There is just something special about coffee in that specific coffee shop in the neighborhood that we just can’t stay away from. Is it the fact that it’s conveniently close by whenever you’re desperately in need of that caffeine spike? Or is it the place where you’ve come to associate with as the go-to spot for unwinding and chatting over a bittersweet cuppa?
Maybe it’s just a shop that is really good at what it does. Which pops the question, what makes a good coffee shop? What makes any particular coffee shop so unique that you would choose to go there over and over rather than going anywhere else? Let’s try to solve that mystery now, shall we?
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What Makes a Good Coffee Shop?
Think about it for a second. The second a coffee shop is mentioned, you probably have an image in mind, right? There’s probably a general layout and format of a coffee shop that you’ve seen in all coffee shops you’ve ever been to. And within that, in the nitty-gritty details, perhaps we can uncover what exactly makes a coffee shop good.
Great Customer Service
Great customer service is the backbone of any decent coffee shop. After all, would you revisit any place that made you feel uncomfortable? Of course not. There are many people who claim that they would become loyal customers to specific shops just based on the behavior of the staff alone.
Perhaps you prefer polite staff that is professional, tight-lipped, and efficient in taking your order so that you can be comfortable with your crippling social anxiety.
Or maybe you like family-owned places which have friendly servers, with smiles to ease you in and make you feel right at home. With the right amount of attention to each customer’s needs, customer service can transform your overall enjoyment of the establishment.
Each chain of coffee panders towards a different range of customers, thus resulting in the different attitudes adopted by their workers, and so this is one of the first good indicators of whether the particular coffee shop can pass your vibe check.
Appropriate Equipment
For any good business to operate smoothly, not only staffing, equipment matters too. A good barista can make great coffee, but the flavor is truly elevated when his technique can shine through the usage of adequate equipment.
Industrial coffee grinders that really break down those coffee beans, the cold presses, drip coffee makers, espresso machine, water filtration system, all boil down to make drinking coffee into an experience.
Any good café will also ensure that their pieces of equipment are well taken care of and keep in mind proper storage facilities and cleanness in the workstation. Customer wellbeing should trump all else, naturally.
Great Coffee
This one is more of a no-brainer. What is the point of a coffee shop that doesn’t have good coffee? Sometimes, it literally does not matter how fancy the interior is or whether there is the right ambiance or not. Sometimes, you want coffee for the sake of coffee; made just the way you like it, no-fuss.
A truly great coffee shop needs no more introduction than the heart and soul of its trade- the coffee itself. And as mentioned before, the equipment used in the coffeehouse plays a part in how the coffee tastes in the end.
Many connoisseurs and coffee enthusiasts enjoy it when the coffee house really pays attention to their craft, while those of the younger generation might be more easily impressed with innovative recipes that add to the traditional ingredients.
Cafe art on the foam, selection of cold brews, special drinks in different seasons also bring in customers who like to add more to their social media while out on their coffee break.
Good Environment
They say to not judge a book by the cover, but which one of us can resist aesthetics that suit our tastes? The ambiance, smell of coffee and snacks, hush voices of the people as soon as you walk in? Depending on the coffee shop, both the interior and the exterior of the shop can set the tone of the image the shop wants to portray.
The space occupied, the lighting, the layout of the seating arrangements all promote the café concept to the potential customer. Smaller café with updated playlists and cushiony seats can beckon small groups of friends for hangouts, while more private seating with low sound and dim lightings can set the mood for a more intimate affair.
Open spaces with bright lighting and classic tableware can be more convenient for business meetings, group projects, and first meetings. Therefore the setting and environment inside can tell you whether the particular coffee shop is fit for the purpose of your visit.
Modern Conveniences
With the advancement in the tech department, modern conveniences such as ancillary facilities of accepting card payments, being able to split the bill on individual orders, online or mobile payments can all smoothen the coffee shop experience in terms of ease and convenience.
Coffee shops that are conscious of trends and social media are also more sought after for their Instagram features, knowing their customer demands and making themselves unique from those in the same industry.
Some Snacks
No coffee shop is complete without having some snacks to serve as an accompaniment to their coffee. Some shops focus on the sweets and others on the savory.
The snacks can range anywhere from baked goods such as cookies, pastries, and cakes to balance the bitterness to the coffee to delicious sandwiches and appetizers to fill the stomach while drinking coffee. Easy hand snacks like these also make it easier for conversation to flow in such coffee shops, adding to the whole experience.
Good Parking Facility
As early business practices would mandate, location can make or break a business. For locals or people within walking distance, this may not be as big of a factor. Still, for those who come from further away, a good parking facility can decide whether the individual will bother with the transmute to visit the coffee shop in the first place.
It is also convenient for those who just want to park for only a short while, taking their coffee on the go. Ergo, while this isn’t the biggest deal-breaker on this list, the coffee shops with this feature will certainly be in more demand.
Final Words
So, what makes a good coffee shop? As explored in this article, many factors play into making a good coffee shop and unique from others in the market.
From the accessibility of the shop itself to the aesthetics, it provides to its beholders, the staff’s reception of customers, to the coffee itself.
The snacks on the side and the equipment needed to make them extra ancillary payment options all make each coffee shop all the more memorable. Much like the taste of coffee, the impression lingers on our senses till our next visit.