Most congregation members of churches with cafes-or even full-service restaurants-have enjoyed the convenience of not having to leave the property to enjoy a cup of coffee or meal. Cafes also provide an inviting environment conducive to fellowship and additional ministry opportunities, and they can bring added ambience and excitement to a church campus.

But before your church decides to build a cafe, you need to carefully evaluate all of the pros and cons.

Common mistakes to avoid when considering a cafe addition to your church are:

- having unrealistic financial expectations for the cafe's performance
not determining the type of menu early enough in the planning process

- not having a realistic knowledge of the cost of construction
not understanding the pricing structure required to produce acceptable food-cost expense

- failing to contact the health department early enough in the process
underestimating the amount of expertise required to run a successful food operation

- failing to involve professional food-service experts in the planning process

- not allocating enough space for kitchen and/or food preparation areas

- not allocating enough space for traffic flow during peak business periods.

The decision to build a cafe in your church is not one that should be entered into lightly. But with planning and prayer, many churches can find a format that works well, complements their bookstore ministries and blesses their congregations.

-George Thomsen is manager of the Harvest Bookstore at Harvest Christian Fellowship in Riverside, Calif.

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