A cafe is often a place where customers want to stay a while, hang out with friends, work, or merely people watch. The longer they stay, the more money you make as they purchase food and drink. Decorating and furnishing your cafe for customer comfort will invite them to stay and enjoy themselves. Here are four ideas for creating an inviting, cozy atmosphere.

Provide Lots of Electrical Outlets

From charging phones to plugging in laptops for video meetings, customers are going to want to plug in. If there aren’t enough accessible outlets, they’ll head for the car—and your competitor. Provide plenty of outlets in easily accessible locations around the cafe. If you really want to go above and beyond, you could even offer a variety of charging cords for various devices for those customers who are suddenly low on battery but forgot their charger at home.

Buy New Furniture

The traditional table and chairs setup isn’t bad, and you certainly want to keep them for those who prefer that or who want to set up a laptop and get some work done. But when you’re trying to create a comfortable, warm, inviting cafe, you want more than just hard tables and thinly-cushioned chairs. Some companies, like Visions in Contemporary Living, know that a few well-made pieces can really make a difference. Buy some comfortable, plush couches and deep chairs. Arrange them in small groups to allow for intimate conversation without stretching or shouting.

Variable Lighting and Plenty of Natural Light

Lots of windows will provide plenty of natural lighting, which is great for your electric bill and can also draw in customers. But once the sun goes down, you’ll need to rely on electricity for your lighting needs. Don’t go with one lighting level across the board, though. Consider the time of day, what people are doing, and how they might be feeling. Consider keeping the general lighting low-key and dim and offering individual overhead lights or lamps at each table or seating area to allow customers to add more light as they desire.

Keep Paint Crisp and Clean

Go with bright, neutral colors for a crisp, clean, and inviting feel. Think creamy white, light tan, or soft gray. Colors that allow users to feel welcome, but provide a professional background if they have a video conference for work will keep more customers.

Your cafe can become a hotspot for anyone from working people to moms looking for a quiet night out with friends. You just need to put in a little effort. Create a cozy, warm atmosphere, and customers will come.