As soon as a client enters a restaurant, their first impression of the establishment is already taking shape in their mind. It may take them a few seconds to evaluate whether or not the location they have just entered is worthy of their time and determine whether or not they should leave.
Throughout the course of their existence, specialty coffee shops have not always been known for their warm and welcoming decor. There were a number of refurbished factories or storefronts that were used for these locations, and the majority of them had not been constructed with the consumer experience in mind.
Since those early days, many distinct visual tendencies and patterns have arisen. A great number of cafes choose to decorate with a modern and uncluttered style, while others go for a more rustic and “old-school” look, while yet others completely defy expectations. I learned more about the aspects that impact café design after having conversations with a few baristas as well as owners of coffee shops. Continue reading to find out more.
You may also like How to Make Your Coffee Shop More Accessible
✅ Best Bar Stools Set with Shell Back
Minimalist Design – The counter height stools mimics the line design of shells and looks cute and casual. The pure beige white velvet is matched with high-elastic foam tvo create a soft and comfortable cushion. The maple legs combined with the gold metal frame are beautiful and practical. And it can be applied to many places, such as kitchen/living room/bar/coffee shop and so on. Make your guests unable to stop the praise!
✅ Best Vintage Design Round Coffee Table
Good coffee table – Easy to assemble! Sturdy and steady with adjustable knobs on the legs to keep the table from wobbling. First, Packaging, the wood is protected very well and the two holding braces are bundled together. Make sure not to forget the screws as it is hinding behing the box but it has a ribbon outside the box to show you where it is.
✅ Best Canvas Wall Art Contemporary Pictures For Coffee Shop Wall Decor
Wonderful frames and so easy to install!!! – Framed and Stretched, Ready to Hang. Each panel has a black hook already mounted on the wooden bar for easy hanging. A perfect wall decorations paintings for Coffee shop.
✅ Best Led Coffee Sign Decor For Coffee Shop Bar
Professional looking! – Very bright display! Was told led lights use less energy than neon lights, so better usage. With On/Off Switch. High visibility in the night and low power consumption, energy saving and environmental protection.
Exploring Some Of The Major Trends In Café Design
The interior design of cafes has seen significant evolution during the last decade or two. Historically, bigger chains have often chosen café designs that are uncluttered and simple, leaving enough room for the company’s branding and message to take centre stage. In contrast to these chain coffee shops, independent and third-wave coffee shops often have a distinct appearance that sets them apart from the competition.
At first, a lot of people went for an open, industrial look, and the reason for this was solely due to the fact that they consumed a lot of room. In order to comply with the regulatory requirements for their machinery, several third-wave coffee roasteries have opened their doors in former factories or other industrial sites.
After that, several of them decided to open a café in order to increase their revenue and demonstrate their expertise as roasters. This resulted in the creation of a communal area that often featured high ceilings, unfinished brick walls and cement flooring, as well as an abundance of natural light.
One of the other major characteristics that emerged in early third-wave coffee shops was an emphasis on minimalism and straightforwardness. This “less is more” approach is preferred by many operators of coffee shops because they believe it puts more of an emphasis on the coffee itself as opposed to “distracting” colourful colours and symbols.
This style is most often linked with coffee shops in Asia (particularly in Japan, where minimalism is otherwise a prominent school of design), but in recent years, it has also extended to Europe and North America. These cafes often have few pieces of furniture and are decorated entirely in white. Some individuals associate this aesthetic with tidiness and calmness, while others may see the rooms as clinical or devoid of character because to the prevalence of this style.
How Travel Influences Café Design
Throughout the 20th century and into the early 21st century, travel has gotten simpler, more inexpensive, and more accessible. As a result, café owners have begun to seek outside their immediate surroundings for ideas. Coffee shop owners are often shaped by the travels that they have undertaken, and it is not uncommon for their establishments to pay respect to the towns that have had an impact on them. It is not unusual for these types of cafes to blend certain characteristics that are prevalent with others that are not as frequent.
Harken Coffee is a coffee shop and roastery located in Vancouver, British Columbia, and it is owned by Eldric Stuart. He explained to me that he drew inspiration for the design of Harken from the café cultures of a number of various places while he was working on it.
Eldric recalls, “I stayed in Melbourne for three and a half years, during which time I was completely submerged in the world of coffee in that city. After that, I came to Berlin.” “This meant that I had the opportunity to experience the Australian style of coffee, but I also got to look at how the European market had changed to get to where they were. “
“After that, I came back to Vancouver and saw that a lot of our coffee shops that classed themselves as’specialty’ were still basically following the corporate model [in terms of design].” [After that] “After that, I came back to Vancouver and saw that a lot of our coffee shops that classed themselves as’specialty’ were
After then, Eldric started operating Harken. He explained to me that the layout of Harken is similar to that of a sushi bar, which means that patrons face the baristas while their beverages are being produced. He goes on to say that this results in a process in which the client is the primary concern.
Balancing Café Design & Functionality
Eldric claims that the atmosphere of this sushi bar in Harken was established so that the emphasis could be placed on providing excellent service to the patrons. According to what he has told me, this choice was motivated by other developments in the hotel and restaurant industries.
Benihana, which is a Japanese-American restaurant franchise, is one of the most prominent instances of this phenomenon. Customers at Benihana restaurants take their places around the chef, who presides over a teppanyaki grill situated in the middle of the table while cracking jokes and mingling with the other patrons.
According to Eldric, he sought to build a space that consumers could use and that also prioritised providing excellent service to them. “We needed to figure out how to deal with consumers while simultaneously making food and taking takeout orders. Because of this, we were able to provide an experience that was somewhat more refined without having to attend to as many tables, which is a process that can be rather labor-intensive.
“We aim to plan everything around it, so that our bar will be in the centre of the room,” the speaker said. We made the decision to start the design process from scratch… it’s a single counter, inspired by Japanese sushi bars or cocktail bars. A “bar-style” layout was chosen because “we wanted to give an enhanced level of service without it being overly pricey.”
Working With A Café’s Surroundings
Many individuals believe that it is essential to respect and appreciate the identity of the surrounding community whenever a new business venture, such as a restaurant or retail store, is initiated in the neighbourhood.
Leon Zadeh founded Saint Espresso in London a decade ago. He advises that if you start a new café in a particular city or region, you should make an effort to integrate the identity of that region into the café’s branding. “As London has evolved, we have expanded our business to include more locations.
“We are now attempting to build some synergy between them while still respecting each particular region and its own distinctive personality. It is fascinating to see the emergence of new designs and the diversity that can be found in both the city and the rest of the globe.
“The atmosphere at our cafes is meant to be clean and sophisticated, and we make sure there is enough of natural light.” To describe ourselves, we prefer to think of ourselves as a combination of the New York loft apartment with the simplicity of Scandinavia. We use simple geometry and eco-friendly materials whenever possible, including brick, wood, mild steel, stone, and concrete.
When taking into account the impact of people from various cultures, Eldric had a difficult time determining where the boundary should be drawn. “Japantown in Vancouver is a relatively young neighbourhood, and that’s where you’ll find Harken. Because it was the neighbourhood in where all of the city’s Japanese immigrants settled, we endeavoured to create a layout that was as sensitive as possible.
“We didn’t want to usurp any part of their culture, but we nevertheless wanted to ‘tip the hat’ to the area’s heritage,” the speaker said. We were able to save a significant portion of the building’s façade by doing so.
Creating A Cohesive Café Brand Image
The design and layout of a café must, of necessity, take into consideration the establishment’s brand identification. If it’s an extension of an already established chain or brand, it’s likely going to be created using the same design scheme that the parent company uses. In the event that this is not the case, the proprietors have to give careful consideration to the message that their area sends about both the café and the brand.
Eldric informs me that in order to guarantee that the product packaging for Harken’s products fit his aesthetic vision for the company, he collaborated with branding specialists. “It comes down to the identity of the brand. We approach it in the same manner that a business would if they were developing a new perfume, cologne, or any other sort of product.
“There is an atmosphere that customers acquire from the firm, and that atmosphere includes the packing in the space [in addition to the layout and the design]. We wanted to showcase everything in a manner that is really sophisticated and classy.
Leon tells me that his objective was to develop an image for Saint Espresso that “blends in” with its surroundings and appreciates the local environment, while at the same time standing out enough to attract new customers.
“We manage neighbourhood cafés, therefore we need to make sure the facility is functional for that particular neighbourhood,” adds Leon. “We have a responsibility to do so.” “Even though we favour clean lines in our design, we always make sure to include some warmth to ensure that everyone feels welcome [and that the area is pleasant].” We have a substantial amount of vegetation and foliage.
“[Our goal is to make] each area special while maintaining an air of sophistication and ease. It’s as simple as that: we want to provide our neighbours and friends with the greatest possible cup of coffee and overall experience we can.
Social Media’s Influence On Café Design
Some of the most successful cafes in the world have largely attributed their achievements to their use of social media. More clients might walk through your door if you use social media sites like Instagram and Pinterest to cultivate a strong visual identity and publish high-quality content there.
People are more likely to share photographs of your café online and tag their friends if it provides an environment that is aesthetically attractive or engaging. This works both ways.
According to Leon, being recognised on social media can be quite profitable for business owners of coffee shops. “I believe that it may be something to consider when building a café environment for many new cafes. There is nothing more gratifying for a company than to have a customer share their experience with them on Instagram. This lets us know that we are on the right track with our products and services.
Eldric is the first to confess that social media isn’t his primary concern; yet, he believes that it ought to be a top priority. “I believe that it just becomes ingrained in the way that you think about things over time. We put things through our mental checklist of whether or not they appear nice in images, and so on. You must need to be able to generate original material… this is very essential.”
The coffee supply chain often comes to a close at the consumer level with the establishment of coffee shops. It is a very competitive business, and being able to differentiate yourself from the competition is no more merely an advantage; rather, new cafes need to make it their primary priority to achieve this distinction.
You need to give a number of different things some thought in order to design an area that is attractive. Do the design decisions you make correspond to the image of your brand? Does the style of your place align with that of the surrounding neighbourhood? Does it appear well in photos? And do you think it’ll encourage new customers to go through the door? Before launching a new coffee shop or renovating your current location, you should, among other things, ask yourself the questions listed above.
Enjoyed this? Then read How to Minimize Injury & Maximize Comfort Behind The Bar
Photo credits: Nicole Motteaux, Neil Soque, Harken Coffee
Perfect Daily Grind
Want to read more articles like this? Sign up for our newsletter!