Community Internet Cafe With Printing and Coffee

Students, travelers, remote workers, job seekers, newcomers to your area, and anyone without a computer or printer at home.

Hourly or per-session computer fees, per-page printing and scanning, and drink and snack sales. Day passes or monthly memberships can help bring in repeat customers.

• Customer service
• Basic computer and network troubleshooting
• Managing a budget and a small inventory

• Zoning, business license and certificate of occupancy rules for your address, check with your city or county
• A health department permit may be needed if you serve anything beyond packaged drinks, check local rules
• Some states and cities restrict or ban 'internet sweepstakes' cafes, so check your state's rules and do not add sweepstakes or gambling-style games
• General liability insurance, plus coverage for equipment theft or damage
• Accessibility requirements for customers with disabilities, check ADA guidance for your space
• Software licensing for the operating systems and programs you install on public computers
• Customer privacy: set computers to clear browsing data between sessions
• Foot traffic matters a lot, so many people already have laptops and phones and a poor location can be hard to recover from

Estimates put startup costs typically around $15,000 to $60,000, depending on your space, number of computers, printer and scanner, and drink counter. Location matters a lot, since many people already have laptops and phones.

Check zoning, business license and certificate of occupancy rules with your city or county. Check state rules on internet sweepstakes cafes and don't add gambling-style games. Also check health permits for food, ADA guidance, insurance, software licensing and customer privacy.

Estimates suggest monthly revenue typically around $3,000 to $14,000, depending on foot traffic, pricing and extras like printing and drinks. Estimates suggest at least around 30 hours a week. A poor location can be hard to recover from.