Grim reality of opening a cafe at 18 and having no customers

An Australian teenager who opened a cafe at just 18 has been delivered a harsh dose of reality about running a small business.

An Australian teenager who took on a major business project straight after school has drawn back the curtain on the glum reality of staying afloat when customers are hard to come by.

Not one customer passed through the doors of 18-year-old Tom Oswald’s cafe, Homeboy, when he opened it in South Australia’s Hahndorf in July.

The teen documented the sad day he “opened a cafe and nobody came” in a TikTok video, where he told viewers he was “still waiting for a customer”.

Mr Oswald has shared regular videos of the cafe’s early phases, which has seemingly largely involved making coffees for himself and family members while they waited for genuine customers.

He told news.com.au he tried to keep a positive attitude when the foot traffic was low.

“The cafe can get a little bit quiet at times but it is something I fully expect and do not get down about it,” he said.

“Quiet days give me time to reflect and research and busy days teach me the importance of efficiency.”

Clips of Mr Oswald appearing downtrodden inside the cafe have resonated with his online audience, with social media users from across the globe attempting to boost morale.

In one video, he said he needed “some videos of customers” because having none “looks sad”.

No customers came when Tom Oswald first opened. Picture: TikTok/homeboy.co

He shared sad scenes of empty seats. Picture: TikTok/homeboy.co

Hundreds of viewers responded with suggestions on how he could get customers through the door, like adding some greenery, offering cheap coffee for students, and filling his display trays with more food.

By day seven, he said the videos he shared on TikTok were “keeping the dream alive” because they had translated into some in-person customers.

He showed three people sipping on coffee and tucking into some pastries.

The teenager revealed in one video he had learned ample industry knowledge as an employee for an established cafe for two years, which he combined with information he sought from a variety of mentors prior to opening Homeboy.

It seemed he was only really making coffees for himself and family members. Picture: TikTok/homeboy.co

He took the leap to open the cafe when “an ex-neighbour had a paint shop with room for a coffee shop but had no one that could run it”.

“Wasn’t sure if I could run a coffee shop by myself but wanted to give myself the challenge,” he said of taking up the opportunity.

He also “tried to talk to anyone in the industry that had any advice they could share” and “found some really good people to learn from thanks to dad”.

Speaking with news.com.au, he praised his parents for supporting his ambitious goals.

“My parents have been amazingly supportive which I have been very appreciative of. Mum is happy cooking up all the biscuits and brownies and dad is doing the pastry deliveries up to Hahndorf – I make sure to keep them busy.”

Mr Oswald also said he “went to as many cafes as I could to learn what they do right” prior to opening.

From there, he decided on what businesses would supply his products, continued practising his coffee making, and eventually opened up.

In late August, he posted a video celebrating the cafe’s first reservation, showing himself handwriting a “reserved” card and preparing table water.

Mr Oswald had not let the business’ slow start get him down. Picture: Supplied

He said he decided to pursue the coffee shop - located in a venue called Theile’s Shop, that allows young people to operate pop-ups, similar to an artist in residency program - in June when a family friend floated the idea by him.

“The venue is called Thiele’s Shop and operates under a very interesting business model which I had never heard of. It allows small businesses to flow in and out of a place, giving them a chance to test their business in a real store,” he said.

The concept had allowed Mr Oswald to enter the business world with much lower set up costs, given the space was already fitted out with everything he needed.

“I am 18 years old, straight out of high school, currently in my gap year and this project is literally the only thing I’m ever working on,” he said.

“I’m either at the shop working or working from the outside, finding ways I can improve the business in any way I can.”

He said university didn’t appeal to him and he had enjoyed learning how to be a good businessman straight out of school.

“My plans are to keep working hard to create something special and hopefully one day Homeboy will be a success,” he said.

“I would also like to get a chance to give back to the community too, by fundraisers and charity events. In the meantime, its just one coffee at a time.”

“Our beautiful cafe is hosting a pop up til next April,” a post on Thiele’s shop Instagram read. “A big congratulations to Tom who, in his first weeks with us, has been supported in establishing his own brand.

“We believe in holding a space for young and emerging creatives to establish themselves in a supportive environment without exposing themselves to commercial risk.

“Our pop-ups work in the same way as our artists’ residencies in that they are funded, with all equipment provided and fees subsidised.”