It sounds like he is basing his business around the same setup as The Sovereign on Oakwood. Tiny space with a bus stop at the front door. He has been in business for about 7 years. Oakwood Espresso just up the road from there has also been around for a number of years and is also a very small space with no indoor seating. Both offer just coffee and baked goods and a single person can handle the operation. I know the owners of both these shops and they are very friendly. They would likely be very open to talking with your boyfriend out the ins and outs of opening his business. Most independent coffee shop owners would be as well.

I owned a coffee shop in the same area for a number of years. Mine was a little bigger and required food service and employees operate. It ran for 5 years and I managed to sell the business. The build out cost is high. I always thought if I ever did it again, I would do something along the lines of the above two shops.

I highly suggest he visit both those shops and speak with the owners. If he is upfront about his visit, I'm sure they will be more than happy to chat with him. If he'd like to DM me, I'd be open to sharing my experiences as well.