Archived Cafe/Food Avenue Failure

[NKG]

What makes Target decide to turn Cafe into Starbucks?

 

[REDcardJJ]

What makes Target decide to turn Cafe into Starbucks?

$$$

Starbucks is more profitable. Also Food Ave kinda makes us look like KMart a lil bit

 

[oath2order]

tbf pharmacies aren’t really cash cows. the only reason we had them in the first place is to drive guest traffic. selling off the pharmacies was about the only smart move Gregg made; Target gets the increased guest traffic while CVS assumes all the risk for the pharmacy business, and we are guaranteed to make a profit from CVS in rent and other fees paid.

It's not even in regards to how much pharmacies make, it's the fact that Target got rid of pharmacy long before they decided to get rid of fucking Food Ave. It's time to cut the losses and delete Food Ave

 

[Kartman]

the bloated corpse of Food Ave

What is "bloated corpse" about FA? It has no real expenses - it just doesn't generate much of a profit.

 

[Tessa120]

What is "bloated corpse" about FA? It has no real expenses - it just doesn't generate much of a profit.

A lot of people say that it actually operates in the red. Unless operating in the red is intended for tax deduction purposes, keeping it running and keeping it occupying space that could be profitable is kinda dragging around a dead weight.

Then again, tax deduction. It's completely legal to do so for the tax break and I've seen it work well.

 

[Kartman]

If it's in the red it isn't being run right.

 

[Tessa120]

If it's in the red it isn't being run right.

I did bookkeeping for one business, and another business it was openly stated, they deliberately caused business losses in one area in order to reduce their taxes. Both businesses were profitable, and they focused an area of loss that wouldn't hurt their profitability overall.

 

[Times Up]

What is "bloated corpse" about FA? It has no real expenses - it just doesn't generate much of a profit.

All of the food that is prepared and then either given away as samples or just tossed.

 

[can't touch this]

tbf pharmacies aren’t really cash cows.

u wot m8, prescription drugs are marked up like 200 million %. Those margins are among the highest in retail

I know someone who has deadly allergies to a lot of common substances and carries an EpiPen. It's a hunk of plastic with epinephrine in it, costs like 10 bucks to make and they flip em for almost a grand apiece.

 

[Tessa120]

Yes, the sale price vs. cost to make is insane, but it's not the pharmacies raking in the dough. It's the pharmaceutical manufacturers. The pharmacies have to negotiate a buy price from the manufacturers and then get paid for the medicines at a price that insurance companies think it should be.

 

[Kartman]

All of the food that is prepared and then either given away as samples or just tossed.

I never did that in the 3 years I was there.

 

[oath2order]

I never did that in the 3 years I was there.

You *never* tossed any prepared food?

 

[Kartman]

Sure, but not much. I kept the proper amount for the demand. My QMOS was low.

 

[redeye58]

Not hard to do if you know the flow of your traffic.
Today I was selling pizzas as they came out of the oven.

 

[Kartman]

I wish I coulda been there with you.

 

[redeye58]

Def could've used another foodie there today
A+ & business was booming.

 

[starmaster1000]

I went to one Target today and their Cafe was booming. They had three kinds of pretzels. They had a beautiful girl working it.
But the restrooms at this one were disgusting and so I didn't fall in love with the store much.

 

[Times Up]

There are days when all our FA TM does is make pizzas and put out samples from 6 pm until close, non-stop. Nice if it's your break time! However, alot of them get tossed.

Aren't the Pizza Huts required to prepare a certain number of pizzas each day?

 

[Kartman]

I never once put out samples. Occasionally someone would want to sample the popcorn and I'd give them a courtesy cup full, but that's it.

 

[oath2order]

Well if Target truly wants to appear more high-end, then they should drop Food Ave because it's tacky.

 

[Kartman]

That's your opinion - thanks for sharing.

 

[oath2order]

That's your opinion - thanks for sharing.

It's fact.

 

[starmaster1000]

McFuck seems to fare well at Shitmart. Maybe Pizza Hut is just not cutting it? We sold off our pharmacies, maybe it's time to sell off our Cafes too.

 

[restroomFollowUp]

My store got rid of the Cafe when we remodeled, they just moved the Starbucks into its old spot and basically made the Starbucks a full sized location. The TM's at my store are a tad upset because we used to have both and it was a good balance (plus pizza and popcorn during breaks were awesome). We all know FA was a money pit but it just seems like a waste of space to make a Target Starbucks that big. On a side note our Targets size was reduced during the Remodel, we no longer take up the whole building and the store is like a structure within a structure. Me and some of the other Cart attendants got to go into the space between the store and the building and it's just a vast black waste of space. I'm curious have any other stores done this.

 

[Tessa120]

Well if Target truly wants to appear more high-end, then they should drop Food Ave because it's tacky.

The layout does look fast food, but changing the signs and the countertop would make a world of difference in looking nice. Keeping the pizzas and the popcorn can be done (since they are the big draw) and still look nice if the rest of the menu were changed for higher quality items and presented for sale in a classier way. Think of the difference between Panera and Subway, even though they serve very similar food.