Guides

Written from fifteen years of running a London bar, not from a marketing brief.

• Which till (EPOS) system for a small café or bar?The system I ran my own bar on, what it really cost, and the catches to read before you sign.
• Buying café and restaurant furniture from TürkiyeWhy owners do it, what it costs, how shipping and import work, and how not to get stung.
• What the EHO inspector actually checksThe records and habits that get you a 5 on the door, from someone who had the visits.
• Cocktail and menu costing: how to work out GP%The simple maths behind every drink price, with a free calculator.
• The mistakes I made in my first year running a barFifteen years later, these are the ones that cost the most.
• Outdoor seating: what my awnings cost and whether they paidFive awnings, two parasols, 200 covers outside, and the neighbours.
• Ice machines: buy, rent, or take the free one?What mine cost, how to size it, and the catch in supplier deals.
• The best £500 I spent on the bar: cocktail theatreA smoke gun, five signature drinks, and the marketing customers did for me.
• Farm to table in a small café: what it really costsDouble the price, and when it's worth it.
• Premises licences and late nights (TENs): what I learned the hard wayHow licensing really works for a small bar, and three mistakes that cost me.