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Practical insights for café & coffee shop owners — costing, menus, staffing, and building a better business, Brik by Brik.

A café counter with a calculator, payslips, and a cup of coffee - representing the real cost of wage increases for hospitality operators

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The April 2026 NMW Rise Isn't 50p - Here's What It Actually Costs You

The National Minimum Wage rises to £12.71/hr in April 2026. But employer NI, pension, and holiday mean the real cost per employee is hundreds more than you think.

15 March 20267 min read

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Overhead flat-lay of a café counter with croissants, a handwritten recipe costing sheet, calculator, eggs, flour, and butter

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How to Calculate Food Cost Percentage (And Why Most Cafés Get It Wrong)

Learn how to calculate food cost percentage properly - with real examples from a café owner of 17 years. Free recipe costing calculator included.

15 March 20265 min read

A laptop, flat white coffee, cinnamon bun, and notebook with scribbled ideas on a café table by a sunlit window

BriklyFounder

Welcome to the Brikly Blog

Why we are building Brikly, what you will find here, and how this blog will help café & coffee shop owners run better businesses - one Brik at a time.

22 February 20262 min read

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The April 2026 NMW Rise Isn't 50p - Here's What It Actually Costs You

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How to Calculate Food Cost Percentage (And Why Most Cafés Get It Wrong)

Welcome to the Brikly Blog

Find your 1%