Coffee Shop Design
Useful Elements in
Coffee Shop Design
Great coffee deserves attention.
But for all the love we give coffee, as well as the praise for coffee roasters and admiration for great baristas, we often forget about how the design of our spaces impacts our coffee business.
Coffee shops and cafes aren’t just about the coffee and food they serve but the physical space they provide to our customers.
Each coffee shop space has its own personality. The design of your coffee shop impacts the mood, energy, comfort level, and overall experience of your patrons.
Whether they realize it or not – your customers will react to your overall cafe design. The design layout, the materials, the flow, and the color scheme can encourage our customers to stay or propel them to leave. In the end, taken with the other elements, your coffee shop design can impact just how successful and profitable your coffee business can be.
Therefore, taking the time to incorporate your concept and design in your coffee shop planning is a big step in opening a coffee business.
Giving Your Coffee Shop Design Attention
Where do your café design and implementation fit in your coffee shop business planning?
Most of the time, when starting to write our coffee shop business plan, we focus on our coffee shop startup costs, coffee shop budgets, lease payments, coffee equipment, and other elements that are just as important.
However, when it comes to developing your independent coffee shop, not much attention is given to a coffee shop's design and layout, as one would expect.
Every retail space you look at has the potential to offer something to your customers. Specific spaces are better than others and fit better with your overall concept.
Choosing the right space for you should be done by asking yourself some essential questions to begin with. Let’s talk about some of these questions below.
Coffee Shop Design – What do you want to accomplish?
What do I want my customers to feel when they visit my coffee shop?
Our physical surroundings can impact how we feel. A specific space can make us feel comfortable and energetic, as well as cold and unwelcome. How your customers feel about your space – and your business – will ultimately determine your level of repeat business, word-of-mouth recommendations, and profitability.
Do you want your coffee customers to stay around and linger? Do you want them to leave as soon as they get their coffee? You will answer these questions as you determine the look and feel of your coffee business.
Considerations For the Cafe Design Process
Your Physical Space
Like an artist setting up to paint his next masterpiece, you’ll need to consider the space as your specific canvas… in this case, your empty retail space.
Each physical space will generate its own set of possibilities.
However, keep in mind that there will be factors that you can’t control, such as load-bearing walls that can’t be removed or other specific regulations that must be considered before remodeling. There will be any number of different variables to think about before you move forward.
Sometimes, you might have plenty of freedom and flexibility with wide-open spaces. Other times, you might be heavily restricted by design, tenant lease terms, regulations, permit issues, and your budget. Consider your design layout possibilities before signing your coffee shop lease agreement.
Your Coffee Shop Budget Impacts Your Coffee Shop Design
There is no escaping the fact that our coffee shop design's successful implementation depends on whether or not we have the money for it.
Developing your coffee shop budget should factor into the equation when developing your design ideas and concept.
As you develop your budget, you’ll have to see how much your budget will go towards building out your café.
The coffee shop design budget should consider the cost of materials and contractors, such as certified plumbers, electricians, and carpenters, to name just a few.
Additionally, you may want to hire a café design specialist to develop scaled plans and help you with the permitting process.
Let me say this here: the more elaborate your concept and unique your design, the more money you will spend. So, you will need to be prepared for the costs. There is no better way to prepare for costs than to write a coffee shop business plan and develop your budget.
Your Coffee Shop Lease Terms
Your lease terms should help you develop your coffee shop how you see fit. However, more often than not, a coffee shop business lease will dictate your final concept.
You need to negotiate better terms from the beginning to more easily and affordably realize your design plans. This requires you to have a well-thought-out coffee shop business plan. A good plan will help you avoid failure, spend tons of extra money, and help keep your sanity as things start to come together for your coffee business.
Your business plan will help you think through your concept about your budget.
Does Your Coffee Shop Design Complement the Coffee?
Ultimately, your coffee shop is about the coffee it serves. Will the design of your café help you deliver the best coffee, the best service, and the most appealing space?
Also, there are some other factors when it comes to café design:
Your Menu – your coffee shop design needs to complement what you are serving. Will you need a slow brew bar? Will you serve ice cream or sandwiches? How will your menu choices and customer seating mesh together to offer your customers an ideal experience?
Your Service – What type of service will you provide? How will your design, tables, chairs, and space be designed to create the best customer experience?
ADA Compliance – Your coffee shop design should be ADA-compliant and offer accessibility to all of your customers and employees. In our Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit, we offer a great audio interview discussing your need to incorporate ADA-compliant design.
Branding – Will your café layout and design work with your overall branding goals?
Your Furniture – Your choice of furniture will impact the feel of your café. Will your coffee shop have a modern, clean look? Will it be more rustic-looking? What will your furniture look like?
Lighting – How will your lighting play into your design? Will you have to spend money on lamps and fixtures? Your lighting plays a role in the “look and feel” of your café.
The Need For Speed – Your design must consider the speed at which your customer wants their service. Are they on-the-go customers, convenience, or are they looking for a slow pace, relaxation, and seclusion?
Tying the Room Together
When it comes to designing your coffee shop, none of your decisions can be made in isolation. Everything is related.
Your café concept, your café menu, and your physical space must all satisfy your customers' needs.
Depending on your region, city, and neighborhood, your target market will gravitate toward certain offerings. Your café design needs to consider this.
Your Coffee Shop Business Plan and Design
Start your café design by taking your first step and writing a comprehensive coffee shop business plan first. In our Complete Coffee Shop Startup Kit, we offer an editable coffee shop business plan template to help you get started.
In addition to our coffee shop business plan template, you will have access to extensive audio interviews, which discuss essential coffee shop business topics like coffee shop equipment, ADA compliance with coffee shops, coffee shop budgeting, and more.
Get The Complete Coffee Shop Startup Kit &
Start Your Coffee Shop Planning
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Coffee Shop Startups is the premier coffee shop business resource for aspiring entrepreneurs. We provide the most comprehensive way to research and plan your coffee shop business.
Our Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit is packed with everything you need to know before you open your coffee shop business. With hours and hours of one-on-one interviews, you'll hear from real-world coffee shop business owners and experts.
When you purchase The Complete Coffee Shop Startups Kit, you receive an invaluable collection of exclusive resources designed to help your coffee shop business grow.
These tools will get your coffee business on the right track and give you the motivation to move forward with confidence.
There’s never been a better time to start a coffee shop business. And there’s never been a better resource to help you get started the right way.
Now’s the time to take action – but only you can do that.
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* The information on this page is for educational purposes only. We do not offer legal advice.
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