How to Create the Optimum Small Coffee Shop Floor Plan

The coffee shop market is a saturated one. Lucky for you, a survey found that Brits drink 95 million cups of coffee a day – so there are plenty of customers to target. To stand out from the competition, you need to make sure you’re doing everything possible to engage with customers and keep them coming back for their morning latte. 

That all starts with your floor plan. It needs to be welcoming, straightforward and efficiently use the space. Here’s how to create the perfect small coffee shop floor plan. 

 

Things to Consider in Your Coffee Shop Floor Plan

Design for the Space You Have

You may only have limited space to work with when designing your floor plan. Keep in mind that space isn’t really a problem when it comes to coffee shops. Many shoppers look for a cosy and intimate atmosphere anyway, so the smaller space can be part of the shop’s charm and still attract customers. 

However, it’s still important to put time and thought into the floor plan. If space is at a premium, then you’ll need to consider how much seating you can have available and any space-saving storage solutions that will help. 

Clear Concept

A strong and unique concept will ensure your coffee shop stands out from the crowd. This concept needs to begin with the floor plan. Whether you’re thinking of a theme that’s old-fashioned, chic, family-friendly, industrial or continental – it needs to shape the plan. 

If you choose a simple, minimalist theme, for example, then your plan should reflect that. This theme can be very successful, but only if the shop’s layout reflects that. In this scenario, there should be fewer fixtures and fittings to create a stripped-back feel. 

Don’t Forget About Outdoor Space

So many shops and restaurants forget to consider their outdoor space when creating their layouts. Entrances, terraces, seating areas and even the windows can all be used effectively to improve a customer’s experience and ensure they return in the future. 

Your signage and the design of your shop front are equally important. It’s the first impression that someone will have with your coffee shop. If you can’t catch their eye or they’re unsure what your shop even is, then they’re likely to take their business elsewhere. Create an enticing and welcoming first impression and you’ll see both customers and sales increase. 

Equipment Takes Up Space

Don’t buy any equipment or furniture before you’re completely happy with your floor plan. There’s nothing worse than investing in expensive coffee machines or design features, only to realise you don’t really have the space for them. 

Finish the layout first and you’ll save money on items you can’t actually end up using. If you have certain ideas in mind, include them in the plan at the earliest possible point so they’re a part of any future decisions that could cause problems further down the line. 

What You’ll Need

Once you’ve decided on a winning coffee shop floor plan, it’s time to think about what you need to make it a reality. For example, we’ve already talked about how important the outdoor space is and how it shouldn’t be an afterthought. 

If you have the room, then something like a fabric canvas banner can attract the eye of passing customers and draw them into the shop. At Dominion Print, we’ve created banners like this for Caffè Nero and Costa Coffee, although they can be just as successful for less well-known brands. 

dominion costa

dominion nero

They’re simple, effective and a great way of advertising who you are. Once you’ve grabbed someone’s attention, it’s time to entice them through your doors and this can be done with the right exterior window graphics. 

They take up no space on your floor plan but they can be used to display promotional messaging and immediately showcase your brand identity. We did just that for a winter campaign for TOG24. 

window display

Once the customer is through the doors, it’s about maximising your sales. In your floor plan, you’ll have thought about where you want your counter to be. What you might not have considered is how you can use it to encourage unplanned purchases. 

Although not a coffee shop, we did something similar with TOG24, creating internal sales boards that grabbed attention and displayed promotional materials. Place these on your counter and have them tell customers about offers on cakes or biscuits and you’ll see sales figures increase. 

 

Why Your Floor Plan is Important

The right floor plan will increase sales because customers are more likely to return in the future. If you don’t put much thought into your layout, then you’ll face avoidable problems that keep customers away. 

If you don’t utilise space in the best way and customers feel like they’re crowded, then you’re not going to cultivate a relaxed and tranquil atmosphere that customers look for in coffee shops. 

You may be tempted to think that a coffee shop floor plan is fairly simple. The space is, on average, significantly smaller than a restaurant or retail store. This is a misconception. Just because there’s less space, it doesn’t mean you can’t use it in a way that’s going to boost sales. 

interior cards

You should now have an idea of just how important a small coffee shop floor plan is but there’s a lot more to know before you create your own. To make things a little easier, we’ve created a few handy templates. 

 

Download Your Free Floor Plan Templates 

Get your free floor plan templates now by clicking the link below. They’re perfect for ideas and inspiration when it comes to creating your own plan – whether it’s for a coffee shop, exhibition or hotel. Plus, it’ll show you how Dominion Print can take your floor plan to the next level to wow customers and increase sales. 

{{cta(‘c4a6c697-86e4-4161-85d0-277a18dfa3e3’)}}