How to Design a Coffee Shop Floor Plan, Layout and Blueprint

Coffee shops aren’t just about chill vibes and cozy spaces – your coffee shop floor plan should be easy to navigate and aesthetically pleasing. If you’re about to create your first coffee shop, you’ll have to abide by regulations since your state will expect you to submit blueprints for building permits.

But what else should you bear in mind when you design a coffee shop floor plan? We’ve got all the advice you need! Use this guide to create a welcoming customer experience and atmosphere. With the innovative ways to design your coffee shop mentioned below, you’ll build the perfect environment that coffee lovers are eager to return for.

Key Takeaways

• Coffee Shop Floor Plans Are a Map of the Space: They’ll help you visualize where each element is going to go and help you align them with the ambiance and dimensions.

• You Can Use Software or Designers to Help: If you’re not confident about designing it yourself, a designer can help you. Yet those coffee shop owners with design experience might just utilize software to design the floor plan themselves.

• Accessibility Requirements and Permits Are Essential: You’ll need to factor in accessibility requirements and permits before you begin the building process.

What Is a Coffee Shop Floor Plan?

Now when we consider what a coffee shop floor plan is, they’re best described as a diagram that represents the coffee shop layout within your establishment. They can include the space for storage behind the coffee bar, the indoor seating area and, of course, the coffee bar area itself. 

The floor plan is a representation of how all of these spaces are linked together and facilitate customer order flows from the entrance to the POS system to the seating space and to the restrooms within the cafe.

The coffee shop floor plan will need to include:

1. A customer seating area

2. A staff area

3. A coffee bar area floor plan

4. The entrance

5. Restrooms

6. Your coffee shop’s POS system stations

7. Emergency exits

8. A wait area

9. Windows

10. Chairs

11. Tables

12. Precise measurements of the space

How to Create a Coffee Shop Floor Plan & Blueprint

Coffee shop floor plans require you to think about how each element works together within the space and how guests will utilize them to have the best experience. Not only should you consider the customer flow but you’ll need to consider the aesthetics. You’ll be able to do this with a couple of methods.

Floor Plan Software Options

Using SmartDraw or ConceptDraw, Cad Pro or other advanced software, you can create a floor plan blueprint that’s unique in every way and aligns with the specifications of your coffee shop. Check out the features of these tools and how they help you design a coffee shop floor plan.

• SmartDraw: To visualize all the cozy corners and tables distributed equidistantly in a good layout, you can utilize SmartDraw software. It’ll allow you to look closely at the spaces and location of the walls, doors, and windows, plus the fixtures and more by utilizing the floor plan libraries.

• ConceptDraw: Want to access a technical drawing plan that you can customize and design with intuitive tools? ConceptDraw offers exactly that! From interior design software to piping and instrumentation diagram software, this tool offers a full range of elements that will make designing your dream coffee shop an efficient and focused process.

• Cad Pro: Need to view each wall and all the elements in your coffee shop floor plan? That’s what Cad Pro will allow you to do. You’ll find it easy to arrange each table and chair, your coffee bar and coffee shop furniture easily using a range of floor plan ready-made visuals. Plus, if you want to get a second opinion on your coffee shop floor plan, you can share it with others in a variety of formats.

Interior Design Studio to Create a Coffee Shop Floor Plan

If you want to deliver the perfect guest experience and an inviting environment, you may request the services of an interior design studio. You can share your ideas with them to make your vision a reality. 

Now, before you start the design process with the designer, imagine how you’ll fill the space. You might focus attention on the craft and care your baristas put into drinks, but you’ll also need to create the floor plan carefully with floor space that draws guests' attention where you want it when they sit down and enjoy their coffee. Sharing ideas with the designer for branding concepts, lighting, and centralized prominent fixtures like the coffee bar will help you create a space that’s captivating and inviting for your customers.

Coffee Shop Floor Plan Design Best Practices

We know firsthand the pain of working in a poorly planned coffee bar – it really slows down the flow. If you’ve hired a head barista that you trust, ask them to help you design your coffee bar. Or, if not, you might want to consult the head barista at a successful local shop. But, when in doubt, consider the best practices listed below for a simpler way to design a cafe shop floor plan with a great layout.

1. Wait Space Allocation: Create space for your guests to wait if your coffee shop features counter service. At the same time, consider the space where your guests interact with baristas when they wait to be served.

2. Staff Break Areas: Consider employees' needs and local building codes when creating a staff break area. Allocate these areas from 40% of the total space within your coffee shop.

3. Natural Coffee Service Flow: Create an intuitive flow of service and maximize the flow so that happy customers enjoy the cafe experience and don’t have to guess about where to go or what to do. For the flow, avoid a linear customer flow and prioritize a circular flow, while considering the inconvenience of having customers pick up their drink in the same area as others place their order.

4. Lighting and Ambiance: When you lay it out, consider how the functional cafe floor plan works with the lighting, aesthetic choices, and ambiance of your coffee shop. For instance, consider whether the lighting is best placed hanging from the ceiling or at intervals on the walls above each table.

5. POS System Placement: Consider what POS stations are near each other, how many baristas will be working on a shift, and the service capacity of your coffee shop. Knowing how many baristas will be working can help you determine the placement and number of POS systems you’ll need.

Coffee Shop Floor Plan: Key Area Sections

A few area sections or zones will feature in your coffee shop floor plan. Each of the zones will likely require specific design choices that align with their dimensions. So to help you design them with efficiency, here’s what we recommend.

Customer Seating Floor Plan

You’ll need to plan toward the arrangements of seats in the customer seating floor plan—and don’t worry, this doesn’t need to be difficult! Follow the tips below to complete this step efficiently.

• Square Footage Per Guest: It’s important to consider the square footage per guest when thinking about the customer seating floor plan. Since coffee shops offer counter service, it’s worth considering offering 18 - 20 square feet per guest in this area. You’ll also need to consider that the space you allocate to the seating floor plan needs to be taken from 60% of the coffee shop.

• Spacing Requirements: Each chair on different tables needs to be spaced 18 inches apart. It’s also the case that square tables need to be spaced approximately 42 - 60 inches apart and diagonal tables need 24 - 30 inches between them.

Staff Area Floor Plan

You shouldn’t forget to include offices and break rooms in your floor plans. Be sure to reserve some of the back-of-house space for your baristas and managers to complete administrative tasks and for all of your staff to relax on breaks. Here’s how to do this:

• Schedule Posting Area: So that staff can check the schedules for their shifts and hours, allocate a specific space for the schedule posting software and process. Measure the entire space and allocate 40% of the space to the staff area. Then you’ll want to incorporate a communal area for the schedule posting zone where baristas can gather before checking their shifts.

• Break Area: Your basic break room is going to need seating arrangements and other amenities. Consider the size of your workforce and the number of baristas you want to work in your space and then incorporate seating options such as lounge chairs or bar stools for the break area. You’ll be able to do this by measuring the space and allocating enough space for employees to move around.

Coffee Bar Area Floor Plan

Your coffee bar area floor plan will need to incorporate a couple of zones on the counter. This’ll include the area where baristas will take the order and an area where they’ll make and serve the coffee. But it can also include an additional area for customers to make additional purchases, and you might need an extra zone for food preparation if your coffee shop menu includes food.

Now, the back of the house is going to need a single linear counter or a U-shape style counter. If you’re leaning toward a single linear counter, it needs to have 100cm or 36 inches behind it, and this makes it easy for staff to move behind it. If you’re leaning toward a U-shape counter, this will require 200cm or 72 inches behind it.

Entrance Floor Plan

If you dream of opening your first coffee shop, or are remodeling an existing place, first impressions matter for cafes. Craft an entrance space or waiting area that invites guests into your coffee shop as they pass into the inviting interior and into a warm, cozy atmosphere.

• Exterior Design: It’s with an inviting exterior design that you can appeal to coffee lovers with your coffee shop layout. For instance, with comfortable seating near the entrance and architectural elements such as an awning, you can invite customers in and provide the perfect cafe experience.

• Visual Appeal: Using welcoming elements can make the ambiance perfect for your customers. Options such as plants and warm lighting, artwork and comfortable seats within the interior can enhance the visual appeal of your coffee shop. Make sure you allocate these elements strategically and measure the spaces in which you’ll place them.

Restrooms Floor Plan

When you design restrooms, they’ll need to be big enough for all guests to navigate easily, and easy to access from a customer seating or dining area. You’ll also need to think about a couple of points listed below:

• Location Ideas: Guests shouldn’t need to walk through staff areas when they’re navigating their way to the restroom. This means you’ll need to create a path on the floor plan or divide the coffee shop floor plan accordingly so that these two areas don’t cross into each other. 

For example, you might have one hallway toward the back, right side of the floor plan and another hallway to the back, left side, with one leading to the restroom and the other to the staff area.

• Accessibility Requirements: Thinking about accessibility in restaurants or cafes is important when planning a restroom in a coffee shop, and it’ll require you to incorporate a bathroom with wider doors, grab bars, large stalls, and accessible soap dispensers by following the right measurements. For instance, the stalls should be at least 60 inches in depth and 60 inches in width.

Cashier and POS Station Floor Plan

The POS is a fundamental tool in your coffee shop – it’s how your cashiers or servers keep track of all of your coffee shop’s operations as you serve customers or proceed with cooking sweet treats to go with their coffee. Place them in the right locations and consider these tips:

• Terminal Placement: In a counter-service coffee shop, you’ll likely have one POS station where customers place orders with a cashier or near the food or tempting pastries in the display area or the counters. In a full-service coffee shop, set up POS stations in locations where your servers can easily access them. 

• Handheld Options: But you’ve also got the option to invest in handheld POS devices that your servers can use when serving each table. This means your baristas can take orders and process payments on the go.

Emergency Exits Floor Plan

Coffee shop blueprints must consider emergencies – use design software to map emergency exit routes. Be sure to let your staff know where these paths are, clearly mark external exits for customers, and incorporate egress paths and safety requirements.

Your egress paths need to support the maximum permitted occupant load for the floor. As stated by the University of Wisconsin-Madison they include three parts, including the pathway, the exit, and the exit discharge. For these to be safe, you’ll need to keep these paths free in the plan, as this will ensure all individuals can evacuate in an emergency.

The example floor plan below features clear egress paths in a restaurant setting, which are ideal for emergency situations:

SOURCE: SmartDraw.com

Accessibility Requirements for Coffee Shop Floor Plans

When you’re creating the coffee shop floor plan, remember to factor in accessibility. Individuals who use wheelchairs are going to need a minimum of 60 inches of space to turn around in the space, which is important and should be considered when designing the restroom.

You’ll also need to consider the width of the passages and hallways, so keep in mind that these should be a minimum of 36 inches wide. This will mean that your coffee shop floor plan aligns with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

How to Choose a Coffee Shop Floor Plan?

Now, you might be working with a designer or you might have already accessed the design software to complete the floor plan for your coffee shop on your own. But what’s the best way to choose a coffee shop floor plan? Head to the sections below for more information.

Available Space

There’s an industry standard for space allocation for coffee shops and restaurants. 40% of the space needs to be for the coffee bar and staff space, and 60% needs to be for guests and seating.

A coffee shop space measuring 1,600 square feet would have 960 square feet of space for guests and 640 square feet for the staff area and coffee bar. Ideally, each customer would have at least 20 square feet if the coffee shop offers counter service.

Space Allocation Priorities

Offering guests more space is usually a good idea. Spacing tables further apart and creating wide lanes between chairs for traffic is a great way to make your coffee shop accessible to people with disabilities. 

As mentioned, square tables need to be spaced approximately 42 - 60 inches apart and diagonal tables need 24 - 30 inches between them. But in a post-Covid environment, you might want to consider greater space. For instance, you might place the tables around 80 inches apart.

Permit Requirements

Finally, definitely don’t forget to work with state officials for all the proper permits for coffee shop building and blueprinting—you can do this once you’ve finished the coffee shop floor plan. It’s an essential step and will involve requesting a building health permit, construction permit, and an occupancy permit.

Once you’ve been approved after the licensing inspection and received the construction and building permits, and you also have the licences and employer identification number to begin running the coffee shop business, you’ll be able to construct the cafe and start your business!

FAQs

What is a Good Size for a Coffee Shop?

It tends to be between 600 and 900 square feet for a small coffee shop, for which you’ll need seating for between 20 and 40 individuals who need their morning coffee straightaway! For a medium sized coffee shop, aim for 1,000 to 1,750 square feet that can accommodate between 50 and 70 coffee lovers, and if you’ve got a large kitchen, it the coffee shop be larger than 1,750 square feet.

How to Run a Coffee Shop Successfully?

This requires you to create a focused business plan after developing a coffee shop floor plan, getting the permits, and creating your coffee shop. It also involves marketing the coffee shop effectively with the right tools and tracking the performance with benchmarking tools—each available through Toast. Track the performance data and optimize according to the factors you need to perfect.