kitchen design, you will need equipment that enables you to produce food and drink in the volumes that your café needs. Instant water boilers, griddles, and well-chosen hobs will be key to success.

Want to find out more about semi-commercial kitchens for community cafés?

Steelplan’s design experts are always willing to discuss your ambitions for your community kitchen, and advise on how a semi-commercial kitchen can help you achieve them. For a friendly, no-obligation chat, call 020 8254 0090 or email [email protected].