Customers keep asking when we'll open a second location because the current shop gets crowded at peak times. It's flattering, but a second site would mean another lease, staff team and supply chain instead of simply more sales. I'm considering whether longer hours, appointments or a better layout could raise capacity first. What numbers would you insist on seeing before treating ‘we're busy’ as evidence that expansion is wise?
Deciding whether a second location would solve capacity problems or multiply them
- small-business
- location
- solve
- capacity
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5 replies
I’d want to see peak-hour throughput before anything else. If the shop is crowded but the line still moves and people buy, that’s very diffe...
I’d want to see peak-hour throughput before anything else. If the shop is crowded but the line still moves and people buy, that’s very different from being crowded and losing sales.
This. Busy is not the same as constrained. If staff are still serving well and nobody is walking away, the answer might be layout or hours instead of a whole second location.
I’d look at repeat customers too. If they come back despite the crowd, the current site is probably doing enough. If they start avoiding pea...
If you can, test a few changes first. Longer hours, appointments, or a better queue setup will tell you whether demand is there without signing a lease first.