The Role of Sofas in Your Cafe: Creating a Comfortable Lounge Experience

Cafés and coffee shops are no longer just places you pop into for a coffee or a bite to eat. In many areas they are important parts of the local community, offering a place for people to work and relax with friends and family.

This is why it is so important to take time to get the design aspect right, especially when it comes to the sofa seating. Creating a comfortable lounge experience makes your cafe a more attractive place to visit, enhancing your brand and helping to build a strong customer base.

How to design a comfortable lounge space for your customers

When customers step inside of a café or coffee shop and are looking to take their coat off to relax, they are looking for a comfortable and relaxing environment. While it is obviously not the same as being at home, creating an inviting warm space allows people to quickly settle in and enjoy a comfortable atmosphere.

The introduction of commercial sofas and/or armchairs is an easy way to achieve this, offering comfortable cafe seating that customers can settle into for some time. Take a look at any café or coffee shop and you will usually find that the soft seating areas are occupied throughout the day. Even if you only have room for one or two armchairs it can quickly change the mood and surrounding environment.

Sofa design considerations

When choosing a commercial sofa for your café, try to consider the following:

• Size
  This should be the first thing you consider as you need to know how much space you have to work with. Create a floor plan with accurate measurements to see what can feasibly work within the space.
• Materials
  Faux leather or vinyl as it is sometimes called are good options as they often come with an anti-stain finish and are easier to clean and maintain. It can also stand up well to long term use and the wear and tear it will produce.
• Fire rating
  Ensure that the material on the sofa is Crib5-rated which will make it suitable for your café lounge and meet most standard fire regulations.
• Colours
  Keep the cafe chair colours relatively simple so they can blend in easily and adapt to any interior changes that may happen later. A good supplier will be able to provide colour swatches before you make a purchase.

Choosing the right style and size of sofas for your café

The type of sofa you buy will also be heavily influenced by the nature of your service. For example, are you providing traditional food and drink or something a little more specialised, such as vegan cuisine? Are you hoping to encourage people to settle in and use their laptops or phones to work (sofas with USB plugs can support this)?

You will have different types of cafe furniture in your space, so the goal is to ensure you have a consistent theme and style that complement each other. Also keep an eye on the size needed for the space, as sofas can be bulky and need to be carefully positioned so as not to affect walkthrough areas and other commercial café furniture.

Comfort and Functionality

Whether you spend money on a reclining sofa or leather sofa for your café, there are some things to look for to ensure you get good value for money.

You should try the sofa before you buy, taking time to check it has enough legroom and seat height. Most designs are between 40 cm and 45 cm, which should be ideal for accommodating a wide range of customer types.

Check the cushions have good firmness while being comfortable – foam and fibre fillings may flatten and lose shape faster than feather-filled cushions. It will also play a big role in providing good back support for customers so they can settle in and relax.

The sofa should have a good frame (solid hardwood is a good option) and try to avoid particleboard or metal constructions. The warranty is also important as this will give you cover for a certain period – all Spaceist products come with a 5-year warranty as standard.

Not very café has a lot of room to work with, so once you know the dimensions of the space, you may want to go for some armchairs so you have more options on how to position the seating. Two-seater sofas may work better than a 3-seater, so take all of this into consideration when looking at your options.

Trends and Customisation

Custom sofas place an emphasis on quality and durability, making them ideal for cafés of all sizes. They can be designed to suit the exact needs of your business and customer base, so it has all the features required to make them a valuable addition to your interior décor.

This includes the materials and colours of the final design, which can be narrowed down in the early stages by asking for swatches to see what works. Buying a ready-made sofa may be faster but no input into the design, so it cannot be tailored to match your specific requirements.

Investing in a custom sofa allows you to keep up with the latest trends and change as and when needed. For example, Danish Hygge designs are very much on trend and go perfectly with soft, cushioned sofas. Plants and greenery are also big with many café and coffee shop owners and customers love a space that involves nature, as they have a calming quality that puts them at ease.

Final thoughts

Café furniture is not something that should be overlooked when you are refurbishing or setting up shop for the first time. Investing in comfortable sofas will not only enhance their experience but also increase their satisfaction and make it more likely that they will return. A customer sofa allows you to perfectly match the surrounding décor whilst meeting the needs of regulars and newcomers – making a space that you can use as a key selling point for your business.

Get started on your café sofa design

Spaceist is an established café furniture supplier that works with bistros, cafés and coffee houses of all sizes. Whether you are refurbing an existing space or looking to add custom café sofas and chairs for the first time, we can help you find the right style to suit your design ideas. Take a look at our website or come and visit us at our 2,5000 sq. ft. showroom. Get in touch with our team today to find out more.