When you want to hang out with mates, catch-up, focus on work, wake up for the day, launch a product, have a meeting – the local ideal hipster cafe is designed for more than just drinking great coffee. More and more cafes have become the place to be seen, to relax and to meet your friends.
Back in the 90’s with thanks to Friends cafes were popular but now it’s hard to walk down a street without a hip and single original coffee eatery sitting on the corner. There are of course the big brands, but local independent cafes that have their own identities and styles are thriving.
There are certain aspects of the best cafes that remain the consistent. Whether you are scoping out the best place to go, or are thinking of setting one up for yourself, pay attention to the essentials.
Seating
You want plenty of and a variety of seating throughout. Think about the various needs of the coffee-goers; some like to lounge for hours in a squishy armchair, some like to spread out laptops and books to work, and some are too old to get comfy in low seats. Having a mix of seating will be a key component to attract a range of customers, and to fit all their needs. Obviously, if you’re designing your coffee shop, you want it all to have a cohesive look, so look at contemporary and eclectic designs like the ones found at apex furniture so that you can achieve the mixed look without it looking like a complete jumble of furniture.
Tables
With your mixed seating, you will need to have a variety of tables too. Low coffee tables are perfect matches to armchairs and sofas, but taller ones will need to go with regular chairs. If you have the space, having a long dining-like table surrounded by chairs is great for large groups as well as for people who have come to work.
Outlets
No matter which coffee shop you go into, most people go scouting for the outlets. It’s a sad fact that our lives revolve around technology, and sadder that, as much as tech has come on leaps and bounds, the battery life in our devices never seems to last very long. So having ample charging spots is ideal for any coffee shop. Don’t just be limited by the wall space you have, look at getting outlets, like the ones you can get from cableaway, inserted into the floor.
Lighting
Hopefully, there will be plenty of windows to let in loads of light and to let customers people watch. If not, then don’t fall into the same traps that retail stores do. Leave the fluorescent lighting behind and use slightly dimmer lighting. Have an overall, dim lighting, then use spotlights to lift certain areas like the bar, corner seating and the checkout.
Music
As with anything, music is subjective to each person. However, it can be agreed that, in a coffee shop setting, it should be loud enough to be heard, but quiet enough to be regulated to background noise. Acoustic music and soft jazz are always good picks for a calm, chilled out atmosphere.
Featured cafe photos are from The Bucket List located on Sydney’s famous Bondi Beach.
