Which pack do I need to build cafe's?

Thanks!

Hi,

My question is more towards owning. Options to own a restaurant, vet clinic and I forgot the 3rd but there is no cafe listed. why? Is there a way to own a cafe. I built a cafe and would like my sim who is a master chef to own it. Advise.....guide... Help! 

@nadifb You're correct. Those are the three types of businesses you can own: if you have "Cats & Dogs" (vet clinic), "Dine Out" (restaurant) & "Get to Work" (retail). No, you cannot own other types of lots (except residential), including a Cafe.

I've also wanted to open a cafe, bar/lounge, and grocery store. When I purchased "Dine Out" the thing I was most excited about was using my Master Chef/Celebrity Chef in her own restaurant. I soon found out that this is not an option, unfortunately. You have to hire someone from the pool of available employees for the chef(s) of your restaurant. Plus you have to slowly increase your restaurant menu as the skills of your employees increase. There are ways you can work the system a bit in the hiring process, but it kind of is what it is for the most part. You all grow together.

But... There are some ways to get creative if you have these packs and similar goals to what I mentioned.

Some of the things I enjoyed doing were:

I merged some of my households. The then lived in a nicer home with their pooled income and skills, and this opened up more possibilities for me, and gave them communal support.

Restaurants:

• I made and ran restaurants. In these I added a bar, and sometimes a piano, violin, mic, &/or karaoke machine. 
• My sims that had singing or musical skill would mingle with guests and occasionally perform. Customers will also perform at the karaoke machines and have a ball.
• My sims with mixology skills would mix drinks at the bar. We've all seen how they love to do this. Sometimes waiters/waitresses spontaneously do that also. As when you have a bar at home, the drinks get left on the bar. Customers will love the free drinks and help themselves sometimes, or you can drag them to 'sell' in build mode for extra income. If you click the bar and hire a bartender they will only come for a shift, you will pay them to come, and I don't believe you will make any money from drinks they make. But all of these things can be an atmosphere and 'story' enhancement that's fun, plus customers like it.

Retail Stores:

I love gardening, flower arranging, and creating master chefs in my game. I've run several communal households with mad skills in these areas. With these households I've created bakeries, flower shops, and retail stores in various combinations of offerings. Examples of how I run them:

• I've added chef's kitchens in their homes with cupcake machines.
• I also made retail shops with Lice Cold Freezers (customers purchase straight from these without having to be 'rung up'), computers, a fireplace, seating tables, etc., and in some cases shelving or display cases, depending on the theme of the business. I also add a Chef's kitchen there at the business with a cupcake machine.
• Then on days that I open the shop, I send a couple of the sims (whoever has that day off) to run the store. They take any produce harvested from the garden and prepared dishes with them in their inventory to the retail store, and I drag the items into the Lice Cold freezers. If I have items they're also selling like flower arrangements I put those out on the displays. 
• They run the store and customers hang out and enjoy the atmosphere, purchase right from the freezers, and all my sims have to do is chat, clean, and ring up anyone purchasing flower arrangements.
• Sometimes I add an espresso bar to these stores. It works in the same manner described for the bars (above).

Bottom line is there are limits to what type of business you can open, but you can get very creative and themed with the options and find ways to use your sims' skills & interests - and more importantly your interests - in a retail business venture that appeals to you.

@nadifb You're very welcome! Have fun and let us know if you have any more issues with it. 😊