Retailing and the way we live has changed over the years. Before the age of the iPhone and generation Snapchat people we would shop locally � local stores, local shops � hell there might have even been a real live bank manager and people you could talk to!
Then one day Westfield and other major property players pioneered a trend that took shopping from a local experience into covered malls with all of the shops you could possibly need under the one roof. Fast forward around 20 years and a shit tonne of concrete later we have the Regional Shopping Centre. The gravitational pull of these centres is and continues to be impressive.
But so are the rents and other occupancy costs. Westfield for example has strict fit out guidelines that cost a bomb! Fit outs of over 7 figures are often the norm � no I am not saying that coffee shops cost that much � but with Westfield rents and expensive fit outs � that�s a lot of coffees you need to sell to just pay for that lot! And this isn�t an isolated case.
The cost of setting up in all sorts of �traditional� retail spaces is going up and up as well. With a lot of local businesses struggling with expensive fit outs and rents that can sometimes be well in excess of 15-20% of gross revenues!
Times and trends change � people are looking for different experiences that don�t include cars, parking and massive shopping centres.
This is where shipping containers come into their own.
What is Possible with a Shipping Container Cafe?
Anything is possible really. We have seen all sorts of uses for Shipping Containers � houses, offices, restaurants, disaster relief in Christchurch, shops, pop up food stalls, Eat Street style retailing � the list goes one.
Shipping containers are used because they are strong, durable, easy to move and and the shell or raw container is relatively low cost to buy. Shipping Container Cafes make it possible to bring coffee to customers in more innovative and convenient locations where a traditional retail space would be impractical, too expensive or maybe just not available at all.
What Are The Benefits of This Model?
Casual and convenient access to coffee is an alternative that the public wants and craves rather than sterile air-conditioned malls. And in the right location a shipping container can be a perfect solution.
For you, the cost of constructing a shipping container coffee shop is likely to be less than the fit out cost of a full blown cafe.
Also, if you do the right lease deal, you can retain ownership of the shipping container. At the end of the lease, instead of writing off your shop fit out, you can move your shipping container to another location.
Finally, you will lease less space and your rental costs will be lower.
That all adds up to more money in your pocket in the end!
How Much of This Article Should I Read?
If you�re deadly serious about opening your own shipping container cafe we suggest you read this guide cover to cover. We�ve tried to make it as concise and easy to understand as possible. There�s also a printable PDF version for those who�d prefer to do things old school.
Each section of this guide is important to understanding the full picture of what it takes to open your shipping container cafe.
