Small Coffee Shop Design & Ideas

The importance of good interior design and making effective use of available space cannot be overstated, especially for small cafes that deal with large volumes of foot traffic in metropolitan cities.  Due to the high barriers to entry and the complex nature of the business, only a certain cafe personality type will succeed. 

For this reason, many cafes have to become innovative in order to make the most of limited space. It requires them to strike a balance between the espresso/pastry counter, the food and beverage storage, the roasting equipment, and the seating area for their customers.  

Here are some small cafe design ideas that you could consider if you are looking for inspiration.

know about: Tea shop design ideas

Less is more 

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It is particularly important to keep this in mind while designing a small café, despite the fact that it is a fairly general principle that should be applied to all parts of the design. The interior of a small café will necessarily be on the cramped side. Because of this, you will not be able to include as many features as you would if you were creating a large café, so you will need to maximise the use of the area.

Minimal exterior signage 

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When it comes to the design of small coffee shops, minimalism in signs is becoming more popular. This trend can be seen all over the world in the signage of small boutique companies, and it notably relates to the way that they are set up. 

However, even large coffee shops should use the same design principles as if they were creating a small coffee shop, and they should make sure to keep the signs extremely modest and to a minimum. With only a simple A-frame sign and some minimum branding on the window,  this cafe is a terrific illustration of how minimal signage can be done well.

Minimal interior signage

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Following on from the same pattern discussed above, make sure that the inside of the small café is uncomplicated as well and that the signage is uncluttered, straightforward, and consists of the absolute minimum of what is required. 

A window for customers’ orders

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One of the things that people do when designing a small coffee shop is to make the most of the space available to them and to ensure that the inside has some kind of connection to the outdoors. People might place their orders from the outside via a window in the wall that is located adjacent to the cash register or barista station. 

One of the most effective layouts for a small cafe is one that includes a public bench seat on the roadside. This allows customers to purchase their coffee via the shop’s window and then wait for it outside on the bench. If you are able to order your food via a window, this design choice may have a certain amount of sentimental or new appeal if the law permits it.

White space 

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Although the answer to this question may be different depending on the atmosphere you want to create inside your small cafe, one of the primary goals of small coffee shop design should be to make the space give the impression that it is larger and more open than it really is. 

It goes without saying that keeping part of the space in your cafe or other interior white is a good idea. Since white is known for making places appear larger and black is known for making cafes and other interiors look smaller, this may be accomplished by utilising light colours.

Making use of a mirror

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This strategy is used in the design of the interior of a great number of compact cafes, as well as a great number of compact retail establishments and compact spaces in general. Using a large mirror along one wall creates the impression of gazing out a window owing to the reflection. 

Although this is something of an illusion, it does, in fact, make the room appear larger. Although this is not particularly ground-breaking, it is still something that should be considered for small coffee shop design.

Pay attention to the specifics

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Small coffee shop designs may have fewer details available to create an impact on your clients; therefore, you are going to need to make the most of the features that you do have. 

For instance, you are simply going to have a coffee menu and not a coffee menu in addition to a meal menu; hence, you really need to make the coffee menu stand out from the crowd. Because you will only have one entranceway instead of two, you will need to make it more noticeable than the other one.

The play of lighting

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The effect of well-placed lighting fixtures may be dramatic. In fact, lighting is often the focus of attention for small coffee shop designs. Lighting, like all other aspects of design, should have a purpose in addition to looking good. The first step is to use lighting to draw attention to certain features. The registration area and the bar should both have enough lighting. 

The lighting in your shop may be low-key as long as it successfully guides customers to the most important areas of engagement. You also want them to be able to photograph your lovely latte on Instagram. It’s not necessary to use just one source of illumination or brightness level throughout the store; several sources may be used to great effect. Have some fun with it and think of it as a way to bring your own personal flair to the café without taking up any more room.

Add a regional touch

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Small coffee shop designs can’t afford to be as eclectic as a large chain. While the confines of square footage may prevent ambitious design initiatives, there are always ways to put your stamp on the store. Put up some artwork by local artists or pieces you like. Include any additional details that make your region or state unique. 

Don’t be shy about advertising your coffee shop’s long history and status as a neighbourhood staple; customers value authenticity and familiarity more than ever. If you have the space, set aside a small area as a performance area for local artists such as musicians, poets, and other performers.

Consider Tablet POS System

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Having a point-of-sale (POS) area in your coffee shop is crucial, but it doesn’t have to take up the whole space. While it’s a good idea to have snacks and impulse buys near the register, the register itself should take up as little room as possible. It is sufficient to use a tablet computer rather than a bulky desktop computer for the majority of coffee shops. Tablets are space-efficient and fashionable. Since they are portable, your personnel will have additional options at the register.

All the tasks normally handled by a point-of-sale terminal on a desktop computer may also be completed on a tablet. Managing stock is a crucial part of this. There are no lags in service because of delayed updates; instead, your coffee shop will always be up to date.

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