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however my pal does want to make some money out of this......
Boring, but the key advice i've been given consistently when going down this road is to understand the numbers. Getting a grip on the business aspects may help your friend determine what is actually feasible/realistic. Maybe worth looking into a business course or as someone mentioned speaking to a business consultant. Something that's always stuck with me is that good business people generally love business, not the business.
In terms of daily revenue/passing trade another tip i've been given is that especially in hard times people love cheap sub £5 rewards to themselves. By my understanding this is part of the reason coffee has done so well. I'm sure there's other options but you shouldn't ignore the environmental impact of such stuff.
Regarding boutiquey places, the ones i know here (lifestyle, not bike) are started by people with major capital (ex bankers etc) and essentially exist on selling back to there network of rich contacts. Blue Lug have mega outreach and AFAIK do well but there's plenty of boutique bike shops in Tokyo that could only exist with financial support.
All of the comments previously are welcome and i do share many of the ideas however my pal does want to make some money out of this......
To all that have mentioned coffee, there is a bakery chain next door but one who do fine coffee