New here just wanted to introduce myself. My name is Adam and I own Hero Cafe in Barrie Ontario.

[HeroCafe1]

Just introducing myself to the community, I opened a small Cafe in a medical building in April of 2021 and since then I've been trying as many ideas as I can to drive traffic but I am finding it to be very difficult. Any suggestions are welcome as I am new to owning a business. I do have experience in fast food with large chains close to 20 years ago.

Adam

[VCB]

Don't compete on price and quality, win your business with exceptional customer service/hospitality and awesome food & drink.  Out pricing your competition is a race to the bottom.  Instagram is still the best advertising, after word of mouth.  Don't pay influencers. 

Without knowing your market & location, it's hard to suggest ideas. Picking the right location with the right lease is 90% of the puzzle.  I use to worry most about $/sqft, but less so now.  Paying more rent for real traffic sometimes makes sense.  If you are new, it can just be about holding your course and waiting to build your clientele. I'm not a big fan of giving up $ to 3rd party delivery.  Our first location 6 years ago was in an undeveloped area with little traffic.  Now you can't park in the neighborhood, but that took a few years to create.  We have an office building location that currently is just breakeven after 10 months.  That will change as people continue to return to normal worklife, but in the meantime, it just employs people and represents our brand.  Our 3rd location is profitable, but only slightly after 2 years.  It is in a developing area and mostly will require more time to build....or not.  No easy answers or $ in business.  Manage your cash and put in the work.  Also, it's important to know when to pull the plug. Bleeding to death is not the asnwer.

[Kvinod77]

Hi,

Attracting traffic can happen through physical and digital techniques. Here are some started ideas (you may have already tried some):

1. Leave menus in the medical office. If you are located in a building that already has a bunch of incoming traffic, it is important to tap that as much as possible.

2. If your local post office allows, send mailers to residences within a 1-mile radius of your location.

3. Make sure you have a website and you claim your Yelp page. Also make sure that your Google Business Page is updated. "Coffee shops near me" was one of the most used keywords to find local coffee shops, according to a recent Google report that I read.

4. Join local Facebook groups, introduce yourself and your business. Participate in these forums, add value and earn some community trust. Then, leverage that cache to advertise your business.

I am sure you've already applied some of these techniques. The basic principle here is to be present where your prospective customers are. 

Good luck,

Vinod