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As a budding entrepreneur who dreams of their coffee shop becoming as big as a Starbucks or Costa Coffee, you’ll be keen to get every single detail of your business correct. You would have had ideas and inspiration flowing through your head as you look to piece them altogether, but bringing your dreams into a reality can prove difficult and often enough, a lack of planning and structure can result in disaster for your new cafe.

This can even go for the interior. Many customers will want to come to your coffee shop to relax, work and spend time to indulge in their favourite cuppa. Getting the design right will want your customers coming back for more which is why these 5 interior designs tips can help your business to become a success.

Consider your space and environment

Organising your space and environment is crucial in a coffee shop. What type of coffee shop do you want your business to be? Would you want it to be a space where people can gather and enjoy their time or would you prefer it to be a quick go-to cafe where business people and those in their early commute will visit?

If it’s the latter, you might want to consider just how much furniture you place in the shop. Perhaps limit the amount you have so it’s easy for customers to get in and out. Alternatively, if you wish for customer's to stay and enjoy their coffee, apply comfy seating and plug sockets so customers can relax in their environment.

What windows do you plan to have?

Natural lighting can have a great effect on the appearance of your interior. It might seem like a very minor detail, but the windows you choose are likely to impact how your customers feel in their setting. For example, choosing wide and tall windows encourages customers to sit near the window and look outside. It makes them feel a sense of escapism as they people-watch and bask in the natural light. More natural lighting also improves mood and keeps people upbeat.

Lighting is a big consideration

Believe it or not, lighting in your business can be a vital factor for the experience customers have with your coffee shop. In certain conditions where the lighting is too bright or too dim, it can change the appearance of foods such as meats and vegetables which can easily dis-satisfy customers.

These situations can easily be avoided with the correct lighting choice. You want it to be just the right setting for customers to feel comfortable in their surroundings. Make sure it complements the natural daylight that comes through to provide the perfect balance and creates the ideal atmosphere. 

Have fun

Whilst getting the basics right is important, you also don’t want your coffee shop to be a typical mundane coffee business. You want it to have a personality to make it stand out from the rest and also a place that you enjoy working in. This can either be created from your own ideas or from a professional that you’ve hired to design it for you.

Simplicity is key

A clean design with your coffee shop will provide the ultimate setting for your coffee shop business. Of course, in some elements you can go a bit upmarket with your ideas such as purchasing a luxury coffee table or quirkily designed sofa, but the main idea is to keep things simple and straightforward to not put off your potential customers.

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The blitz is on! Turkey food coma day has yet to come, but retailers are advertising and promoting heavily to attract customers through their doors. Here is one suggestion to increase your customer count and hopefully your holiday sales.Add Extra value for gift card purchasesWhy not offer a free coffee with the purchase (or reload) of $25 or more? You can also offer extra value (purchase any gift card in the amount of $50 or more, and we will match 10%, 20% etc). Set your extra value thresholds to what you are comfortable with, but enough to make sure the customer feels like they are getting a deal. Given all the doom and gloom of the economy, promotions like these will make your customer feel like a savvy shopper and be less reluctant to part with their cash.National chains like Jamba Juice, Red Robin, (even the Mermaid Coffee Shop through Costco) etc. are doing similar promotions through the holidays, so why not your coffee shop?One thing you need to consider is your gift card program itself. If you have a third party program charging you fees everytime you swipe the card through the terminal, this is now a less appeal promotion compared to having a NO FEE gift card program. Overall, fees or not, doing something is better than nothing. Benefits include:-You collect the money upfront (Yay, increase cash flow! Watch this though, because this should be treated like a liability from an accounting standpoint).-Customers already spent the money, so if there's ever a question to go elsewhere, they won't even if there's a bit of a wait.-Easier to upsell that scone or muffin because they don't have to take out extra cash.-You will have about a 10%-15% unredeemed value (to make up for those fees, no less. If you have a NO FEE gift card program, more power to you).NOTE: some states consider unredeemed value as unclaimed property, so you might have to turn that over to your state. Check your local laws just to be sure.And who knows, maybe a handful of these gift card recipients might actually convert into regular customers.
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