Opening A Coffee Shop And How To Design It
Consider your layout when opening a coffee shop. A well designed layout should encourage comfortable movement within your coffee shop. It’s important that customers can find a table and get to it with ease. Your barista or service crew should also have ample room to do their job efficiently and quickly without bumping into customers.
If you have no background in architecture or interior design, it would be safe to do some research about the proper layout for your coffee shop. You don’t want to spend more money renovating after you’ve realized a floor plan mistake. You can of course hire a professional designer is a viable option when opening a coffee shop.
Before making any measurements or deciding on the size of your coffee shop, find out how many customers you would expect on a busy day. You also have to make a decision about how many customers you can handle at a single given time. Consider your volume when planning the layout and opening a coffee shop.
Take measurements of your coffee shop’s interiors. Measure the walls, floor, doors and windows. Take note of your equipment, where you will position them and how much space you will need for them. List down your equipment and their measurements. Do the same for your furniture if you already have them. Email the measurements to your designer and wait for them to contact you.
If you like your designer’s initial layout, she could then take a trip out to the site where you are planning on opening a coffee shop. This will lead to further discussion about your coffee shop’s design and floor plan in the dining area and kitchen. She can also make some suggestions regarding furniture and accents for your shop.
The next thing you may have to do is to get health and building codes. The health inspectors will require anyone opening a coffee shop to install a grease trap and floor drains. Another thing they will look at are your finishes for your walls, floor and ceiling. The inspectors will also verify if your architect’s or designer’s layout is compliant with ADA requirements, zoning, fire exit, and parking regulations.
Your contractor can start working on your coffee shop as soon as you get clearance. Although you will try to cut costs, make sure that you do follow regulations. Add the required number of drains, install new electrical wiring and water pipes if needed. Provide handicap and fire escape access.
Opening a coffee shop requires you to spend money on many things including design, marketing, inventory, and advertising. Your contractor and designer can create ways to cut costs. That is fine as long as you comply with all regulations. Take a share of the work involved in designing your coffee shop and try to work out a discount with your contractor and designer. This will enable you to save for other important areas.