Tips for Creating a Family Coffeehouse Atmosphere

Creating a warm and family-friendly environment for any business is desirable, but in a neighborhood coffeehouse business, it is essential. Community coffeehouses are not able to compete, on most levels, with Starbucks and various bookstore or chain coffeehouses. What they can do is provide a more appealing atmosphere.

My husband and I owned a Christian coffeehouse called Crossroads for 4 years. Our initial vision was for it to be a place, where people of all ages could congregate, and enjoy good music, cafe type food, great desserts, as well as delicious coffee.

The first thing to consider is the outside of the building, because this is the first impression. Our coffeehouse exterior was painted a deep blue, with a blue and white cloth awning that contained our name and logo. To go along with the theme of Crossroads, we purchased an old fashioned type traffic light, that actually lit up, and mounted it by the front door. The teenagers loved it! Whatever exterior color you choose, make sure that it tastefully stands out, and that the sign can be seen from a distance. We also had one window designed with our logo (a coffee mug with a traffic light on the front) and our name. During the time we owned the business, we had the window painted initially, and another time, we had vinyl lettering and graphics applied. We much preferred the vinyl to the paint. It provided a more professional look, but still retained the warmth of the design. In the other front window, we placed a neon "OPEN" sign that was turned on daily. (This type of sign is a necessity because unlit signs cannot be seen at night.) Customers always check the lighted signs to verify that the business is indeed open. On the front door, we placed a listing of our business operational hours. We also had a cardboard "OPEN" sign on the door, which could easily be flipped at night to say "CLOSED." In front of the building, on each side of the door, we had a miniature wrought iron white table and two chairs. People often enjoyed sitting at these tables and watching the passersby.

The interior of the building was painted a soothing light blue, with white ceilings. Several white and brass ceiling fans added to the atmosphere. We chose round tables, with light blue tablecloths, to give a sidewalk cafe feel. Each table had a white vase with a blue flower, as well as a very unique candle. I took a cobalt blue clear coffee mug, and filled it with scented coffee beans. In the middle of the beans, I placed a smaller glass insert, to hold a vanilla or coffee scented candle. When the candle was lit, the heat of the flame made the insert warm, which in turned released a delightful fragrance from the coffee beans. People really enjoyed the candles at night, and they gave our coffeehouse more of a night club feel.

The walls were lined with white bookshelves, which displayed new and used Victorian theme gift items. In the back of the store, we also had identical shelves where we sold books and CD's. Other good sale items for coffeehouses are coffee mugs with the business logo, T-shirts with the logo and name, chocolate, coffee beans, and fresh ground coffee.

Another appealing idea is to have an assortment of family games available. (This was a huge hit at our coffeehouse.) Many people enjoyed bringing in their children for a snack and a game. We also provided age appropriate puzzles, toys, and coloring books and crayons for the younger children.

On a wall in the front of the coffeehouse, we had a raised stage with blue carpet and professional lighting. My husband, Rob, and I sang together on the weekends. (We had both previously been professional singers.) If you do not sing, you will want to hire musicians. For a family setting, good music choices are acoustic, country, folk, oldies, Christian contemporary, etc. We tried to make sure that the lyrics were uplifting and appropriate for all ages. Children seemed to especially enjoy being near the singing, as they are often not permitted to go where bands are playing.

For our menu, we found that it was necessary to offer, at a minimum, sandwiches, hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, soups, chips, taquitos, popcorn, desserts, ice cream, smoothies, cold beverages, and cold and hot coffee drinks. We also sold hot teas and hot chocolate. In the beginning, we thought that we could support the business on coffee and desserts alone. (A word to the wise...this does not provide enough income, and people are often looking for a meal.)

We were fortunate to have a garden area out back, with dreamy vines growing on an adjoining wall, and even a picket fence. We had a brick patio area added for white outdoor tables and chairs. We decorated the shrubs with miniature white lights, and placed small decorative statues and signs throughout the garden. Each table had a similar vase and candle to those inside. Since we live in NW Florida, many people enjoyed the garden area throughout the seasons.

We decorated for all of the holidays, and participated in the Open House that the downtown area has every Christmas season. We even had a meal and a Bible study on Sunday evenings.

In addition to all that was previously mentioned, there are many legal, business and health regulations to consider when operating a cafe. Check with your county and state to see what is necessary.

One last warning-a coffeehouse is very time intensive. We preferred to actually make the froth for our coffee drinks, and this takes quite awhile. (Though there are machines available that will do it all automatically.) A good espresso machine is a must. Most people like the ambience that comes with good coffee, and they enjoy watching the preparation. Make sure that you order your coffee beans fresh from a reliable vendor, and you will want to purchase flavored syrups as well. Keeping a coffeehouse cafe stocked with groceries and supplies is challenging, and there are hidden costs everywhere.

Operating a coffeehouse is a lot of work, but you will also find it to be very rewarding. We made many lifelong friends during the time we owned our business, and we were also able to provide a warm and welcoming environment, for those who were weary of the usual family fare.