Almost unthinkable 100 years ago, we have turned from a tea-drinking nation into a country obsessed with coffee. The first branch of Costa Coffee opened in London in 1981, with Café Nero following in 1997 and Starbucks in 1998.
Coffee shop design was integral to arguably the most successful sitcom of all time – Friends. The cosy atmosphere, squidgy sofas and Central Perk logo are lodged in the minds of millions and it still influences coffee shop interior design today.
Central Perk is iconic as it achieved what every good coffee shop design sets out to – it created a warm, familiar atmosphere that drew people in and offered a comfortable setting that encouraged repeat custom.
More than just a place to meet and linger over a latte, MPL believes today’s coffee shops have to function as mobile offices and community centres, appealing to diverse groups of people. This guide is full of coffee shop design ideas and advice for baristas, whatever size shop they have. Let our experience guide your new coffee shop – MPL offers a full café fitout package, alongside further retail interior design services.
Key Elements of Coffee Shop Design
Coffee shops should be enticing, familiar and full of home comforts but a well-loved pitstop should be more than just aesthetics. Coffee shop design should consider the flow of people, the level of lighting and the style of seating offered.
Layout and Flow
Whether customers wait for their drinks at a counter or enjoy table service, coffee shop interior design should have the movement of people at its heart – especially with hot liquids being taken from A to B. Thought should be given to clear pathways, entry points, seating arrangements and counter placement. Don’t forget accessibility too – wheelchair users and those with buggies should enjoy an unobstructed customer journey.
Lighting and Ambience
A successful coffee shop interior design will pay particular attention to lighting. If you strike the right balance between cosy levels and task lighting – not too dark that you can’t read a book, and not too bright that you feel you’re in an operating theatre - people will be inclined to stay longer.
Save the brightest lights for food and drink preparation areas, and deploy warm, ambient light in customer areas. Statement lights – perhaps oversized or themed pendants – can become a coffee shop’s brand hallmark. Additionally, they can be repeated in multiple branches if expansion is on the cards.
Furniture and Seating
Walk into any coffee shop and you’ll see an eclectic mix of people and the seating needs to reflect their purpose. Conventional tables and chairs are ideal for those who want to work or hold a casual business meeting, while sofas grouped around a coffee table will encourage friends and family to gather. Perching bars with stools are great for lone visitors and don’t forget to include intimate tables for two, as coffee shops are great places for first dates.
When deciding on your coffee shop interior design, consideration should be given to the upholstery used. Drinks will be spilt and sticky fingers wiped, so wooden furniture, hard floors and faux leather chairs are sensible choices.
Décor and Branding
If your most pressing question is ‘how do I make my coffee shop stand out?’, décor and branding will be your best design friend. Most coffee shop owners will have a theme or aesthetic in mind - it is the job of the fit out specialist to capture the spirit and inject it into the coffee shop design. MPL’s design team is behind 100s of hospitality, interior office and commercial design solutions, with experience in creating the perfect place to pour drinks.
A coffee’s shop’s brand is omnichannel – appearing in physical form, online and across social media. Integral elements include a logo, a signature font and a set of corporate colours. MPL has its own branding department to help businesses create a unified presence, so ask us to help if you’re starting from square one.
With a corporate identity in place, the coffee shop design ideas can flow. Logos can appear as neon rope light wall art or printed as vintage-style posters, which are framed and mounted. Brand colours can run from front of house to back, seen everywhere from exterior signage to cloakrooms.
Small Coffee Shop Design
Some of our most loved coffee shops are small independents and not large chains, proving big isn’t always best! In fact, small coffee shop design ideas are often the most inspiring.
Space Optimisation
MPL has a number of creative ways to maximise limited space, which is vital if the shop owner has taken a small unit in a high footfall area, such as a train station concourse. Space planning will determine how much seating can be included once essentials have been planned. Bar-height counters, perching tables and stools can create a European vibe, while a custom-made service counter can incorporate storage.
Creating a Cosy Atmosphere
A small coffee shop design has the advantage of being intimate, personal and unique – even better if it’s independent. There is freedom to be bold with colour, furniture and thematic choices. Soft lighting, warm hues and natural materials can combine to create character and comfort. If natural light is compromised, the use of mirrors and lamps can be used to lighten dark spots.
Coffee Shop Design Ideas
With café culture now part of our identity, there is an element of competition among different outlets. Coffee shop design can help a business become more memorable and cultivate a cult following.
Incorporating Unique Design Themes
Unless your coffee shop is part of a global franchise, there’s scope to implement a distinctive theme. Customers will become familiar with your brand and be able to identify your shop in a crowded marketplace. Ideas to explore include:
- Loft living: a raw, slightly industrial look with exposed brickwork, exposed pipework, metal pendant lights, exposed filament light bulbs and faux leather sofas.
- Modernist simplicity: pared-back beauty, with old-school peg-letter display boards, polished concrete floors, Eames and Ercol-style chairs and lots of ambient lighting.
- Hygge inspired: influenced by cosy Scandinavian interiors, with warm white light bulbs, strings of fairy lights and lots of light coloured wood.
Technology Integration
While only a human can currently deliver the best brew and foam art, how we order our drinks is fast forwarding to the future. Contemporary coffee shop design can include ordering kiosks and touch screens for improved customer/barista dialogue, with MPL factoring in the power and data supply requirements for such developments.
Additionally, the work from home revolution often means ‘work from your favourite coffee shop’, so premises need to have connectivity in mind. As well as free and fast WiFi, plug sockets with USB charging points will be most welcome and can be included in different seating arrangements for user convenience.
Green Design and Sustainability
Coffee shops can contribute to a better environment through sustainable practices, and any eco credentials should be displayed in store. Bespoke artwork can convey messages, such as choosing ethical, fairtrade and organic beans, recycling coffee grounds and using a green energy supplier.
This stance can be reinforced with a biophilic coffee shop design, which will resonate with the eco conscious. This style of interior will draw colours and forms from nature, with different shades of green, a profusion of house plants and furniture made from natural materials, such as cork and bamboo.
Seasonal Décor and Rotating Displays
If you want your coffee shop to become an integral part of the community, the aim will be to keep interest and footfall high. Engagement ideas include giving over wall space to local artists, installing a community noticeboard and encouraging local groups to use your space for meet-ups.
Seasonal interest doesn’t have to be confined to coffee flavours, although there’s always room for a pumpkin spiced latte. Use vinyl decals to ensure your window reflects the seasons or incoming holidays – think spring flowers, tumbling autumn leaves and pretty snowflakes.
Food displays
A good coffee and a flaky croissant go hand-in-hand but how you display any food can impact how much you charge for it and who it attracts.
Counter-top displays
If customers queue to place a drinks order, exposing them to what food is on offer while they wait makes business sense. Artfully arranged cakes and pastries have Instagram-appeal when done properly but thought has to be given to hygiene too. Cake stands with glass domes and food tongs look elegant, and allow customers to admire the good before buying.
Open shelf displays
If your customers are dunkers, displaying biscuits is a wonderful way to catch the eye. Open shelves above the coffee machines can look picture perfect when lined with apothecary-style jars filled with biscotti, amaretti, Florentines and even meringues.
Storage units
If there’s the intention to sell bags of Guatemalan beans, home brew kits and coffee accessories, a merchandise display unit will ensure customers don’t miss your wares.
In Summary
A coffee shop is a design statement – Google ‘Instagrammable coffee shops’ and you’ll discover visiting the most attractive venues is a hobby where the coffee comes second. A successful coffee shop design requires a practical base (power, light and layout), a brand as strong as the brew, and an interior environment that compels people to order a coffee, sink into a comfy seat and invite their friends to join them. MPL can help you find your coffee shop personality – let’s start a collaboration over a cold brew today.
