The place of Arepas in T.O.
☛490 Queen Street West is our new home, located in the heart of downtown Toronto is our address from SEP 01, 2009. We purchased a coffee shop business operating there until the end of August. The store will be close for renovations, hopefully for about two months.
It took us about six months to encounter the right location with the right conditions. We are excited to have found it, and ready to start our venture with the business of arepas in Toronto.
Stay tune, the opening process will be documented in here for you to follow. Thanks for your support and don't forget to tell a friend about us.
Arepa Café, Inc.
venezuelan urbanity
490 QSW, Toronto
☛On August 22nd 2009, Venezuelans celebrated the summer by organizing a picnic for its community and the general public, it took place at Mel Latsman Square, North York. The picnic event was made real by the people of 'Fundación Cultural Alma Llanera'; organization founded in 2003, and supporters of talent, tradition, and culture from Venezuela.
Arepa Café team assisted the event and met a vibrant community working and living in the city of Toronto, we talked with our fellow venezuelans and introduced them to the arepa plan, we also were approached by some of the people asking about our location, welcoming the idea and expressing their support. We were happy to inform our progress and make new friends.
The group tasted some of the foods being sold, only to be delighted. The event was busy and happy with Venezuelans feeling at home, and visitors all excited about the splash of culture. They where eager to try the tasty dishes of our nation like: corn cachapas, golfeados con queso, tequeños, chicha, parrilla con yuca y guasacaca, cachitos among so much more, while the bands play in the open amphitheater. Vendors and artists placed in an urban setting all together to celebrate our heritage.
Arepa Café is a Venezuelan inspired project, and it is grateful to participate, contributing to the enjoyment of our community, and helping showcase our traditions.
Babalao Stereo Club
Love to eat and run (bike)
by Jerry Waese.
Location is one the most important elements for a successful restaurant.
So far, we have invested four months on finding the right location for Arepa Café in the city of Toronto, and we agree with what we keep reading from experienced owners:
"The real statement is the right location, right location, right location. Naturally, food preparation, ambiance, service, price and convivial attitude of the staff are all important equal elements in the equation of success that should all be weighed equally, but the right location is more important and holds more weight in the future success of a profitable restaurant."
It is a long, and complex process to find the right location, and the right landlord. It also can be very quick and simple, it depends on luck and resources. In our case, there have been three potential locations on the desk with signed offers that has not materialized, but they have provided experience, and growth to our business.
The first offer was for a cute little place on Baldwin Street (location # 1), then we put a second offer on College Street (location # 2), and the third went for a beautiful place on Queen Street West (location # 3). While negotiating the lease on the first and third locations, other offers came to the game and win the places over ours, the second it was our decision to move on.
These are the three try-outs so far:
A new location is on the sight, again around College street, just west of Bathurst. Since the beginning, we imagine Arepa Café to be a relaxed and trendy place with healthy food for students and younger crowds. The closer to colleges, universities, offices on a high traffic street of pedestrians and cars would make our best location.
A solid business plan opens doors to be considered as a good tenant, the complexity of a restaurant project usually makes Landlords turn into simpler projects like offices, and retail stores. The better organized you present yourself the better location and landlord you will get. It has been challenging the understanding of commercial real state in Toronto.
It is difficult to find, but less difficult than creating a good idea, and putting together a business plan to find a loan for implementation. Our search continues...
Thanks for you support, and keep following our 'restaurant opening' process.
"The real statement is the right location, right location, right location. Naturally, food preparation, ambiance, service, price and convivial attitude of the staff are all important equal elements in the equation of success that should all be weighed equally, but the right location is more important and holds more weight in the future success of a profitable restaurant."
It is a long, and complex process to find the right location, and the right landlord. It also can be very quick and simple, it depends on luck and resources. In our case, there have been three potential locations on the desk with signed offers that has not materialized, but they have provided experience, and growth to our business.
The first offer was for a cute little place on Baldwin Street (location # 1), then we put a second offer on College Street (location # 2), and the third went for a beautiful place on Queen Street West (location # 3). While negotiating the lease on the first and third locations, other offers came to the game and win the places over ours, the second it was our decision to move on.
These are the three try-outs so far:
A new location is on the sight, again around College street, just west of Bathurst. Since the beginning, we imagine Arepa Café to be a relaxed and trendy place with healthy food for students and younger crowds. The closer to colleges, universities, offices on a high traffic street of pedestrians and cars would make our best location.
A solid business plan opens doors to be considered as a good tenant, the complexity of a restaurant project usually makes Landlords turn into simpler projects like offices, and retail stores. The better organized you present yourself the better location and landlord you will get. It has been challenging the understanding of commercial real state in Toronto.
It is difficult to find, but less difficult than creating a good idea, and putting together a business plan to find a loan for implementation. Our search continues...
Thanks for you support, and keep following our 'restaurant opening' process.
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