I love going out for breakfast. I’m pretty sure that a hefty proportion of my surplus cash goes to cafes. 

I’ve got a few favourites, but I’ve not yet found one in my local town. So we’ve been trying them all out until we find a solid fave. 

This Sunday we took a stroll down a back alley, where I had noticed a tiny little cafe that we’d not tried before. It had caught my eye a few days earlier when I’d noticed it’s unusual signage. 

It said Cafe Velo – Coffee – Ride Outs – Bike Tours – Bike Maintenence. 

Weird combination, I thought. 

But I’m willing to give anything a try in my search for the perfect breakfast. It looked like a tiny place, I was sure it would be quiet. But as we opened the door, we were hugely surprised. The cafe itself was a bit like a tardis.

While it looked small from the outside, it went back far with several rooms coming off to the side. The whole place was packed to the brim with lycra-clad men, with mud splashes up their backs. 

Every table was full and the staff were bustling around busy serving their customers. 

It was clearly a huge success. 

As I tucked into my veggie breakfast, I gave it a little thought. 

This cafe was thriving because it had done what most businesses don’t do. It had chosen a niche and gone all in. 

It was pretty genius really. 

You see, our town is located on the edge of The New Forest, a prime area for avid cyclists. Come the weekend, the whole area is full of them. 

But not all cafes welcome muddy guests, nor provide a safe space to store their precious bikes outside. 

There is a definite gap in the market here. A market that has cash to spend. 

This cafe had filled it. 

They’d created a space that was welcoming and tailored to suit this niche perfectly. From the items on the menu and decor to the ample space outside to store bikes. 

But that’s not all. 

They were cross-selling to them too. 

They weren’t just selling them breakfast. 

They offered ride-outs, bike maintenance and bike tours too. As any experienced business owner knows, it’s the back end products where you can really make a good profit. These guys were nailing it. 

So what about you? Are you targeting a carefully chosen niche? Or are you still going for a broad scattergun approach with the hope that something will stick? 

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