What is needed in a modern cafe?

If you want to open a modern cafe, you’re going to need to do as much research as possible before you begin to ensure that you’re successful. Anybody can open a cafe, but not everybody can open a cafe that is built to last. Below, we’ll talk about what you need in a modern cafe so you can ensure yours stands the test of time. Take a look!

The right lighting

First of all, you need the right lighting. Old cafes may have got by with dingy yellow lighting, but this is unlikely to cut it with the cafe visitors of 2019. It should be bright, and ideally as close to natural lighting as possible. This sort of lighting puts people in the best mood and can even help them to be more productive, which could be a huge selling point if you’re going to let people bring laptops and use your wi-fi. 

A clear theme 

You need to know who your audience is in order to develop a clear theme. Understand their needs and the sort of places they are already visiting. You can look at other businesses and the type of themes that they have to help you figure out what yours should be. For instance, Ed’s Diner. They have a clear retro theme with light up signs and red faux leather seats. 

Interesting decor

Interesting decor could potentially help to set you apart and make your cafe look more interesting. Use different patterns, colors, and even pictures to enhance the theme of your cafe. Unless you’re going for a ‘junky’ theme, try not to clutter it up too much. That gives you even more to clean and makes things too complicated. 

 Comfortable furniture 

You want comfortable furniture to encourage repeat visits, as well as to encourage people to stay as long as possible and perhaps make another purchase. When you spend time looking for cafe furniture online make sure you consider both comfort and aesthetics. It should look good and match your theme, but it should have just the right mix of comfort. 

Amazing coffee and good food

Getting to know coffee is absolutely essential in this business. You won’t get by serving mediocre coffee! You need to make sure you have the right equipment for the job, too, such as a high quality espresso machine, industrial coffee grinder, automatic drip coffee makers, and anything else you think might help you in this regard. You can consider renting equipment before buying outright to keep costs under control and ensure you need the machinery that you’re ordering. 

When it comes to good food, you can’t get away from hiring an amazing chef. They don’t need to cook complicated dishes (nobody wants this at a cafe anyway, do they?), but they should be able to make the classics and do them well. For example, a good old fry up, sandwiches, and similar dishes. Don’t forget to have vegetarian and vegan options, either, as this is becoming more mainstream and if you don’t have these options, your cafe could easily get left behind. 

In the beginning, it will help you to ask for feedback from your customers so you can hone your service, coffee, and food. Listen to them and make any changes you think will keep them coming back in the long run. Customers love businesses that actually listen to them. 

Helpful, friendly staff 

Your staff need to be well trained. It doesn’t matter if they have never worked in a cafe before, as long as they have the type of personality that you’re after. Make sure you train them all up to a high standard, or invest in their training. They should be knowledgeable when it comes to your products, and willing to go above and beyond to help the people that come in. 

Competitive research

What other coffee places and cafes are in the area? Who will you be competing with? Carrying out extensive competitive research is absolutely essential and will help you to develop a cafe that your area could really use. You need to have a unique selling proposition that will make people visit your cafe and not the competition. 

Customer loyalty

Encourage return visits by having loyalty cards and offers. This will ensure customer loyalty! You could give a free coffee with every every stamps, for example, but there are so many ways you can make loyalty cards work for your business. 

Are you ready to start your own modern cafe? Leave a comment below!