So you’ve mastered the art of brewing coffee and you’re confident that your matcha tea is the next big thing. But there’s only one problem; you have no clue on how design your own cafe. Your cafe’s layout plays an important role in attracting customers and you want to get it right the first time around. This can feel quite confusing if it’s your first time opening up shop, but almost all cafe owners have been there before.
Thankfully, we’re here to eliminate the guesswork for you. We’ve gathered the 5 best tips that you can follow to help you choose the ideal cafe design. Let’s get to work and turn your cafe into a thriving community hub!
Maximise the space you have
Whether you have ample room for a dozen tables or you have a small space that can only fit half of that, it’s crucial to maximise the space available to you. The last thing you want is to make your customers feel cramped once they’re inside your cafe. Aim to provide adequate space between each table so that your customers can have a sense of privacy while enjoying their coffee.
You can add a few tables outdoors provided that there’s enough space. This gives the customers an option between enjoying the fresh air outdoors and relaxing inside your cafe’s atmosphere. Actually, some people prefer going to smaller cafes because they believe it equates to smaller queues and better service.
It’s all about using the space efficiently. Don’t try to fit in too many tables and offer outdoor seats if the space is limited inside your cafe.
Create a concept that’s unique to your cafe
When designing your cafe, there has to be some sort of uniqueness that’s exclusive to your place. Will your cafe look old-fashioned and nostalgic? Or will it be modern and sophisticated? The concept of your coffee shop will most likely depend on your target audience. After all, a clientele of fast-paced professionals will have different tastes than say a group of senior citizens.
Once you’ve established that part, you can start adding elements that further enhance the appeal of your cafe. Make use of neon signs to achieve that old-school vibe or implement contemporary furniture and fixtures to represent an up-to-date atmosphere. It’s important to establish this from the get-go so that your design remains coherent with all other aspects of your business.
Utilise a bold storefront design
Attracting new customers might prove difficult if you’re just starting out with your cafe. This means you have to be creative with your design choices to stir up interest from your target audience. You can achieve this by creating a bold storefront design that immediately highlights what your brand is all about. They say first impressions last and this certainly holds true for your cafe’s storefront design.
Adding a few design elements such as chalkboards and signages will instantly boost your cafe’s appeal. Of course, this will depend on the concept you’re going with. For example, if you want to convey a modern and sophisticated vibe, adding chic shutters to your storefront would be a good idea. Conversely, if you’re rocking a throwback concept to your cafe, using reclaimed wood will definitely add to its rustic appeal.
Select the right colour scheme
Getting customers to walk in your cafe is only half the challenge. The rest is about making sure they feel comfortable after taking a seat. If you’re not aware, colours and emotions are closely linked and this can affect how your customers feel about your business. For example, bright colours like yellow can be somewhat of an eyesore while neutral, earth-tones appear more soothing to the eye.
Choose colours that best match the overall atmosphere of your cafe and try to keep it in line with your brand’s palette. You can add other visual enhancements on a given space like a fancy artwork or a deer head depending on your cafe’s concept to keep things interesting.
Colours such as beige, olive green, umber, and dark orange are the perfect examples if you want to create a warm, welcoming environment for your cafe. These colours stimulate feelings of relaxation, which is something that you want your cafe to be associated with.
Pay attention to your cafe’s lighting
Now that you have your cafe’s colour scheme sorted out, it’s time to pay attention to the lighting. A good lighting layout complements your cafe’s colours and is what sets the mood for your customers. Warm lighting is great for a laid-back type of vibe while cool lighting works great if food presentation is something you want to highlight.
Nothing compares to natural lighting as this is what accentuates the overall design of your cafe. Allow as much natural light in as possible before adding ambient lighting to ensure your cafe’s interior is visible through all four corners. From there you can choose to add accent and/or decorative lighting to add to the ambiance and further enhance the aesthetics of your cafe.
Putting all the pieces together
As you may have noticed, there are a lot of things that go into designing a cafe. It’s all about proper planning and thorough execution. Before you get started, make sure you have everything figured out from creating the concept of your cafe to choosing the right colour scheme. This will help you avoid costly mistakes and ensure that your cafe design is consistent all across the board. If you need recommendations speak to us at 360 Shopfitters in Melbourne for advice on how to best design your cafe.
