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population, but such a house should at least be rendered self-supporting after the first outlay; while the large town houses should be so conducted as to return a fair percentage of profit.
The Coffee Publichouse, it should be remembered, is not in the position of a dealer in rare and curious objects, who may naturally fix his profits high in proportion to the in-frequency of sales. On the contrary, it deals in articles of prime necessity, for which every passer-by is a possible customer. With an unlimited market the question is not what percentage of profit can be made on each article, but how much money can be profitably turned over. If the object be to do as much good as possible, that object will be attained by doing a large business at small profits rather than a small business at higher prices; and that is also precisely the way by which, within certain limits, the best financial results may be attained. In the refreshment business, more than in any other, a marked improvement in the quality of articles supplied is speedily recognised, and is followed as a rule by a large increase of sales; and this is especially the case in houses frequented by working people. The converse is equally true, and here is the secret of the failure, more or less complete, of some houses which appear at first sight adapted to do a successful trade.
The quality of the coffee, tea, and cocoa is a matter of great importance. It is possible that many of the customers who enter the Coffee Publichouse for the first time may never have tasted a cup of really good coffee in their lives; yet nothing short of thoroughly good coffee or tea will furnish a satisfactory substitute for beer and gin. Some coffee-houses are selling coffee, tea, and cocoa of such poor quality as to contain scarcely any stimulating or nourishing properties. The articles used may be low priced, purchased at a disadvantage from retail dealers, and, in the case of coffee, deteriorated by admixture with other substances; the mode of making may be defective and the proportions used insufficient.
