We are looking for a new cafe to call The Factory their home

We want to say thank you to Balcone for being part of The Factory's story since last year. Sadly, we have to say goodbye now 🙁 

Now the oppurtunity to take over our beautiful space is up for grabs again. Will you be the ones to serve exquisite coffee and brunch to our amazing, creative Dalston Neighbourhood?

↓↓ Scroll below the form for details ↓↓

Book a viewing here

The Space

It's gorgeous - with a sleek, modern look that takes nothing away from its classic warehouse conversion style. Ceiling height Crittall-style windows at the front and to the side, bathe the cafe in natural light.
- Up to 14 foot (4.2m) ceiling height
- Polished stone and concrete floor
- Plywood walls (useful for shelves and hanging)

The cafe area - including a portion of the hallway for seating - is ~ 65 meters squared (700 sq foot).
You can fit 30 seats or more indoors and there's even extra space outdoors — perfect for those sunny summer days as it's south-facing too. The forecourt area in front of the cafe is over 12 meters wide. Scroll down to the images to see some suggested seating layouts. 

Finally, there's an optional storage/staff room for that little bit of extra space. See the Rent and Optional Extras section below.

Who We're Looking For

Our ideal candidate would be a business with an established base already. This doesn't exclude you if you are a creating a new business, but we will be weighing up our options in this way.
A preferred menu will have pastries, sandwiches, toasties and light brunch meals. Smoothies and juices are also great. Great-tasting coffee goes without saying!
We have an A3 license, which allows the serving of hot food. We do however, need to be mindful of other residents in the space (some of which are selling unique designer garments), so menu items that give off strong odours or lots of steam will need to be reconsidered. Open air meat cooking and oil frying won't be an option in most cases - we will discuss this when viewing.  
Finally, due to landlord rules we cannot allow serving or selling of alcohol on the premises. This applies even if you obtain a TENS.

What's already there?

You will be taking over a space that was a cafe previously — so locals and residents alike are eagerly waiting for their coffee fix again!
There's venue-wide heating and cooling air-conditioning. 1000mb WiFi is available in The Factory for all your future patrons.
There are two sets of public bathrooms, including wheelchair accessible and baby changing tables.

Fitting it out

We have the structure of a point of sale/worktop area built. You will be able to bring your style and finishing touches, or change it around as you wish (we'd like to see a plan beforehand for approval).
There is no lighting specifically for the cafe at the moment, so this will need fitting.
The outdoor area is offered with 3 six-seater benches. You are free to bring planters and your own furniture here.
The electrics are already in place - plenty of undercounter sockets, electric oven spur, and a 32a coffee machine supply. Extra sockets for customers can also be put in easily.
Drainage is also ready, on the back wall.
Finally, there is ramp access for the cafe's own entrance.

The Factory

We're a hub of independent brands and businesses. We love the creativity of them, and we feature everything from a Barre studio, hairdressers and a florist, to designer and vintage fashion, homewares and jewellery.
We're located just off the bustling Kingsland High Street. It's famous for its eclectic day and night life, as well for its cosmopolitan people.
The closest public transport links are Dalston Kingsland and Dalston Junction Station.

Rent & Optional Extras

£25,200 p.a. (including VAT at 20%)
A rent-free period will be negotiated by individual contract, and will be based on the length of term, trading start date and other factors
£3,000 p.a. (including VAT at 20%) optional storage / staff room near the back of the venue 
£1,440.00 p.a for one car park space (£100 per month + VAT)

Business Rates

The Rateable value of the cafe is currently £14,500 - (Gov.uk listed value)
You will be responsible for applying for any applicable small business rate relief.

↓↓ Terms below ↓↓

Terms

The length of the license is up to 5 years, with break clauses and rent reviews. Shorter term/pop-ups at 1 or 2 years may also be accepted.

Mandatory/minimum opening hours are from 8am to 6pm, Monday to Saturday and Sunday 9am to 4pm. Of course, you are free to extend these hours as much as you need, within the limits of planning permission - currently 7am to 10pm, 7 days a week.

The cafe space will be let on a commercial license (instead of a lease). This is mainly because it is in an open and shared access space. It will be your responsibility to secure your belongings and equipment that are left on site out of hours.

As part of this shared use, we may from time to time ask to use the open floor space (not the work/kitchen space) after opening hours. Some examples include for live art/music performance, photography/filming or other events that we're hosting. We will be responsible for clearing and restoring any furniture when this is needed, and security of the kitchen/point of sale area.

We have dedicated waste and recycling collection at The Factory. We do not offer food waste collection, so this will need to be arranged by you if required. You will also need to apply for extra waste and recycling if we regularly go over our capacity as caused by the cafe's activities. 

You will be responsible for applying for and obtaining any trading licenses required by the local authority. One example is for trading outdoors by a public pavement. Please contact Hackney Council for more info on required licenses.

Food safety and hygiene standards must be exceptional. You will need to obtain a good rating on the FSA Rating Scheme. If you don't and it is not rectified, this will be a cause to end our license agreement. Pest control will also need to be carried out regularly - we have contacts if you need help with this. 

The Factory does not have a dedicated reception. There may be instances where a parcel or set of keys may need to be held by you. This should only be a rare occurrence, as usually the shops or the landlord will be in to handle these things, but we will be grateful for the help when we can't.

I'd like to book a viewing!