What Makes Us Want To Keep Returning To Our Favourite Cafe?

I’m a great coffee drinker, in fact I never touch tea, can’t stand the stuff. In fact it’s fair to say that I’ve visited a fair few cafés in my time in search of a cup of coffee which is that little bit special. The kind of delicious flavour that makes me want to sit and take my time, slowly enjoying every sip. In my quest to find delicious coffee, I’ve also tasted my fair share of pretty mediocre coffee, but you know what, sometimes a good café is more than just about the drinks it serves.

It’s hard to be specific about what makes for a café that you keep returning to, since often it’s a combination of things which collectively make it great. So let’s take a look at some of the elements I personally look for:

Friendly staff

This is important for any business but when I enter a café I want to be made to feel welcome. I want to take my time and linger, sometimes reading, sometimes just people watching but always feeling comfortable. If the staff are moody or rude then I will drink up and I’m out of there.

Top quality coffee machines

Many of us are guilty of “blaming our tools” for a job badly done, but if a café hasn’t invested in decent machinery then the coffee won’t be at its best or, worse still, they won’t be able a rush of customers, and we’ll all leave out of frustration at waiting so long.

Great décor

This is somewhat a sweeping statement because what does in fact make “great décor”. I guess it boils down to personal taste. However, what I do like is a café that stands out from the crowd and has a unique interior which piques the interest or is really one of a kind. Often, my favourite cafés don’t necessarily serve the best coffee in the world, but I just enjoy admiring the décor and soaking up the ambience.

Comfy seating

This is part of wanting to feel at home as if you could stay there for hours. Although I enjoy sinking into a tub chair or sofa while drinking my beverage, I understand also that many people prefer to adopt a more upright stance. Therefore a diverse range of furniture works well for me, and also a good layout which isn’t so cramped that you feel you might as well include the person sitting at the table next to you in your conversation.

Finding a niche

Finally, my favourite coffee shops always specialise in something. One that I visit serves the most delicious cupcakes where choosing the flavour is the hardest decision in the world because they’re all so yummy. Another has a great selection of stylish magazines to browse. It’s incredibly difficult to be great at everything, so for what it’s worth, I’d advise any aspiring coffee shop owner to target one particular product or customer experience, and simply be the best.

Here at Cafe Furniture Melbourne we’ve got a diverse range of café furniture for you to choose from. Whether you like traditional, designer or industrial, we’ve plenty to choose from at the best prices. So why not visit our Melbourne warehouse, download our latest catalogue, or browse the online store.