The way you design and lay out your cafe is probably the most important aspect of your business. Aside from the great coffee and home made cakes, if people feel comfortable and relaxed in your venue it will keep them coming back for more. In addition get your layout wrong and you could be seating less people than you should and ultimately, that means a loss of revenue. With these factors in mind, here are some top tips to planing your venue layout that you might want to follow.
Think about your customers
While it’s true that you’ll want to seat as many people as possible to maximise your space, you’ll need to leave enough space in between tables in order to allow the free movement of people and staff. As a general rule of thumb, allow around 45cms between tables. In addition you should also consider wheelchair access. You’ll need about 90 inches of clearance space in main thoroughfares to allow wheelchairs safe passage to tables.
The other point you might want to think about is mixing your tables to suit the needs of your clientele. For example not everyone wants to sit at a standard square 4-person table. Instead for better appeal you might want to look at incorporating smaller 2 person tables (ideal for slotting into alcoves and nooks) sofas and bench seating for larger groups, office areas where business owners can work while away from the office, and don’t forget high chairs and seating for children.
Furniture quality
Let’s face it, you could serve the finest coffee in Brisbane but if your seating just isn’t comfortable, people aren’t going to hang around. That said comfort should also be balanced with durability. Always purchase commercial-grade cafe furniture and make sure that tables, chairs, and seating booths can easily be wiped down with a damp cloth without causing damage to the finish. To ensure comfort, then never purchase without trying it out for yourself first. That’s just asking for trouble. Instead if it’s good enough for you, it’s probably going to be good enough for your customers. For best advice, always choose cafe furniture that offers the highest quality of both comfort and practicality and that doesn’t exceed your budget.
Anchored or portable?
While there may be a plethora of cafe furniture designs utilising a multitude of materials, colours, and finishes, there really are only two styles. These are anchored and portable furniture. Anchored seating refers to furniture that’s permanently fixed to either the floor or the wall. These include furniture such as seating booths. On the contrary portable or ‘floating’ tables can be positioned anywhere to suit the requirements of your business. There are obvious benefits to both styles, however experts agree that the best approach for a successful cafe layout is a combination of both.
The trick is to think about the needs of your customers, choose your furniture wisely, and make sure you leave sufficient space. Do this and it’s easier to efficiently optimise your space in order to gain maximum revenue.
At Cafe Chairs Melbourne we have a wide range of commercial-grade cafe furniture available for you to browse and buy. Why not take a closer look at our website or visit our Brendale Showroom to see for yourself. Contact us on 07 3205 1616 to find out more.