A Taste of the High Street

Odds are often stacked against new businesses starting up, as life spans for small independents often last less than two years.

But with a little fortune and fortitude, it just might work. Taste, a little cafe on High Street, has been open for just over a year, and are keeping a keen eye on both their balance sheet and their customer base to “keep our heads above water”.

John Earnshaw, who spent years in airline catering based in Dubai, traded in the scorching summers to spend some time engaging with customers, and became the first of a franchise backed by a husband and wife team in Essex.

“For a long time I had been thinking about opening a coffee shop, and I decided to go down the franchise route. My wife is based in Cowbridge, so we came back here and started looking for properties. We opened in December 2011, so we’re just now coming up to compare what we are doing now to this time last year.”

Sandwiches made to spec

It hasn’t been easy along the way, as John says the hardest part is building that first loyal customer base.

“Once we were up and running, the scariest thing was opening the doors and just trying to get people to walk through them. In terms of the year just gone, cash flow is very tight, especially when takings are not there. We’ve had a very quiet Christmas and New Year, so I think the first two months will be very interesting to predict how the rest of the year pans out. We have seen a lot of the regular customers coming back after Christmas which is nice.

“I think if we make the next couple of months at a stretch then we might be OK, because then we start to hit the autumn internationals and we always do great with that. And Springsteen, Rihanna, anything that brings people to the area is welcomed.

“High streets are starting to become a bit like a face with a set of teeth missing. If you look down the High Street from the castle and you see all the to-let signs it makes it a far less attractive place to come. It is a real shame that these places are going but then with the rates they don’t really have a choice. If we lose any more it will have a real impact on how it looks and people just won’t come.”

With a growing trade delivering to hungry offices and a developing community of regulars, the future looks good for Taste if they can tide over the slow season. And with jacket potatos, subs and sandwiches to take out for just £1.95, there shouldn’t be any more trouble getting people through the doors.

A homely, spruce diner sets Taste a step ahead of the competition