Café | Coffee Shop Layouts
Coffee shops, cafes, coffee bars, and espresso bars, are retail business establishments that specialize in serving coffee and espresso drinks, often providing a dining area with free wifi and a variety of seating options. The layout of a coffee shop will most often be determined by the available square footage of the shop space, which can range in size from kiosks of less than 400 sq. feet to an indoor space upwards of 1000 sq. feet that could comfortably support more than 50 guests at a time. Fixtures such as coffeemakers, espresso machines, grinders, refrigerators, and ice machines, along with storage accommodations and ample counter space are all vital to the functionality of a coffee shop.
A clear path from the entrance to the service counter and back is the most important feature to maintain when designing a coffee shop. The layout of furniture should be centered around the flow of foot traffic of those stopping in to stay and work or quickly trying to leave upon retrieving their order. Apart from this, there should be a style or theme established and conveyed in color, lighting, font, and signage. Variation of seating such as bar seating against a window, long bench seating for groups, and smaller tables for couples is ideal.
A focus of millennials is productivity and making decisions that make the most of their work day. Many millennials want a unique atmosphere that makes the experience worthwhile while also encouraging them to want to stay and get their work done. Apps can also enhance customer experience for millennials to speed up the process of receiving their order in case of a busy day.
The terms ‘coffee shop’ and ‘cafe’ are often used interchangeably. However, as the name suggests, a coffee shop focuses primarily on selling an array of different types of coffee while a cafe will pay more attention on a food menu as well as more beverages than just coffee.
