How much can I charge for a cup of coffee?

[AlexC1981]

Silverspirit 2 said:

Costa coffee shops are a total ripoff. They only fill the cup to about 65% and the rest is empty or froth. I cannot be scammed by the big cup / low volume trick. What do other readers think ?

That's pretty much what Italian style coffee is, especially with a cappuccino. The shot of espresso is a standard size, limited by the amount of coffee grounds the machine can hold in the basket. If you run more water through it you get a weaker drink. I expect Costa use the same size cup regardless of what type of coffee you order, to allow for space on top for the foamy drinks.

It sounds like you want filter coffee, which Costa does not sell, or maybe a flat white would fill the cup.

[Nickbrapp]

GilletteFan said:

Everybody needs to dig in and expect to have less in your pockets over the next few years at the very least. There are ups and downs in life. Too many have only really experienced the ups when objectively looked at. This does not discount the fact that many entitled people will cry foul when things aren't always up.

Then businesses have to accept less profit, shareholders have to expect less dividends, the government and economy has to accept that endless growth every quarter isn’t possible, CEOs have to accept their growth linked bonus will have to be reduced, landlords will have to expect a lower yield, property developers will have to accept a lower profit margin

[Terminator X]

AlexC1981 said:

Silverspirit 2 said:

Costa coffee shops are a total ripoff. They only fill the cup to about 65% and the rest is empty or froth. I cannot be scammed by the big cup / low volume trick. What do other readers think ?

That's pretty much what Italian style coffee is, especially with a cappuccino. The shot of espresso is a standard size, limited by the amount of coffee grounds the machine can hold in the basket. If you run more water through it you get a weaker drink. I expect Costa use the same size cup regardless of what type of coffee you order, to allow for space on top for the foamy drinks.

It sounds like you want filter coffee, which Costa does not sell, or maybe a flat white would fill the cup.

The reason I stopped drinking cappuccino was it was 50% froth. Now on flat whites so at least a full cup!

TX.

[Simpo Two]

AlexC1981 said:

'Streamed' milk? Do they mean 'steamed'?

[pork911]

Nickbrapp said:

GilletteFan said:

Everybody needs to dig in and expect to have less in your pockets over the next few years at the very least. There are ups and downs in life. Too many have only really experienced the ups when objectively looked at. This does not discount the fact that many entitled people will cry foul when things aren't always up.

Then businesses have to accept less profit, shareholders have to expect less dividends, the government and economy has to accept that endless growth every quarter isn’t possible, CEOs have to accept their growth linked bonus will have to be reduced, landlords will have to expect a lower yield, property developers will have to accept a lower profit margin

Is that a wish or a whinge?

[Nickbrapp]

pork911 said:

Is that a wish or a whinge?

You can’t have it both ways. People getting paid less in real terms, they’re going to have less to spend, so businesses get less revenue, that means less profit, than means less dividends surely?

[xeny]

Nickbrapp said:

You can’t have it both ways. People getting paid less in real terms, they’re going to have less to spend, so businesses get less revenue, that means less profit, than means less dividends surely?

As a corollary, some businesses will no longer see enough revenue/profit to be viable.

[OutInTheShed]

xeny said:

Nickbrapp said:

You can’t have it both ways. People getting paid less in real terms, they’re going to have less to spend, so businesses get less revenue, that means less profit, than means less dividends surely?

As a corollary, some businesses will no longer see enough revenue/profit to be viable.

Indeed.
Less spending, = less profit = Less Businesses = Less jobs

We've spent the last 20-odd years building an economy based on selling one another coffee and walking other people's dogs.

[Jumpingjackflash]

OutInTheShed said:

Indeed.
Less spending, = less profit = Less Businesses = Less jobs

We've spent the last 20-odd years building an economy based on selling one another coffee and walking other people's dogs.

Exactly and this economy has been subsidised by debt.

[ChocolateFrog]

My friend sub contracts for various events company.

He's charged them £16ph for the last 4 or 5 years.

It came to this season and he told one particular business his rate was now £19ph. Still below inflation based on the BOE's calculator.

After a few days the owner of the business accepted but laid it on thick about how he'd have to take on additional duties, perform training etc etc.

Bearing in mind that my mate is almost certainly the most experienced person in the world at what he does and a general site labourer is £13ph and over £20 from an agency.

Some business owners just can't see past the ends of their noses.

He's cheap at twice the price.

[Digger]

ChocolateFrog said:

My friend sub contracts for various events company.

He's charged them £16ph for the last 4 or 5 years.

It came to this season and he told one particular business his rate was now £19ph. Still below inflation based on the BOE's calculator.

After a few days the owner of the business accepted but laid it on thick about how he'd have to take on additional duties, perform training etc etc.

Bearing in mind that my mate is almost certainly the most experienced person in the world at what he does and a general site labourer is £13ph and over £20 from an agency.

Some business owners just can't see past the ends of their noses.

He's cheap at twice the price.

That's a bit of a grandiose statement & can't be passed by without asking what he does?

[gareth h]

Digger said:

ChocolateFrog said:

My friend sub contracts for various events company.

He's charged them £16ph for the last 4 or 5 years.

It came to this season and he told one particular business his rate was now £19ph. Still below inflation based on the BOE's calculator.

After a few days the owner of the business accepted but laid it on thick about how he'd have to take on additional duties, perform training etc etc.

Bearing in mind that my mate is almost certainly the most experienced person in the world at what he does and a general site labourer is £13ph and over £20 from an agency.

Some business owners just can't see past the ends of their noses.

He's cheap at twice the price.

That's a bit of a grandiose statement & can't be passed by without asking what he does?

And if he is why isn’t he charging it?

[Hugo Stiglitz]

blueg33 said:

stinkyspanner said:

Vaguely related, but those Costa machines must be the most profitable 'coffee shops'. £3ish a cup that tastes the same as one served by a barista in a store, no staff, minimal running/property costs.

Except it doesn't taste like a coffee made by a decent Barista, especially evident if you drink your coffee Black.

With respect to anyone who works at Costa, Pret etc. They are just bland mass made things. Pret IS just a machinenow. I've not gone on there for years. Once about a month ago when I saw the machine/button pressed..

Paying 3.50 and up on them? No. Not when you can make your own better and easier at home. I even took my old machine onto work and leave it there/use it and it's open to others to use 24/7 round shifts.

Sadly first the indies will close then finally the overpriced bland chains. To be honest though most indies taste bland and the milk is never hot. Something that winds me up.

Edit- I was in an indie a few weeks ago and I swear they were presenting Tesco muffins as 'theirs'

Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Monday 1st May 14:38

[ChocolateFrog]

Digger said:

That's a bit of a grandiose statement & can't be passed by without asking what he does?

He sets up the Tentipi style Giant Hats. He's been doing it since 2008, tends to get in around 2000 hours a year, mostly in the summer.

No one has put more up, he was part of the first company that started hiring them out and everyone from that company at that time, including me are long gone from the industry.

Tentipi itself have been going since the late 80's I believe but it was Stunning Tents that were the first to bring them to the events rental market.

Stunning Tents are not the company involved above, they pay him more.

He's the only person I've ever seen walking across a site carrying to GH canvases and I've seen plenty of people failing carrying 1 between two, thing they weigh circa 80kgs each.

[snuffy]

Hugo Stiglitz said:

I was in an indie a few weeks ago and I swear they were presenting Tesco muffins as 'theirs'

A few months ago the missus bought a couple of Scotch eggs from an independent deli in our local market. I could swear blind they were Co-Op ones; they were identical.

[Digger]

ChocolateFrog said:

Digger said:

That's a bit of a grandiose statement & can't be passed by without asking what he does?

He sets up the Tentipi style Giant Hats. He's been doing it since 2008, tends to get in around 2000 hours a year, mostly in the summer.

No one has put more up, he was part of the first company that started hiring them out and everyone from that company at that time, including me are long gone from the industry.

Tentipi itself have been going since the late 80's I believe but it was Stunning Tents that were the first to bring them to the events rental market.

Stunning Tents are not the company involved above, they pay him more.

He's the only person I've ever seen walking across a site carrying to GH canvases and I've seen plenty of people failing carrying 1 between two, thing they weigh circa 80kgs each.

Fair play to him then. He should charge more

[ooid]

snuffy said:

Hugo Stiglitz said:

I was in an indie a few weeks ago and I swear they were presenting Tesco muffins as 'theirs'

A few months ago the missus bought a couple of Scotch eggs from an independent deli in our local market. I could swear blind they were Co-Op ones; they were identical.

Same point I've made earlier, really common and not good, though I'm aware things are hard running a catering business. We've got a local indie here, they are bakers I think in both training and practice. They make brilliant food on the day, you could literally see getting out of oven fresh. I hope they are making a killing, usually massive queue in there.

[Mabbs9]

Simpo Two said:

'Streamed' milk? Do they mean 'steamed'?

I thought the same. Weird typo.

[andybracing]

Jumpingjackflash said:

Exactly and this economy has been subsidised by debt.

This is the main problem, i started work in the 80's and bought my first house at the same time, borrowing was hugely expensive, think my mortgage was something like 13% fixed. Other than for the house i never had a loan of any kind, just to expensive, if i couldnt buy it outright i lived without, deove a £100 car etc.
Borrowing has been very cheap for a long time, and alot of the population have never known any different, they are used to nice shiny new things, big debts that are servicable, new audi on the drive, when in reality those were never things they could afford, now debt is costing more, they cant service the debts,
Not really thier fault as they were sold and bought into the dream, the reality to many people were living beyond realistic means, bought on by decades of cheap money, it was always going to come to an end sometime.
However asking for more pay, isnt the fix, it will only encorage inflation, not reduce it, why do you think we are in this mess now?
Yes my generation got lucky with house prices etc, me less so, as i did tend to get divorced alot lol.
I have been self employed most of my life, and have to charge for my services, what the market can stand, so no final salary pention, or x per hour pay rise, this is true for alot of people, yes when times were good, it was good, but i took the risk of that life, you cant expect the safe option, ie, working for the goverment etc, to suddenly pay more when times are hard.
Hold the press, its hard for us all, Most of us cant strike, or we dont get paid.
Expecting to always earn the same as interest rates is a very short sighted view.
At th end of the day its the people outside of those( safe industries) like train drivers etc, that have to pick up the bill, ts pure maths.
I do feel for the people caught in this, as they were sold a dream, and it worked for a while, but long term was not sustainable,, a few glitches have proved that, ie the war, i reliance on cheap energy from abroard rather than paying a bit more to produce energy at home and be indipendant, also obviously covid hasnt helped,
Cheap money is never cheap in the long term. And now we have to pay the price unfortunatly and accept that we are all going to be worse off for a while.
The only way to protect from this, is to be entirely self sufficiant in our production of what we need, may cost more short term, but long term it doesnt work, we outsource to much now, and are utterly reliand on other economies for our produce.
And it may mean we cant all have a nice car on £300 a month.
The main problem i think is short term economics from our leaders, offering an apple so they get elected then they scurry away after a few years to make fortunes, leaving the next lot to sort it out, , its never going to be sustainable.
Sorry for the rant, but if people didnt see this coming then well......

[DonkeyApple]

Nickbrapp said:

pork911 said:

Is that a wish or a whinge?

You can’t have it both ways. People getting paid less in real terms, they’re going to have less to spend, so businesses get less revenue, that means less profit, than means less dividends surely?

Unless you have fewer shops, which is the real solution to consumers having lower disposable income.

The real issue is that it's unlikely to be the chains but the independents and family shops that carry the brunt of the essential supply reduction.

What would be nice would be if the the '15 minute' dream was tied to favouring local business and stacked against multinationals. The wealth and employment would then remain in those areas for longer opposed to being efficiently stripped and needing constant replacement via the State.