The failure of a small cafe is not a question of competence. It is a sad given. The logistics of a food establishment that seats between 20 and 25 people (which roughly corresponds to the definition of "cozy") are such that the place will stay afloat—barely—as long as its owners spend all of their time on the job
via slate.com
I have been meaning to post a link to this excellent article from Slate magazine discussing the economics of running a small cafe.
Little do we know that those coffee shops we so love to while away the time in are potential financial blackholes for the people who set them up.
