For the modern coffee shop owner, minimalism is key to success

Coffee shops have taken the world by storm in the last ten years, and now the industry is positively booming.

In the UK alone, the number of coffee shop outlets rose from just under 10,000 in 2007 to nearly 25,000 by 2017. While major chains like Starbucks, Costa Coffee and Caffe Nero dominate, it is still a lucrative market for smaller, independent locations. Coffee houses outside the major brands have much more freedom to run with their own designs and styles, and adopting a minimalist approach appears to be the winning formula.

Creating the perfect space

Anyone considering opening their own coffee shop has a lot of things to consider. They need to think about what drinks to put on the menu, whether to serve food or not and if they should incorporate some kind of loyalty scheme to attract customers. But, arguably, above all of these things, the most important thing to deliberate is the interior design of the location.

Every aspect of your shop’s aesthetic should be carefully considered, from stylish armchairs and furniture to minimalist lighting options, such as sleek floor lamps by lights.co.uk, independent shops have the opportunity to create a more personalised and friendlier environment than their big chain rivals, and it’s this aspect which is likely to have customers coming back for more.

Coffee and productivity go hand in hand

Coffee shops are now so much more than spots to sip on a cappuccino or latte and then leave. Customers often stay around for hours on end, usually busy with work. It’s these shops that gave birth to the whole co-working idea, which is currently gaining more popularity worldwide. Because of this, it’s crucial for coffee shops to be places where people can get their work done successfully.

There is a lot of anecdotal evidence to support the fact that minimalism can increase productivity. According to the Practigal Blog, minimalism can help people be clear about what they’re working on so they’re ready when the time comes to do it.

Minimal changes, big difference

So, how can coffee shop owners go about achieving this minimalism which will help them keep freelance working coffee drinkers coming back for more?

Lighting is perhaps of the utmost importance. The place needs to be well-lit so that people can focus on what they are doing. A lot of natural light is good, so having big windows will help. But, for the darker days and evenings, many coffee shop proprietors choose LED floor lamps. This is because they look stylish and can also be easily moved if the need arises. Specialist light sites like lights.ie have wall and ceiling lights in various different designs as well. Matching these with the floor lamps will give your café a sense of character.

Minimalist coffee shops tend to have simple wooden tables with zero clutter and paint schemes which only use one or two colours. Yellow has been found to be one of the most energising colours and can be used to achieve a productivity boost.

Good coffee and a great atmosphere will keep people coming back for more at an independent coffee shop. To attract that growing number of freelance online workers, try to adopt a minimalist approach to the interior design in order to increase productivity. If people find that they can get their work done well in your shop, they will be back on a daily basis.