Great interior design doesn't come about by chance and when it comes to the hospitality industry it's imperative your company branding ties seamlessly back to your company's interior design aesthetic. Brand consistency and recognition is a natural extension of a successful cafe interior concept. The atmosphere created by the interior styling, the promise of delicious food and a favourable experience, is key to repeat custom.
No 1. on your checklist for finding your Cafe's interior design & branding sweetspot
VIBE. What is your image and how is this interpreted by your customers? In other words. What's your vibe? Urban Chic, rustic, eclectic, playful or mid century modern are a few of the diehard favourites. Choose a style that fits well with you and the type of food you sell; it will offer authenticity to your brand. Set the scene with wall panelling, flooring styles and built in bench seating. Be specific on lighting style choices. Add fresh table arrangements and feature plants. A crucial element of an energising vibe is the attitude of your staff that stems from a positive company culture. The best looking cafe with a flat vibe and unhappy team will show through every time.
No 2. on your checklist for finding your Cafe's interior design & branding sweetspot
CONSISTENCY. When I come to your cafe for brunch and order the eggs benedict with salmon, I want it to be exactly the same as last time and the time before. And so it is the same for your image. Your interior style aesthetic should shine through on your printed material website and social media platforms. Stick to your brand colours and fonts, and allow your interior style flow freely throughout your branding. Include your logo and custom printing on coffee cups, aprons and menus. And pay a pro when it comes to food styling photography.
Design | John Wegman
No 3. on your checklist for finding your Cafe's interior design & branding sweetspot
UNIQUENESS. What can you offer me as a customer that I can't get anywhere else? Define your specialty and make it shine. It may be a signature dish whipped up by your fabulous chef, your amazing interior decor, a custom mural, or the synergy between two staff members front of house. Maybe it's simply your warm inviting approach to your customers. Find your uniqueness and work it!
No 4. on your checklist for finding your Cafe's interior design & branding sweetspot
USABILITY. This is more about interior design rather than branding, and here is the question. "Is the space uncomfortable? Or worse, is it too comfortable?" The key here is for it to be somewhere between the two. Here are a few scenarios for you to consider.
Scenario one: I invite a friend to your cafe for a lunchtime meeting and she says to me. "Lets go someplace else. Between the coffee machine, music and customer chatter I cant hear myself think!" To which I respond: "The place I met you last time was too quiet, I felt other customers were listening to our conversation." The answer lies in incorporating suitable acoustic solutions in the space, deadening the reverberating noise, but retaining an upbeat ambient buzz.
Scenario two: Your cafe is my favourite local. It's warm, the coffee is great and there is free WiFi. So what's the problem? Well none for me, but there is for you! I turn up, treat your comfy five seater corner booth like a mobile office, stay for two hours, chat loudly on my mobile, muck around on Facebook and only order one coffee. All the while your good paying customers sit on the wooden seats wishing they were where I was because it's a family outing and they needed the larger table.
As an interior designer my strengths lie in dealing with these problems before they arise. Acoustics, seating plans, strategically placed lighting and identifying traffic flow pinch points are all super important elements to get right the first time when designing a cafe space that can be enjoyed by your customers. Customersare finicky, fickle creatures that react to the smallest of perceived problems and there's a good chance they are not going to tell you what they are.
When embarking on the refit of a cafe space your focus will be on everything other than what I have mentioned in this blog. The truth is, there is simply just so many things to consider when setting up a cafe that without help in these specialist areas you will overlook some very important features. An interior designer trained in commercial spaces can guide you through the process. Not only will the end result look amazing, you will also be running a humming profitable business. After all that is the whole reason you are doing it. Right?
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