Opening a café is a big undertaking. Not only do you have to perfect your menu and find the right location, but you also need to design and fit-out your space to make it more inviting. Here, we will take you through the essentials of café design and fit-outs.

What is a Café?

A cafe is a business establishment that sells various kinds of coffee drinks, different types of beverages, snacks, and other simple meals. Typically, it sells food that is meant to be eaten on the premises. Café is a French word that simply means coffee. 

Technically, a café can be considered a restaurant. It places more emphasis on food than coffee. However, most cafes have coffee-paired treats like bavarian donuts on their menu.

A café’s atmosphere is typically relaxed and convivial, and customers take advantage of such space to read, eat delicious food, and engage in extended conversations. With these, cafes can be considered as a setting for social interaction as well.

Important Things to Consider When Designing a Café

For those considering starting a café business, the aesthetics of the establishment is just as important as the quality of the beverage and food served. There are a number of important things to consider when designing a café such as the following.

1. Concept of the Cafe

Before beginning to work on the design of your café, you must first decide on a concept. Consider the following questions: What kind of café do you want to open, what will the costs be, and what variety of coffee will you serve?

Consider the type of environment that is expected from your cafe and the kind of atmosphere you want to create. With this, it is better that you picture out your cafe interior design first before actually designing your place.

2. Ambiance You Want to Create

After identifying your concept, determine what ambiance you want to create. The four main factors that can affect this are the colors you choose, the lighting you utilize, the acoustics, and lastly the scent in your café.

Each one of those factors affects your customer’s viewpoint differently. A great cafe design takes into consideration the impact that each component will have and balances them to have an intended outcome.

3. Distances Between Tables

You might be tempted to fit as many tables and chairs as possible since more of it might mean more customers. However, it is important to take into account a space’s usability as well as the distances required for people to move around comfortably.

In general, there should be at least one meter between tables. Some have 1.2 meters which are more comfortable. When designing for access for people in wheelchairs, an allowance of 1.5 meters or more is recommended.

4. Placement of the Serving Counter

The placement of the serving counter makes a difference in the type of café you are operating. You’re more likely to have folks “pop in” from the street if you place it right by the door while if placed close to the back, people who enter will be more likely to stay.

In either position, consider how the barista, the waiting staff, and the customers will be affected by the counter layout. Check if they have enough room to move around easily.

6. Functionality of the Space

Service areas, food service docks, storage areas, staff areas, and core service areas are generally included in the operational spaces. Make sure to check the area’s sanitation and HVAC requirements as well.

Ensure that there is proper ventilation in your café. The core provisions must be positioned above the building, and individual air-handling units must be provided for each space.

7. Aesthetics

A café’s aesthetic elements include ambient lighting, appealing colors, artwork, sturdy furniture, and finishes. The aesthetic components should complement the interior’s design while being cozy enough for the consumers to move around the room. 

8. Flooring

Flooring can be a crucial element in the effectiveness of a café’s overall design. Functionality-wise, opt for flooring that is sturdy, slip-resistant, easy to clean, and scratch-resistant.

Timber flooring is particularly common among cafes and restaurants. However, vinyl plank or timber-look tiles might be just as aesthetically pleasing and far more suitable for the purpose.

9. Layout of the Space

When setting up a café, it should be in accordance with the space to efficiently operate and move around the shop. The layout should strike the ideal balance that will consider both the customers and the employees.

It’s essential to have a coherent traffic pattern for everything to function smoothly. With the use of an expressive theme and concept, you can transform your space into a pragmatic layout.

10. Music

Music is an essential component in the atmosphere of your café. The music you choose to play can affect your customers’ moods and the types of people coming in. Thus, always remember that the music is for the pleasure of the customers.

To have a good sound system, consider installing the wiring first before the sheetrock and wall covering. Plan where you are going to place your sound system and who will be in charge of it.

Costs of Café Fit-Out in Brisbane

Average Cafe Fit-Out Costs

The size of your space and the amenities you provide will determine how much it will cost to outfit a cafe. When you are planning to put up a café business in Brisbane, here are some approximations of the fit-out costs based on the scale of the build.

Scale of Build	Cost Per Square Meter
Basic build	$1,800 to $2,200 per square meter (ex. GST)
Mid-range build	$2,200 to $2,500 per square meter (ex. GST)
High-end build	$3,400+ per square meter (ex. GST)

On the other hand, the café fit-out cost is determined by a number of factors such as the following:

• The scale of the cafe’s interior design.
• The condition of the existing walls, floors, and ceilings.
• On-hand supplies, machinery, furnishings, and fittings.
• The quality of the cafe’s finished interior design.
• The durability of the planned cafe fit-out.
• Who are your target customers?
• Whether you are renovating some areas of your cafe or you are doing a brand-new fit-out?

Café Renovation Cost

The cost of renovating a café varies depending on the size of the space and the complexity of the renovations. Here is the range of costs in renovating a café based on the size of the shop.

• A small or medium-sized cafe usually costs around $80,000 to $170,000 in renovations.
• Larger spaces have higher renovation prices of $250 000 upwards.

Various Café Design and Fit-out Ideas

The design of your café plays a significant role in creating the right kind of ambiance you want to achieve. Keep in mind that people go out not just for great food but for an overall wonderful experience of the place.

That’s why cafe owners nowadays ensure that their cafe interior designs are really stunning to draw more people to come in. Here are some cafe design and fit-out ideas that your customers will love and keep coming back for more.

1. Modern Minimalism

If you want to convey the idea that less is more, go for a minimalist design. Consider clean lines, natural materials, and a simple color scheme if you choose this concept. However, going simple can be challenging at times because every little detail counts.

2. Unfinished Look

Recently, the unfinished-look design is gaining popularity as it is highly appealing. In terms of maintenance, it couldn’t be simpler. The appearance of this concept exudes an air of professionalism and industrial design.

This is also known as the “exposed look.” One of the advantages of the unfinished design is that you can eventually complete it if it ever goes out of style in order to compete with the latest trend.

3. Open Kitchen Design

According to business owners and interior designers, an open kitchen design creates a trendy and distinctive style, engages the customers more, and allows them to customize their meals. In other words, it can improve the customer’s overall experience.

4. Design of a Living Room

Because of how congested cafes are, the living room design has become more and more common. With this, the café will resemble a living room in a home. There would be nice booths, plush sofas, and a good amount of space for seating.

5. Mixed Themes

Mixing themes is also a good idea that can bring a new look to your cafe. For instance, if you have concrete floors, you can go for recycled tables, while your benchtops are made out of marble.

Mixing various elements together can create a clash of textures and a unique look. Additionally, it offers a café’s interior design an appealing, warm, and industrial feel.

6. Make Use of Flowers and Plants

Flowers and plants offer a unique aura, add a variety of colors, and give any café a “spring” sense. Curated plants can be used to beautify the table tops, service counters, and front doors. 

Additionally, this gives customers and staff a very positive, vibrant, and jovial feeling when they are inside the café. To give a café the appearance of an oasis of greenery, some owners add a leafy feature wall or vertical herb gardens.

Lighting Options for Your Cafe 

Your ability to draw in more customers each day will have a big impact on how successful your café is. Lighting is one of those elements that create moods and add aesthetics to your space, enticing more people to come to your café business.

Therefore, you need particular lighting fixtures to make sure your café looks its best. Given the significance of lighting, there are some aspects to take into account while selecting the appropriate lighting such as the types, styles, and many other factors. 

Natural Lighting

Many cafe owners are unaware that natural lighting or the sunlight coming through your windows, is a better alternative for producing an attractive indoor aesthetic. This is one way to make your interiors look more real. 

It’s interesting how natural light gives rooms a feeling of openness and airiness. To let more sunlight come into your space, try to match large windows, mirrors, and skylights together. 

Lighting Fixtures

Lighting fixtures are a wonderful choice for cafés that serve customers after hours or in a closed setting. By using low-intensity lighting, the building’s light fixtures contribute to the creation of a relaxing atmosphere. 

With lighting fixtures, it creates an ideal atmosphere for unwinding which entices the customers to go to the bar area. Such lighting options may add a certain amount to your expenses. However, it is a great way to attract customers to go to your cafe.

The following are some of the common types of lighting fixtures that you should know. Familiarize yourself with each of these and see which are best suited for your café. 

1. Task Lighting

Task lighting has a concentrated light source such as bright fluorescent lights and overhead lamps. It helps the customers and the staff in doing their tasks. Such lighting must be set up in areas such as the hostess stand and above the patron tables.

2. Accent Lighting

Accent lighting has an artistic quality and adds drama to the space. It is used to add focal points to objects or locations that you want to draw attention to, like an elaborate piece of art or a fireplace. 

Similar to task lighting, it also uses a concentrated light source. To utilize it, you can also put it in a sitting area or any other similar environment. Simply adjust their position so that your ambiance looks nicer. 

3. Artistic Lighting

Installing artistic light fixtures is one way to make your café’s interiors look spectacular. Although they may not provide bright lighting, they have an attractive look. With its distinctive looks, it could draw more clients to your café.

These artistic lighting fixtures are best for ambient lighting because they typically use incandescent bulbs. Some overhead lamps with a filament inside them belong to this type of lighting as well.

4. Ambient or General Lighting

Ambient or general lighting ensures that the area is well-lit so that customers can move with ease. It doesn’t have definite focal points since it is intended for enhancing the café’s overall look.

If you place the proper lighting shade in the dark, it is similar to sunlight in some ways. If you don’t want this light to be on all day, you may also install a dimming control or an automated shut-off sensor.

Choosing the Best Coffee Machine for Your Café

Serving the best coffee for your customers should always be your top priority as a café owner. To make amazing coffee concoctions, you need to invest in high-quality coffee ingredients and a coffee machine.

The secret to making tasty, great drinks (even at huge volumes) that will impress your customers and keep them coming back for more is having a sturdy and efficient coffee machine. Later on, this equipment will provide the best return on investment. 

However, choosing the best one for your café can be challenging given the wide range of options on the market. The following factors will help you decide how to choose the best coffee machine for your business.

1. Type of Coffee Machine

Nowadays, there are several coffee machines that come in various types and have different functionalities. Basically, there are four types of commercial coffee machines: manual, semi-automatic, automatic and super-automatic.

1. Manual

Manual espresso machines may require more strength, skill, and delicacy in handling. With this type of machine, manual brewing pressure is needed during the process.

As a result, the amount of pressure the barista puts on to extract the espresso will affect how it tastes. You must also take into account your barista’s skill if you choose a manual machine for your café.

2. Semi-automatic

The pressure in the semi-automatic coffee machine comes from a mechanical pump. While the brewing pressure is more consistent, the barista will still need to exert some control to start and stop the extraction and brewing processes.

Despite being semi-automatic, the barista’s attention is still crucial for managing the result. A skilled barista will be more adaptable in making adjustments as they go. 

3. Automatic

With an automatic coffee machine, you can expect consistent taste, yield, and brewing pressure. Various people have different preferences for how automatic coffee makers operate.

There’s a machine that uses a fixed amount of water for each espresso. There is also an automatic coffee maker that weighs your serving of coffee and calculates how much water is required for brewing.

4. Super-automatic

On the other hand, super-automatic coffee machines enable you to grind, dose, tamp, brew, and steam a beverage with just the touch of a button. Such a machine can handle everything on its own and baristas will have little-to-no control over the beverages.

2. Volume of Customers

Make an estimate of how many espresso-based beverages you expect to sell each day to start. Determine how many customers need to be served by observing the volume of visitors at your location at various times of the day.

In the future, if your customer base grows, you could need to upgrade your equipment. This is to ensure that it can handle the number of consumers you need to serve each day without underperforming.

3. Budget

Be aware that a coffee machine is one of the most crucial pieces of equipment you will purchase for your café business. You should therefore allocate a sufficient amount for this.

There are many various coffee machines to pick from, depending on how much you are willing to spend on this equipment. Narrow your options by determining how much you can spend on a coffee machine.

Top Café Design Services in Brisbane

Here are some cafe design services in Brisbane. These interior designers can assist you in refining your concept and making it a reality, whether you choose a minimalist, modern, or vintage design.

1. Clui Design

Clui Design has more than 15 years of experience providing creative and distinctive design solutions for the commercial, retail, hospitality, and healthcare sectors. Their collaborative design approach ensures client engagement at every step of the process.

WEBSITE:	https://clui.com.au/
ADDRESS:	3/24 Brereton St, South Brisbane QLD 4101, Australia
CONTACT INFO:	+61 7 3232 3210
OPERATING HOURS:	Monday – Friday: 8:30AM-5:30PM

2. Dreampods Group Pty Ltd

The Dreampods Group specializes in designing cutting-edge interiors for hotels, shops, offices, and medical facilities. Their dedicated team is helping their clients achieve their design objectives.

WEBSITE:	https://dreampodsgroup.com.au/
ADDRESS:	Brisbane QLD
CONTACT INFO:	+61 430 935 557, [email protected]
OPERATING HOURS:	Monday – Friday: 8:30AM-5PM

3. Collectivus

Collectivus provides a broad range of services, from interior design to building completion and branding. Their team blends passion and purpose to come up with distinctive physical and branded spaces.

WEBSITE:	https://www.collectivus.com.au/
ADDRESS:	Level 1/17 Morgan St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006, Australia
CONTACT INFO:	+61 7 3240 1630
OPERATING HOURS:	Monday – Friday: 8AM-5PM

4. Techniche Design

Techniche Design has substantial project and industry experience spanning more than 20 years. They deliver an end result that is solution-based and suited to their client’s requirements and their target audience.

WEBSITE:	https://technichedesign.com.au/
ADDRESS:	23/100 Lockrose Street, Mitchelton, QLD 4053
CONTACT INFO:	+61 7 3855 9385, [email protected]
OPERATING HOURS:	Monday – Thursday: 9AM-5PM

5. Homme Interiors

In 2005, Homme Interiors was established with a primary focus on property styling and management. Since then, it has developed and is currently providing a variety of design, contracting, manufacturing, and furnishings solutions.

WEBSITE:	https://www.homme.net.au/
ADDRESS:	44 Hynes St, Fortitude Valley QLD 4006, Australia
CONTACT INFO:	+61 7 3852 3496, [email protected]
OPERATING HOURS:	Monday – Friday: 10AM-7PM

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It is important to get the cafe design and fit-out right from the start as this can impact the overall running of the business. In this article, you have all the information you need to create a café that is both functional and beautiful.