Subscribe To This Site

Cafe Design

The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum, Arles, at Night, c.1888

Cafe Terraceat Night Van Gogh

CAFE INTERIOR DESIGN & RESOURCES
CAFE DESIGN
STARTING A COFFEE SHOP
Largest Bar Stool Selection!

FAVORITE COFFEES
Hunter Bay Coffee
Koa Forbes Best in America!

REFERENCES THIS SITE
CAFE ARTICLES INDEX

When considering café design, primary considerations begin with flow of business efficiency and the physical and social comfort of your customers.

Cafe Design
Old World Style & Charm sets apart any place where people gather.

This character of design could be set in France, Italy, Montreal ...

Effective Cafe Design is Essential to Business

Coffee House patrons seek out inviting ambient comfort. Rustic appeal attracts world travellers looking for just this Old World 'feel'. Many patrons of Volta Cafe enquired if the owner was European or French or Mediterranean. Visitors from far away places - France, Montreal, Germany, Japan, China, Switzerland & many more - made themselves at home in the quaint cosy setting of this magical little place.

Café Design

First, when contemplating café design you must consider café culture.

Do you want a café like all the others? Because if you do, just take a look at any one of them & you have it. It is straight forward – service area, creamer bar, seating, washrooms, storage, office, maybe. That’s it. Originality takes more thought and planning.

Each space & layout is different with space planned accordingly. An interior designer can take care of the spatial arrangements. The coffee service area work stations are specialized & should be laid out professionally according to functionality. You should know how to set this up, unless you
specifically engage a cafe designer. The average interior designer or decorator will be likely not get this right.

ESPRESSO BUSINESS EBOOK
Avoid the typical mistakes from those who operate this unique business style, different from any other.

LARUSO KRUPS SAECO DELONGHI STYLEMA LAVAZZA LA NUOVA

Designing Your Cafe Space Yourself?

1) Your first area of design is the main service station

The point from which you begin and from which everything else Flows, is considered the 'POINT' in the Interior Design Elements.
Know the location of electrical and plumbing service outlets. Unless you plan a major overhaul, these are your points of reference.
Do you need to hardwire for espresso and coffee machines?
Plan the location of counters, sinks, machinery, etc. according to workable 'point to point' functionality.

2)Lighting

Plan the requirements for service areas and general lighting. Staff work more efficiently in well lit work stations. Customers like to be able to read without glare.

3) Seating and self service stations

Plan your space to scale. Remember traffic ways should be have a good 3 feet (1m) clearance. Allow space for movement around chairs.

There are many relevant pages of design information authored by LIVING SPACES Designer to avail yourself of. A recommended start is:

THE ELEMENTS OF DESIGN
POINT - SCALE - LINE - FORM - FLOW

Coffee Culture is Fascinating

Storia del Caffe

Art Print
Espin, Elizabeth

Having a particular bent for the coffee house, cafe design and coffee afficionados, studying behaviours of coffee house patrons, one finds a vast difference between Western and European cafe's. Certain patrons, like certain cafe's in certain cultures have preferences worth noting in regard to cafe design.

In Europe where the cafe really originated, it was the family version of the bar. The cafe was & is the living room of locals, the more bohemian, the better. People living in high density with small Living Spaces gather to visit & talk & talk ...& talk! They join & engage. They're inclusive.

When Europeans travel they crave what they have at home. When westerners travel, we crave what they have!

In Western Culture a different cafe' phenomenon occurs. Is it the way we are? or is it because of the glass, steel & arborite design? ??? Does one affect the other? Does design affect behaviour? Psychological studies say yes. Or are western cafe designers reflecting & catering to western aloofness & the tendency to exclusivity? hmmm..

The logistical design of the cafe is one thing. The Psychology of the space must also be carefully considered.

What do these distinctions tell you about seating plan? I noticed a cafe the other day with tables outside to each seat 6 people. There was 2 people at one, 1 at another, while the rest were empty. These are not appropriate for western culture. It is better to have small intimate tables that may be pulled together if necessary.

The World's Best Italian Espresso Machines
La Pavoni * Elektra Gaggia * Saeco
De Longhi * Francis Francis * Rancillio

ESPRESSO BUSINESS EBOOK

Click to Ebook
Avoid the typical Espresso Business Mistakes By People who have done it. Business details from start-up through running Plus Recipes, Forms, Checklists

Your plan, marketing and funding worked out, the location is the next key consideration. From there, licensing, health and city requirements are all components that must be juggled in the ‘concert’ of the café arrangements.

Thanks For Visiting! If you are planning a cafe', I wish you a magical adventure, for it truly is a special culture.

This free informational site is funded through affiliations and ads throughout. I hope you have found useful information and links.

Your terrific support is much appreciated!