Shopkeeper interview series; Forde's Coffee & Sandwich Bar
/Since I started this blog I’ve been wanting to launch a shopkeeper interview series to promote independent shops and tell their stories. It’s my hope that you will find this collection of interviews with bricks and mortar retailers and shopkeepers inspiring. So welcome to part 1, an interview with Sarah Vernau of Forde’s Coffee & Sandwich Bar an environmentally friendly source of delicious locally sourced coffee, cake and lunches.
Sarah of Forde’s Coffee & Sandwich Bar in West Bridgford Nottingham
1. Please introduce yourself and your shop (name, biz name, what type of shop, where are you located? do you have any employees? Do you sell online? Do you offer workshops?)
Hello, my name is Sarah and I own Forde’s coffee and Sandwich Bar in West Bridgford. As the name suggests it is a coffee shop, we sell 200 Degrees coffee, quick lunches (think jacket potatoes, panini, salads….) and we also offer catering for parties, offices and events. We also offer our space for small evening events such as chocolate making sessions and shopping evenings. There are two full-time members of staff (me included) and five part-time staff. We open 7 days a week.
2. Tell me more about the products you sell (any favourites, what’s your price range?)
We sell lovely coffee from 200 Degrees, roasted just down the road. We also sell delicious Birchall teas, and other drinks like chai latte. Our hot chocolate has been described as the best in West Bridgford!
Food wise, we sell a lot of eat-in and take out lunches, sandwiches, salads etc. We always have gluten free options and vegan options. We also sell some fabulous cakes, our brownies are from the Beeston Brownie Company and our cakes are from Clemie’s Vegan Cakes.
Our office lunches also go down well, with platters of sandwiches, salads and canapes (and of course cake).
Our take out packaging is all either recyclable or compostable and our take out soft drinks range is all plastic-free. Even our take out coffee cups are compostable!
3. How did you find your shop? (did much work need doing to it before you moved in? how did you fund it?)
I bought the business from an established coffee shop which had been here for about 5 years. I moved straight in and began trading, however as part of the sale agreement I had to rebrand within 3 months. This took quite a lot of work sorting the menus, design work, logo and new signage etc.
Over the last year I have gradually made changes with new equipment, decoration etc but as I was on a very tight budget did not make any massive changes to the layout of the shop. However there are many changes I’d like to make and have plans for a new counter and furniture early in 2020!
I borrowed the money to start the business. In hindsight I should've borrowed more as I have been running the business on a bit of a shoestring meaning that there are things that I would like to do to the shop (like replace the old furniture etc) that I've not yet been able to do. However I am just about to have a mini refurb! Debt can be quite scary and I still owe a lot but am confident that my business is going in the right direction to enable me to pay back what I owe. It certainly keeps you on your toes anyway :-)
I also had a grant which I think was around £1000 towards the rebranding through Rushcliffe Borough Council's Shop Front Improvement Grant which contributed 50% towards my new signage, awning and decorating the front of the shop.
4. Do you have or plan to open more shops?
At the moment, one is more than enough!
5. What motivated you to open a shop? And how long did it take from idea stage to welcoming your first customer through the door?
It took me around 3 months from deciding to run my own shop to actually opening the doors. The shop is not far from my house, and it came up for lease at a time when I was changing jobs and had had a few things happen which caused me to re-evaluate my work/career. I had for the last 5 years been making birthday & celebration cakes so I felt a coffee shop was a great idea to be able to make and sell my own cakes. Needless to say this has gone by the wayside as I don’t have time to make any cakes!!
6. What has been your biggest challenge to date?
I think all aspects of running your own business is challenging, but then you are doing it for yourself it is very different to working for someone else. Staffing is always a challenge, a fine balance between making sure you have cover, enough time off for yourself and not having a gigantic wage bill.
7. What did you wish you’d known when you first started? (best piece of advice you’d give someone wanting to open a shop or a mistake you wish you’d avoided?)
I wish I’d know the extent to which I’d need to market/network/promote. I was probably naive in this area and have only just sorted myself out to give myself time to do this properly.
8. What’s been the best moment for you?/ What are you most proud of?
Celebrating one year of business was a really good moment to look back and remember how far we’ve come – you tend to get bogged down in the daily grind to realise how much you have achieved.
9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Or do you have any exciting events coming up?
We have some plans next year for a bit of a mini refurb. We’d like to really push to expand the office catering side in the next year or so with some corporate customers.
10. Do you manage to take holidays? How do you find balance/look after yourself?
Finding time to holiday or have time off is hard, as things always change! I may think I’ve got a day off but if someone calls in sick, it’s me that has to cancel my day off to cover. I do manage to take holidays occasionally as I have some great staff that I am happy to leave the shop with for a few days – although I’m always at the end of the phone! Quite a few of my staff are weekend staff so I do manage to have a few weekends off too.
11. Do you have a shop pet or would you like to get one?
Much as we’d love a shop pet the floorspace is quite limited so we aren’t able to allow pets in :- (
Forde’s, 22 Tudor Square, West Bridgford
You can find Sarah at 22 Tudor Square, West Bridgford, Nottingham, NG2 6BT https://fordescoffee.co.uk