20 Best Cafeteria Designs – Cafeteria Layout, Interior & Decor

Opening a coffee house is an allusive idea in 2018, given so many people worldwide are crazy for coffee and their love for its different varieties. Do you know there are about 100 million coffee lovers in the United States alone, that’s why this industry is booming? So, it is no brainier to say that a coffee business is perhaps the most viable and safe option in the entire hospitality sector. Starting a cafe is profitable; there are so many stories of small cafeterias expanding & developing into a big cafe chain. An example is the success of Starbucks, as today it has over 25,000 outlets worldwide.

Are you considering opening a cafeteria? The first thing you require is to formulate a solid business plan. This document will define what exactly your business is, what are its short-term and long-term goals? The business blueprint also involves determining your potential customer base, along with the kind of competition you expect. To boil down, without properly strategizing your business you will significantly lower your chances of achieving big business goals.

Now, coming to the bigger aspect that can make or break your coffee business is the design of your cafeteria-

Just for a second, think why people visit big coffee houses like Starbucks, instead of preparing their favorite brewer? Yes, the exclusive taste is what they crave for, having coffee at a cafeteria is about the experience, something they can relish over a cup of cappuccino. Your customers will come to your coffee house, solely because of the rich coffee experience you are going to present. This is reason why investing a good amount of money in the overall design of the cafeteria can help your business stay ahead of its rivals. The design of your cafeteria is what will magnetize your customers to visit your cafe more than once and recommend it to their friends and relatives.

The Store Front Design

At first, you need to decide on the exterior cafeteria layout, you can either go with the traditional designs or offer something unique that coffee lovers have never experienced. Ideally, the storefront design of your café should be such that it easily conveys the message to your customers. You can have a lavish ambience with artists playing the guitar while your guests sip their brewer or an outdoor seating in the lap of nature, there is so much you can do to go beyond the expectations of your clients.

 Best Cafe Design Ideas

1. The Wooden Ceiling

Create a striking effect with the layered and wooden touch ceiling at your coffee shop. This is a coffee bar decor idea that has a magical ability to draw attention instantaneously. You can talk to a commercial interior design specialist to help you built an amazing ambience for your customers with the right use of the ceiling.

2. Home-Like Feel

Create a home-like feel at your coffee shop. This coffee design idea is great for friends and families to visit your place. Your customers will experience that they are enjoying coffee in their drawing room.

3. Richness

Bring about a touch of richness and a feel of royal to your coffee shop space with investment in graceful furnishing. The walling should be married with artistic paintings those can draw the attention of your customers, giving them a big reason to visit your coffee house every weekend.

4. Open Design

With the latest trends in the market is for clustered setting, but what following the opposite path by having an open-design where your guests can explore ideas in their mind.

5. Vibrant Setting

Create a vivid setting cafeteria design by playing with an array of colors and diverse coffee shop wall design options. Go with bold and modern-styled furnishings.

6. Beach Setting

Built a perfect open-air, coastal feel cafeteria. But,  if your coffee shop is not next to a beach, you can create a setting with sun breached wood tables.

7. Retro Teak Wooden Design

You can do so much with teak wood. What about eye-catching lounge area engulfed with wood? This will establish a stylish yet peaceful place to enjoy coffee

8. Black and White

A minimalist cafe design with maximum utility is always a favourite place for customers. Just add sleek, black and white chairs, and coffee tables and it will turn into a favourite place for busy office goers to have a quick bite and relax after the hectic office hours.

9. Lanterns

Woody interiors and warm lightings make a cafe a preferred destination for ceremonial family dining. The hanging lanterns make the food experience richer.

10. Dome

Your customers love it when you make them feel special. Create a dome-like structure around the table. Give a perfect finish by putting a hanging light at the centre of each table resembling the peak of the dome.

11. Metallic 

Design a sculptural ceiling inspired by the vapours of coffee. Add a few metallic sculptures of coffeemakers on the wall, and incorporate metallic surfaces and furnishings to create the illusion of more space.

12. Rustic Design

Add great copper lamps wrapped over the tables and keep the walls simple with rustic brick design. This type of café design is perfect for writers, readers and artists who love to spend their winter afternoons in a cozy environment with a tasty cup of cappuccino.

13. Industrial Coffee Shop

Metal tables attached to the walls and exposed pipes with bulbs give out a perfect industrial vibe. Small stools and wall attached mini tables convey a clear and smart-space interior design message to your customer.

14. Shabby Brick Wall

For a softer Industrial décor, go with shabby brick walls and metal furniture. You can soften out the look with pillows, flowers and pastel colours.

15. Wooden Pallets

A wall covered with pallets in contrast with red chairs and retro tables gives out traditional vibes with a hint of modern decor. This type of café design is perfect for family gatherings and casual business lunch.

16. Renaissance

Induce classic royal feels in your café interior by going with the renaissance feels for your café design. Choose soft colours from the colour pallets (pink, pearl, purple, and blue) and finish off the look with golden bordered mirrors.

17. Hanging Cups

For a more futuristic and innovative café design, hand cups and plates on the counter. You can also customize it by adding a light bulb in the cups and hanging it on the top of each table.

18. All white

White, with a touch of gold, set a peaceful vibe for your coffee shop. White walls and matching furniture creates a minimalistic look and gives an illusion of a wider space. Try adding classical piano music or soft jazz music in the background to match with the vibe.

19. Parachutes

People who love adventurous sports will definitely fall in love with this interior design. Attach parachutes to the ceiling along with a cute pilot model attached at the bottom.

20. 60s Style

Go bold with a super colourful green and pink interior in the classic 60s style. Pick flashy pink tables and green chairs for the interior. Enhance the vibe with 60s music.

How to choose the right furniture for your Cafe

1. Your Concept

The concept behind your café should be your first consideration when deciding on the furniture. If you are planning to open a takeaway coffee shop with the option to sit and have a quick bite, you can opt for a more minimal approach to furnishing. On the other hand, if you are opening a cafe where people come and sit for a while, your cafe furniture should be inviting, comfortable and designed for long periods of sitting position. If your cafe will be hosting a lot of larger parties, consider buying huge tables to accommodate them. Be certain to match the theme of your furniture with the theme of your cafe.

2. Consider Furniture Material

Does your café have a classic, natural feel? If so, wood and medium-density fibreboard are excellent choices. Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene material is also very good to consider for a brighter, more colourful options. If you are creating a more elegant atmosphere for your guests, then it’s better to invest in glass. No matter what material you select for your furnishings, make sure that it is something that you will be able to maintain and replace as frequently as needed.

3. Multipurpose Furnishings

Does your cafe offer outdoor seating? Are you in a location and weather conditions where guests can sit outside all year long? Can guests use the space in the winter? You need to consider these important aspects before selecting furniture for your café. Invest in furniture options available that offer dual functionality as they look impressive both indoors and outdoors. Choose a material such as aluminium or a high-quality polypropylene for more durability.

4. Quality, Durability and Maintenance

It’s wise enough to invest in furniture that can withstand any type of wear. Be sure to purchase furnishings that are durable and well-made. Always buy commercial-grade furnishings as they are better to maintain. Purchase high-quality, low-maintenance furnishing options such as anodized aluminium or powder-coated steel. Wooden furnishings require more care so you will need to ensure that your café employees know how to best take care of it. When choosing coverings for your furniture, always go for a waterproof material because spills are an inevitable occurrence in a cafe.  If your cafe has wooden or tile floors, strongly consider placing scratch-free pads on the bottoms of your tables and chairs. Not only will it save your floors, tiles and carpets from visible scratches but also helps to reduce the noise when moving the furniture around.

5. Do research

The easiest way to make sure that you are getting the best for your budget is by doing a little research. You can keep your cost down by cutting out the middleman. With just a little bit of help from the internet, you can pretty quickly note down the manufacturer and deal with them directly. You can also go for commercial-grade furnishing for your café. Just be alert and don’t pay more than the market price.

In the end, why think or rethink, try any of these ideas, in line with your budget.