This is part five of our series on how to run and maintain a cafe. Find the other resources in the series below:
- Finding The Right Audience For Your Cafe
- Cafe Interior Design: Using Colour and Decoration
- How To Select Your Ideal Cafe Furniture
- How To Choose The Best Cafe Layout
- Cafe Decoration: Adding The Finishing Touches To Your Cafe
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If you have the right type of furniture, layout and environment for your cafe, it is time to add your finishing touches to complete the overall look and feel of your establishment. You can really enhance the vibe of your cafe and give customers a better experience with the addition of extra ornaments and added flourishes.
Continue reading this guide to find the best cafe decoration ideas that will leave your customers wanting to return.
Cafe decoration ideas
Cushions
To increase comfor, you can add cushions or seating pads. If customers feel comfortable in your cafe, they are more likely to return and recommend your coffee shop to a friend.
Unique lighting fixtures
Use unique lighting fixtures, such as pendant lamps, chandeliers or exposed-bulb fixtures, to create an intimate and interesting environment. If your cafe has a theme, you can also purchase light fixtures that fit in with the theme to make it feel more authentic.
Vintage or repurposed items
Consider vintage or repurposed items as part of your cafe decoration, such as old suitcases, crates, or barrels, to add a touch of nostalgia and character to your cafe. The more unique your cafe is, the higher the chance that customers will notice it.
Artwork
Art and photographic displays can create a unique and personal touch. Adding these can also captivate customers and set an establishment apart from other local businesses.
Plants
Adding some greenery as part of cafe decoration can have significant benefits, such as increasing the aesthetic and drawing in customers. It can also help keep the air clean, depending on the plants that are used.
Other considerations
Local Community
Building a strong relationship with the local community can give you an advantage over the big brands you may be competing against locally. You can create an authentic connection with locals by installing a notice board, reaching out to clubs and societies, offering your space for meetings and raising money for local schools or charities.
Online Presence
Social media can also be utilised to post any specials you have on, keep in touch with patrons or promote seasonal events you might be hosting. While you should always be keeping your own social media up-to-date, you can also encourage engagement by creating competitions and even ensuring your decor is ‘Instagrammable’. Having interesting wall art will increase your chances of being mentioned on social media and spread the word about your business.
Ensuring you have a Google business profile is also essential to your online presence in order to get you noticed for local online searches and to build those all important Google reviews.
Cash Vs Cashless
It’s important to consider whether your restaurant will take cash, card or both, and whether there are other options to consider. While sometimes it’s best to have as many options as possible to cater to a wider customer base, you don’t want to stretch yourself too thin and over complicate the process.
Ensuring longevity for you cafe
There can be an unfortunate three-year cycle in the cafe startups. A successful first year, a less profitable than forecast second year and then a decline and closure in the third year.
A well thought through and managed business can avoid this by implementing our above suggestions and making business savvy decisions along the way. Restaurants should look for a high growth first year before taking stock in year two and carrying out a refurb and expansion in year three. This gives your business something to aim for and a plan to bring back customers if a year three slump does occur.
Shop cafe furniture with Warner Contract Furniture
For more cafe decoration ideas and other informative furniture content, be sure to check out our blog. We want to help your cafe succeed. Our cafe furniture is built to last through rigorous usage, and we look to deliver your furniture as quickly as possible.
Explore our cafe furniture, or contact our team to discuss bespoke furniture.