The way that a coffee shop is designed greatly impacts its success. You cannot expect people to feel comfortable in your coffee shop if you do not make sure that it looks the part! If you have been struggling to figure out what your coffee shop needs to look like for maximum success, you are not alone. Many people struggle to figure out how to style their business for the best return on their investment.
If you have been struggling to figure out how to design your coffee shop interior, this guide will help you to find the right blend of different interior design notes to make the most of your business. There are some key ways that you can make your coffee shop look its best and be the most inviting to customers. You will want to be using these tips when you plan your coffee shop interior design.
Coffee Shop Interior Decor Basics
Coffee shops, just like many food industry locations, have a standard theme that most businesses follow. This means that you will want to stick to the same kind of general design plans as other shops for the comfort of your customers. You will need to provide places to sit and study, as well as areas where people can socialize. You will also need to make sure that your menu is highly visible and legible even to people at the counter who are not right underneath it.
Make sure that you keep all the messy parts of coffee-making behind a screen of some kind, whether this is a tall counter or some other kind of barrier. You want it to seem like the coffee that people order just arrives by magic and is handed out without muss or fuss. Keep things clean and tidy by having set workstation areas for certain kinds of preparation tasks, and make sure that you have your staff dressed in a way that reflects the values of your business too.
All of the various themes that go into the décor of your coffee shop can change the mood and experience of visiting your business, and you need all of these themes to work together for your shop to be a success. If you don’t scrimp on the details, your coffee shop will have a great reputation for being functional, inviting, and fun to hang out at.
Even if you have a coffee stand that does not offer indoor seating, you will want to be sure that you have created a theme that people instantly associate with your shop. This is one of the key ways that you can create good word of mouth and business recognition for your location, and you should not scrimp on the details during this part of the planning of your store. Shops that are too generic will just fade into the background and will be much less likely to enjoy lots of repeat customers or to pull people in off the street to give them a try.
Coffee Shop Interior Decor Themes
There are some common themes that coffee shops tend to employ for their décor choices. You will be able to pick and choose within these common themes and then you can add some of your own unique design choices to add personality to the mix for your own shop.
One of the most common themes is the bakery-style shop. This is a place that offers a glass display cabinet with sweets and treats right at the ordering counter and you will probably have a chalk menu hanging on the wall at this kind of shop that shares the menu options. You can make the feel of this shop complete with paintings or pictures of baked goods and foods or maybe even photographs of people having a fun time sharing a meal together. This kind of store is often smaller and cozier and might have fewer tables inside for seating.
Another theme that is very familiar in larger city areas is the mainstream, hip coffee shop theme. These stores have lots of comfortable places to sit and socialize or to study. The colors in these stores are usually darker, and the lighting might be more muted and cozy. You can count on this kind of shop to have photos of the local area on the wall or maybe even some art from a local artist that is on display. The music will probably be jazz or some kind of soft and muted classical. This is a very common décor theme and you can mix and match your own unique style options into this overall design theme with ease.
The cozy bookshop-style store can be just that if you want! Imagine selling books and offering coffee to the people who drop by. This is one of the cozy and really personalized kinds of coffee shops that are not as common as the more mainstream, hip stores that are present in many cities. You will find that this kind of shop can collect more repeat visitors and your local traffic might be really steady. For those who remember big bookstores with coffee shops inside of them, this kind of shop can provide nostalgia along with a cozy place to sip your coffee and read a book.
Coffee stands can actually offer their own design notes even though there is no area for seating inside the store. The colors and the design note that the coffee shack building has on display can be very enticing and can create an atmosphere all by themselves. Making sure that the visible portion of the shop that is revealed by the ordering menu is cute and clean can make a great impression on customers. You can also add things like flowers and plants to the edges of the windows for a touch of permanence that makes customers feel like they didn’t just drive up to a coffee stand.
Coffee Shop Interior Design Ideas
When people visit a business, they have a certain expectation of the kind of experience that they will have. Specific business models come along with specific kinds of design notes. Most people have an associated image in mind when they consider different kinds of businesses and you do not want to deviate so far from these expectations that you make people uncomfortable.
You want to add some touches of unique and special detail but you don’t want to be so different from industry standards that people are turned off by your business. Make sure that you consider these items to be the bare minimum for your coffee shop interior décor. You will want to have most of these things in place to make your coffee shop feel like a coffee shop to customers.
Comfortable Tables and Chairs
There is nothing worse than coming to a coffee shop to sit down and enjoy a pick-me-up than stiff or rigid chairs or a lack of tables. Most people come to coffee shops to chat or to sit and work, so you will want to be sure that your location offers this kind of access to people’s needs. Comfortable tables and chairs are a must for any coffee shop, and you will also need to be sure that you have enough of them to service more than just a couple of people.
Ideally, you will have some larger tables for those who hold meetings in your shop and some smaller little tables that are ideal for people coming to sit and read or even for students. Creating a usable space is as important as the styling of your shop.
The Right Lighting
Glaring lights or lights that are too dim can be a big turnoff for those who are heading to your business to enjoy a soothing cup of coffee or tea. You will want to offer the right kind of light that is not too vibrant, but that is bright enough for people to work effectively when they stop by. The right lights can be different in different locations, such as in shops that have large windows that already let in a lot of light. Make sure that you consider the tone of the lighting as well, and lean toward blue or white light tones if you are trying to brighten up your shop’s interior. If you want to balance the brightness of daylight that is coming in on one side of the shop, you might need to pick a warmer or more yellow light color for your needs.
A Chalkboard
This is pretty much an industry standard and you shouldn’t cheat yourself out of this kind of fun way to relay your menu options to people who stop by. You will also love that you can simply erase the whole chalkboard and start fresh if you make major changes to the food or drinks that you are offering. While it might not be within everyone’s skill set to write legibly on a chalkboard, you can usually hire someone to drop by for a reasonable fee and add art to your chalkboard while also copying the menu over.
There is something really charming and welcoming about a chalkboard menu, and most shops offer this design note to their customers. This is one of the key ways that local shops stand out from the big box stores that can sometimes dominate the coffee shop presence in many cities. You will want to be sure that you communicate that you offer the kind of local flare and taste that people are looking for when they opt to avoid big box stores and this design note can do just that.
Vintage Items
One of the best ways to make a unique style presentation is to pick up some vintage décor for your shop. You could pick up things like a jukebox, some antique furniture, or even some stained glass windows if you want to add a vintage note to your business presence. This is one of the fun ways to create a unique presence for your shop that is not that expensive.
Stores and shops that have unique features like vintage items as part of their décor are memorable, and you can ensure that people will comment on the fun atmosphere when they write reviews about your shop. If you want to stand out from the crowd, vintage items can offer you the charm that you want to add to your coffee shop decor.
Local Art
If you have access to get your hands on some local art to display, this is a great way to communicate the personality and unique vibe of your shop. Even photographic art of the local area can offer a sense of unique personality and special design to your shop. If you have the bandwidth to do so, you could even offer local art for sale by hanging it on your walls.
Many artisan coffee shops work with local artists to source art that communicates what the area and the shop are all about. This is a great way to create a unique vibe for your store, and you will not regret taking the time to add this design note. The local vibe of stores that are connected to their area and neighborhoods is an essential reason that they stand out from the crowd.
Food Displays
If you have the room, offering up some of your snacks and treats in a display case can be a great way to invite people to buy them. Glass cake displays and other counter toppers can also add some charm to your overall coffee shop décor. People immediately associate charm with this kind of means of displaying the foods that your coffee shop offers, and you will see increased sales when you make these additions to your food display efforts.
Making sure that your sweets, treats, and pastries are in front of the counter and can be seen with ease makes it much easier to sell these items to customers. There is no reason to hide your food in the back when having it on display makes for a much more welcoming coffee shop atmosphere too.
Notes of Color
While it can be tempting to make your whole coffee shop bright and colorful, this is not common for most coffee shops. You will be well outside of the normal standard for coffee shop décor if you are covering the walls with bright paintings and if you choose brightly colored furniture and countertops. Make sure that you balance your color selections with more muted tones that are in keeping with coffee shops around the US.
You will also be fostering a more comforting and welcoming atmosphere if you do not make your shop too dark or too bright. Something right in the middle is a good rule of thumb for your decorating efforts. You will also be able to make updates to décor and styling much more easily if you have not gotten too committed to one color palette.
Custom Cups and Dishes
If you want to create a really special and unique experience for those who are ordering coffee to sit down and enjoy it at your store, having your own cups and dishes with your logo or other designs on them can be a great choice. You can have dishware made in any way that you like, and you can create a really special added touch of class and personality with these items. While not everyone will want to order without a to-go cup, you should have the option for people to drink from real mugs and eat from real plates while they are in your store.
Cups and dishes are a great way to communicate a sense of homey comfort to your customers, and shops that offer this benefit are likely to get repeat customers. The small amount of money that you will need to have in reserve to replace cups and other items that are broken will likely be offset by the benefits to your overall theme.
Plants or Flowers
You might not want to deal with real flowers and plants in your store, but you can opt for fake plant life to decorate your shop. Adding some planters with colorful flowers and some greenery to the seating areas inside your business can make them much more inviting and comfortable. If you have outdoor seating, you can greatly improve the curb appeal of your business by adding some planters and maybe a few flower boxes. Even flowers or plants on the tables can be a great way to make your shop homey and comfortable.
There are so many ways to add plant life to your décor plan, and you will even be able to use hanging baskets or bookshelf-style boxes for plants if you want. Being able to add fake plants to the mix can also help make plants a manageable addition to your overall design choices that you should not skip.
Bathroom Decor
The bathroom doesn’t have to be a boring place! You will want to be sure that your bathrooms are not only clean and functional, but they are also inviting and pretty to look at. You can carry the theme of your shop into the bathroom or you can even add a unique set of pictures or wallpapers or paint to the bathroom spaces. Being able to do something that is cute and memorable in the bathrooms can be fun but you do not need to feel pressure to create this kind of atmosphere either.
Remember that people who are sitting in your shop and working on things like schoolwork will end up in the bathroom possibly more than once during their visit, so this is an area of your shop that will get a lot of traffic. Most businesses forget about this part of the planning of their store design and décor, and this can lead to negative comments in reviews or just a feeling that there are other places with better facilities to visit.
Ability to Play Music
While your shop might be too small for this to be a reality, you might want to consider investing in some sound system upgrades for your shop. The music that you play in the shop can offer a lot of ambiance and charm to the experience of coming in for a visit, and you should make sure that you are using quality sound so that no one gets a headache from your music. Being able to ensure that people feel comfortable and cozy in your shop can have a lot to do with the music that you are piping into the shop.
It is not that expensive anymore to offer people some background noise that is enjoyable to listen to, and your staff will probably appreciate this added benefit as well. Being sure that people are getting to experience the full theme of your store often includes offering quality music that plays in the background during customer visits.
Coffee Shop Interior Design Can Be Easy
Using these tips and tricks will help you to create the coffee shop design that you have been looking for. Make sure that you consider the area that you are opening your shop in and that you stick to the kinds of themes that you think will connect effectively with people in your area. Unique shops are a great idea if you want to stand out from the crowd, but you need to be careful that people know you are a coffee shop when they first lay their eyes on your location.
There are so many themes and styles that you can choose from to make your coffee shop look its best and to create an inviting atmosphere that people will not forget. If you have been looking for inspiration, this guide will offer it to you in the spades. There is no reason to settle for a boring or basic theme when there are so many great design choices out there to pick from.
