Profitable design design and fit-out.

Profitable design

Good design and appropriate store fit-out can make or break the smooth-running and success of a coffee shop or café. Here, we share the views and ideas of two companies involved in store design and fitout, and who have experience of the café sector – Iron & Fire and Gadsby.

MORE THAN JUST THE FURNITURE

“Today’s high streets are abuzz with a rich and varied selection of coffee shops. In many cases, they’re a go-to venue and must cater for a diverse mix of busy creatives looking to work in buzzy surroundings, new mums meeting to compare parenting experiences, students fuelling their studies and business people abandoning the corporate office,” Kevin Burrows (pictured), founder, Iron & Fire Speciality Coffee reminds us.

“And with this coming of age progression, comes the need for coffee shop owners – or those aspiring to be – to give much greater thought to the fit-out of a new venture so that they achieve stand-out in a highly competitive market. A coffee shop is, after all, more than just a great cup of coffee. It’s an experience and the more compelling that experience, the greater the margin you’ll make.

“Iron & Fire has worked with numerous independent coffee shops supporting not only their coffee purchasing needs, but also the aesthetics and layouts of their enterprises too. We call it the ‘feng shui’ of coffee shops!”

Firstly, advise Iron & Fire, consider your brand’s image and how the fitout will reflect this. Be clear on your style and then execute it to perfection. Whether it’s clinical white tiles, industrial chic, 60s retro, or a comfy lounge vibe, having a clear vision will help to rationalise the fittings that you invest in, they point out. However, don’t forget what your local food safety inspector is likely to see as appropriate - a scaffold plank bench may fit perfectly with your post-apocalyptic zombie themed vision, but the inspector may not agree if it doesn’t meet hygiene standards!

“Think also about the flow of customers as they enter the shop. Where will they queue? Will there be table service? Mums on the post school drop off may need space for prams. Another important consideration is disabled access and movement within the shop. A small step may be easy for many but could be a nightmare to a wheelchair user. Viewing your potential layout through differing eyes is a good idea,” Kevin Burrows continues.

“Don’t forget to address staff needs too. What space will be behind the counter and how many people will need to work there when it’s busy? With an efficient layout, it’s amazing how little space you need, leaving more room for covers. But get it wrong, and it’ll soon turn to chaos when it’s busy.

“Espresso machine placement is also important - your back to the customer makes it harder to communicate but allows them to see your talents in action, whilst having the back of the machine towards the customer creates its own aesthetic issues. Side on to the customer is often the best compromise. Finally, remember a coffee machine should be at work surface height not counter height.”

The physical location of equipment is another consideration given its effect on efficiencies, advise Iron & Fire. Is there space for a small bake-off oven out front, or will food prep be managed elsewhere? Where will dishwashing be carried out, and is there space for sufficient cups and crockery? Buying extra cups may act as a buffer during busy times but will require storage space. A bad layout or ill-placed equipment could require another member of staff to make up for the inefficiencies created.

“For our partners with a takeaway service, we recommend locating coffee machines close to the window or door so that customers can see how quickly they’ll be served. Experience points to those doing this selling much more coffee than those where the machine is hidden at the back. Keeping the door open, meanwhile, is more inviting and a strategically placed sofa near a window works wonders,” adds Kevin Burrows.

“Then there’s utilities. A nearby fresh water supply at a minimum pressure of two bar, as well as space for a water filter, ideally within 1.5 metres of the machine, is vital. Likewise, a sufficient power supply for the espresso machine you’ll use could mean that engaging your equipment supplier before even signing the lease could avoid costly upgrades at a later stage.

“With all these considerations in place, investing in your coffee shop fitout should become clearer. However, remain flexible to future change. Observe how your customers interact with your business, then double down on what works and get rid of what doesn’t. Don’t invest so heavily that change becomes impossible to afford at a later stage.

“Above all, remember that efficient layout and associated staffing can make or break a coffee shop - a regular consuming a cup of coffee a day is worth about £650 a year in profit to you, so cherish each new customer with a smile and provide an experience worth returning for.”

NOT COSTING THE EARTH

Retail display and accessories expert, Gadsby, has helped hundreds of clients over the years to create beautiful café and retail environments and is convinced that shop fitting needn’t cost the earth.

Marketing manager, Bryony Berry, explains how this works on two levels. “First, we source sustainably, so you don’t have to worry and second, we believe that you can create a fresh new look without having huge budgets. Of course, if you have the budget to work with a reputed shopfitter then that will work well, and we work alongside a number of these, but we also work directly with retailers, caterers, and foodservice to help them create the best possible look at the best value,” she says.

As a result of this expertise, Gadsby has some excellent advice to share on how to make your environment work hardest for your business; the most important aspect being to remember that its sole purpose is to entice people into your business and convert their interest into sales, they propose. To achieve this, you need to think about how you can draw the customer in - a well designed interior that showcases as much merchandise as possible, whilst creating a welcoming and inviting ambience for your café or coffee shop, for example.

AMBIENCE

When selecting display units and furniture, choose styles and materials that will complement your products and appeal to the majority of your customers, they advise. You will likely want your customers to get a feel for your brand though the visual displays and props that you choose. For instance, if you are targeting a premium offering to an affluent audience, you might choose natural wood displays to help create a warm, inviting setting.

Alternatively, you might want to go for a modern, clean industrial look with a combination of metal and wood. Whatever you choose, keep it ‘on brand’ and consistent, they emphasise. If you are looking at a full or partial refit, you can create fabulous bespoke interiors with modular units.

“Gadsby’s CrateWall display system, for example, is a fantastic way of creating an instant, refreshed look without having to have a total overhaul,” says Bryony Berry.

“CrateWall components can be combined and swapped so that you can create a bespoke look and fit the units to suit your needs. You can create counters, display areas and floor and wall displays with the units from these wooden crates made from sustainably sourced natural wood. You can use these as supplied or customise by painting to suit your brand and colour scheme and they are ready right out of the box, so no assembly needed.

“By adding additional fixtures such as wicker baskets, wine racks, shelves, and chalk board strips, you create the look that you want to the budget that you have. The adaptability of CrateWall makes it ideal for evolving store layouts, seasonal displays and bringing in new products. For example, rearranging the core wooden crate components can easily transform a single wall display into a counter display.”

Once you have the major fittings in place, you need to think about how you can draw the customer in, advise Gadsby. A well designed interior showcasing as much as possible, whilst still creating a welcoming and inviting ambience, is a good way of achieving this is by tiering, they suggest.

Tiers can make it easier for you to display products on multiple levels, ensuring that more products are seen by your customers. If you have limited counter or floor space then tiered stands can double or triple your merchandising space, giving your products more space to make an impact.

Often space given is proportionate to the value of a product, so spacing products sufficiently can add to perceived value. Once you’ve achieved a look you like, bear in mind that you’ll need to switch it round according to the seasons and your business promotions – the structure can remain the same but keep the products fresh and appealing by making them relevant.

MAXIMISE SPACE

Countertop displays are a simple way to keep interest fresh and maximise use of space, say Gadsby. Using tiered displays, such as their new risers, which are available in a wide variety of combinations and bundles, is a great way to show off your freshly baked items and offer free samples at the point of sale and drive incremental sales.

use of space, say Gadsby. Using tiered displays, such as their new risers, which are available in a wide variety of combinations and bundles, is a great way to show off your freshly baked items and offer free samples at the point of sale and drive incremental sales.

You can use baskets and crates filled with tempting goodies that will create additional revenue, but don’t overdo it or your shop could look cluttered and chaotic. Walk through the customer journey from the till to the ordering point - what are they seeing, what can you sell them? If you can elevate a sale from a single take-out coffee to include a treat for the whole family or tempt an eat-in order to add their favourite snacks to take away for later, you are winning, say Gadsby.

“Consider signage and point of sale as another extension of your shop floor team. Signage helps your customers find what they’re looking for and helps them make an informed purchase,” adds Bryony Berry.

“Much like your staff, signs can communicate price, offers and usage. Leverage signage by investing in attractive chalkboards and point of sale that’s been designed to catch the eye of customers and offers flexibility in-store. Our collection of freestanding chalkboards, adjustable display clips and hanging slate signs complement all of our retail display stands and furniture.”

The Courtyard Marketplace in Wilton, Wiltshire has used CrateWall to create eye-catching display, with an artisanal feel to reflect their business.

Co-owner Andrew Payne says: “We have a love of good quality, British-produced food and a passion for crafting. We absolutely love the simplicity and ease of how to create a professional looking display and CrateWall has transformed the look of our shop, not only can we display lots more products it also gives us chance to store more products but at the same time creating a display.”

Flexeserve at lunch! 2022

At the recent lunch! show, the Queen’s Award-winning innovator, Flexeserve, whose customers include Pret a Manger, Amazon, Gregg’s, Circle K, Sainsbury’s and M&S, demonstrated how you can transform your hot food operations with their hot-holding units and expertise (the company has appeared at every lunch! show since 2013 and this year they returned as winners of the Queen’s Award for Innovation 2022).

They have come to work with some of the most popular food brands in the UK and around the world and many of these relationships began with conversations at exhibitions, they report. At this year’s show, they showcased three hot-holding units that address specific needs within the food-to-go industry. These units, together with Flexeserve Solution, facilitate broader product ranges and optimise kitchen efficiency, delivering impressive hold times that reduce food waste. On show were their countertop rear feed and floor-standing models from the Flexeserve Zone range of hot-holding units which recently won the Queen’s Award for Innovation in recognition of its groundbreaking design and the impact of its ability to hold food at different temperatures within the same unit.

Also on display was the Flexeserve Hub, a high capacity hot-holding unit that is helping to transform food quality and operational efficiency, having been designed to be perfect for both busy kitchens and operators with food models such as delivery, pickup, takeaway and drive-thru.