Define Your Cafe’s Personality
Before moving on to designing your café, you need to create a personal signature for your brand. For example, people around the world are familiar with the overall theme and colors of companies like Dunkin and Starbucks. Before walking in any franchised store, you can even envision what they look like, too. So how are you going to define your cafe’s personality?
It’s about executing on your vision. If you say your brand is going to go “above and beyond” for the customer, be consistent with that message. If your goal is to be original, come up with decorations that people have never seen before. Maybe you want your brand to be known for helping the community. In that case, participate in as many charitable events as you can and keep giving back!
Maximum Use of Space
Use your cafe space by coming up with a detailed floor plan with a concept behind it. It sets the tone for your customers’ experience and helps you stand out from your competition. It should be mentioned that getting maximum use out of your space doesn’t mean cramming as much furniture into your cafe as possible. Rather, it’s about effective planning so that every part of your cafe relates to your brand.

Distinctive Elements
Music Theme
Think about your ideal customer and their needs. Do they prefer an energetic atmosphere or do they want to relax and concentrate on work? Your music could play a large factor for design. Soft, low-fi music is good for a quieter cafe where people want to work in peace. You don’t usually walk into a cafe and hear loud heavy-metal music playing, right? The music sets the whole tone for your business.

Elegant & Comfortable Furniture
Making your sitting area elegant and comfortable does have an impact on your brand. Being comfortable is something that customers feel on an emotional level. It promotes relaxation and you can physically feel the softness of furniture. It’s fitting for people in a business meeting or even friends gathering for a coffee date.
Effective Lighting
How can lighting have maximum impact on your design? By setting the mood just like music or furniture can! Bright lights signal an upbeat, energetic environment. On the other hand, if you opt for dim lighting, it creates a relaxing atmosphere. Just make sure it’s still light enough to see the menu and food items. Dim lighting suits a cafe that wants to create a calm setting.
Learn from the Competition
Keep on learning no matter the popularity of your brand. Your competitors provide valuable information about trends in the market. If you really want maximum impact in your design, there are more than a few variables you can study. Check out your competitor pricing and see how different it is from yours. Are they overpriced? Are they offering lots of promotions and deals? See if there’s any reason to change what you’re doing.
