Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in food and beverage but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Samer Sabbagh, founder of Café Code Noir, located in Montreal, QC, Canada.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
Café Code Noir is a cozy & warm place offering a wide range of delicious pastries, sandwiches, bagels, scones, smoothies, fresh juices &, of course, hot & cold coffees. The cafe is located on boulevard Saint Laurent between Duluth & Rachel Street. It can seat around 40 people inside, in addition to 12 seats on the terrace in the summer. Our customers are mostly students in the winter & tourists in the summer.
Tell us about yourself
I started Café Code Noir in September 2017 after arriving in Canada in April 2017. I have worked as an F&B Manager for Emirates Airlines for 19 years (based in Dubai), but my dream was to have my own business.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Having a very successful business is my greatest accomplishment since I feel I'm not limited by a fixed salary. The sky is the limit, and despite very tough two years of a pandemic, I was still able to grow my business. Now I am looking for more locations to expand the Café Code Noir brand.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
The hardest thing as a business owner is maintaining consistency, which I believe is extremely important. Consistency in product quality and service.
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
As I mentioned earlier, consistency is extremely important, followed by maintaining your costs as low as possible and having a very friendly relationship with all clients.
Where can people find you and your business?
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/artisanalcoffee
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cafecodenoir_/
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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