How do I check a café’s wholesale coffee and pastry orders before buying?

Wholesale orders often sit beside the counter trade as a second business, with different customers, margins and workloads. Ask the seller to separate the figures: what comes from walk-in sales and what comes from outside accounts. Your accountant can then test the wholesale side against invoices and deposits, rather than accepting a round number.

For each wholesale customer, ask how the relationship began, whether there is a written agreement, and how easily they could switch. Ask for the history of order sizes, late payments and complaints. A single large customer who orders by text message is a different risk from several steady ones with written terms. Then look at the work itself. Who makes the product, at what hours, with what equipment, and who drives the deliveries? A wholesale line that depends on one baker or the owner’s early mornings may not carry over to you. Ask whether customers expect the owner personally. Your lawyer can advise on whether the agreement should require introductions, a transition period or a guarantee about key accounts.

Key takeaways

• Split wholesale figures from counter sales before you evaluate either.
• Test each wholesale customer against invoices and deposits.
• Ask what is in writing and how easily customers could switch.
• Find out who bakes, roasts and delivers, and whether they stay.