Yes, this is really only viable in a major city. I wouldn’t consider doing this without at least 200k population in a major metro area. The area I’m in is 600k people with a heavy Laptop & Lattes ESRI tapestry segment. Basically it’s filled with software engineers.
jackdawed has shared a gem of actionable advice here for anyone reading the thread and thinking "i will also quit my terrible SWE job and pursue my dream of being a bookstore cafe owner/operator"
"profitable bookstore cafe" is not the input, it is an output of a process of understanding the market and considering different business ideas.
don't anchor on a single kind of business idea, e.g. blindly executing a dream idea of "bookstore cafe owner/operator" without understanding the market and if there's enough demand to support a new bookstore cafe business in the area.
do market research and understand the market segments in areas you are considering opening a business in. understand the market segments and what they each demand and what the existing competition is. consider a bunch of different business ideas and focus on one that serves a particular market segment and meets some underserved demand that isn't being met by existing competitors.
