Wholesaling to a Cafe

[claypio]

Hi! I know there have been many threads about wholesaling. I am particularly interested in wholesaling mugs to a cafe for them to use as servingware. Is there any difference in what I should charge (60% vs. 50%) since they won't be turning around and reselling for a profit? Thanks!

[Mark C.]

I personally would charge 1/3 off my normal selling price to the public for such a deal.. Meaning if that mug sold from me at an art show for 30$ I would sell it to cafe for 20$ or 1/3 off.

This is not a true wholesale deal as they are the end user.

[claypio]

Thank you for your answer! I would charge them more if they were just displaying the mugs and reselling, but I feel like the pricing should be different if they're buying a much larger quantity and using as servingware.

[Mark C.]

Heres the deal-restaurants buy cheap pottery from industry. I do not want to ever compete with that. If the cafe wants to pay what homemade pots are worth than I sell them the wares. Usually they do not want to.About 99% of the time the whole deal is a waste of time. Unless you are slip casting the wares then its a different deal but you did not give me those details.?

You have to decide if your are selling cheaper by quantity like industry or not (serving ware is a non issue unless you are reputation building which you did not say?

I make hand thrown wares and they cost more-the final use or sale is somewhat irrelevent-I still have to make them by hand. If a customer wants 100 or just 2  dinner plates  I sell them at same price. 

You may be hungey for sales or making a name for yourself or just starting out but for me none of those points are true .My plates cost x and thats the deal.

Again for wholesale I take about 1/3 off-I do not whole sale dinnerware only some chosen forms.

[LeeU]

Claypio--would love to hear more about your journey with this. Do you have a cafe lined up?  Do they know your work? What quantity? I don't have experience or expertise with selling ceramics to stores, but as an observer and student of small business dynamics, I bet that Mark is right about it usually ending up to be a waste of time.  It also happens that once someone decides they want this or that as a multiple product (like mugs) they keep coming back to tweak their own ideas, disrupting the process,  and a subtle slightly sour vibe begins to waft around the interactions. Hope it works out--pics in the gallery please? 

[Betty W.]

Claypio,

I'm glad you asked this. I was offered a similar opportunity by a small local cafe and have no idea how to approach this. I see this as a fabulous opportunity for me in the area I live in. This would greatly increase my exposure in an art saturated community as well as my reputation in crafting quality wares. I found this article from 2012 on something similar, though larger scale,

https://craftcouncil.org/post/eat-pay-love-potters-business-model

Hopefully this at least has some perspective for you. I can't wait to see what others have to say about it. 

Also, somewhat on what Mark C. said, the cafe I'm working with is specifically focused on using and showcasing local artists. He has very limited seating with the sole intent on keeping his place small and uncrowded. In this way, he has created a place where using handcrafted dishes is more important than cheap mass produced ware and low costs. Rather than needing 50 or 100 of a type of dish at one time, his limited amount of dishes out at once means he may only need 10-20 at any given time. He's working to get away from using mass-produced goods and staying small. A place that is likely to or has the goal of growing might be more prone to dropping expensive handmade ware for cheaper-to-replace ware. 

[Gabby]

There is a town we visit a few times a year that has within it a charming restaurant that for many years has used only the glassware by the studio next door.  I think it is a wonderful touch and that people who eat there probably are more likely to stop next door to buy a glass or two to remember their stay.

The glasses retail at maybe $25.

The restaurant probably seats fifty people at a time . The glasses are all the same style but in an array of colors. That is, they are clear with accents in blue, red, yellow, purple, and some mixtures.

They don't have any sort of logo.