Great Ways To Give Your Cafe A Makeover

by William Powell Writer/Educator

A successful cafe is more than its menu, it's also about the vibes and style. How your cafe looks matters just as much as how everything tastes. Old and outdated decorations, fixtures, and furniture can have a big effect on your success. Here are a few great ways to give your cafe a makeover, allowing you to turn it from a sore thumb to a thumb’s up.

1. Excellent Exteriors

The outside of your cafe matters more than you’d think. This is the first thing that patrons see when they’re trying to decide if they’d like to visit your cafe. If your building is old, drab, outdated, and maybe even a little tacky, it’s less likely people will want to go inside and see what you have to offer.

Renovating the exterior of your cafe often begins with getting new awnings. Awnings not only provide a lot of style and character, but they also provide shade and extra protection for the building. Consider investing in a new storefront awning, allowing you to grab people from the outside, making them interested in the inside before they even get there. Window awnings are also a useful and attractive addition. Whether you’re looking for custom awnings, retractable awnings, or something else, new awnings are a great investment.

Paint, trim, windows, and signage all help create a brand and aura for your cafe. If the outside of your building looks inviting, people will want to see what’s going on inside as well. Consider making the outside of your building match your branding, whether by using custom signage, colors, or something else. First impressions matter, make sure that yours is a good one.

2. Hanging Additions

Most businesses usually have some sort of hanging display, whether on the inside or outside. These displays help customers find relevant information, such as sales, menus, and more. They also help add extra style and branding to your walls. High-quality wall hangings help convey the prestige that the rest of your establishment serves, which matters more than you’d think.

Consider hanging plants and other decor. Sometimes filling blank space helps an establishment feel more cozy, creating an impression of comfort and welcoming tones. You may match these hangings to your exterior, and with our many different options for both storefront and window awnings, you’ll find that easier than ever to achieve. Hanging art and plants also helps add extra character and personality, which can help strengthen your branding and your public opinion.

However, it’s important to choose wisely, as there’s a clear line between welcoming extras and clutter. Make sure that your hangings fit the spaces where you place them, and never overdo it. Allow some free space, especially near menus and places where people will need to focus. Too much in one space can hurt your customer approval, since they’d struggle to access the information that they want to access.

3. Furniture and Seating

Comfort is a huge aspect of going to a cafe. Most people want to frequent places where they feel welcome to sit and relax. This is why it’s important to create comfortable sitting areas, including outdoor seating if you have the space. This helps make your establishment more inviting, and the longer people stay, the more people are likely to spend.

Consider creating a comfortable outdoor seating area. This can be done by utilizing comfortable water-resistant furniture, sturdy tables, ambient lighting, and maybe even some app-controlled awnings, allowing customers to sit and enjoy the weather even on super sunny or mildly rainy days. Awnings can be UV resistant, installed quickly, and can even be customized. There are a wide variety of options that can fit any sitting space, creating a perfect place for customers.

Be sure that seating spaces are easy to access and offer enough open space so that they don’t feel cluttered or crowded. Many will utilize a well-lit, comfortable patio space, but only if they feel comfortable being there.

4. The Extras

Makeovers aren’t just physical, the whole package matters, including the coffee beans you use. Good coffee goes a long way, so it’s important to take note of the coffee bean that your cafe uses. Quality coffee comes from quality beans, and people notice when you offer quality products in a comfortable space.

Make sure that your extras match the quality of your exterior and interior. Gorgeous design is no good if nobody wants what you’re selling, which is why adding some extras matters. Add hygiene products to your bathrooms, offer scented hand sanitizer, give samples, have an inviting coffee bar, and pay attention to what people enjoy most. Offering quality coffee and pastries will draw in a crowd, especially when everything else is also top quality.

Giving your space a makeover isn’t always easy, but it is possible. Take note of how the outside of your building looks. Match a high-quality exterior by also upgrading your interior. Make sure that people can access the information they need by utilizing your wall space, and never skimp on the essentials, like good coffee and tasty treats. If you focus on the whole package, you’ll find that people want the whole package.

image source: https://pixabay.com/photos/coffee-book-caffeine-cup-espresso-2319107/