I am soooo jealous. I would love to have a coffee shop:)). Nisbets website and the shop in Bath look very impressive. I'm not sure they are well priced though. There are so many places to find tables and chairs depending on the style you are after. Garden Trading does some lovely sets but you need to find a wholesaler to get the best deal. Coffee No 1 situated around Somerset has an eclectic collection of tables and chairs as does Fosso Lounge. You could try flea markets, E-bay, Gumtree etc. What is the style you are considering? Flea markets are the most fun. Just make sure you have your chair seat height dimensions and the table height dimensions handy to make sure the chairs you choose go with the table. If you are spending much more and looking for design classics Vinterior has amazing classics and you can buy reasonable quantities of the same chair for cohesiveness.

Whatever you buy make sure they are comfy! I love a coffee shop and we have loads in my home town, but I only ever visit the ones with comfy seating. Simple cafe chairs like the one in the first pic below are usually the most comfy believe it or not and a great price. The second pic is the kind of chairs that make we walk on and find another coffee shop!

Fair point Sonia, totally agree with you!

Very exciting! Nisbets get 3.4* on Trustpilot but 51% of those are 1* ( as I’ve typed that I’m not sure their average is accurate?!)

What style will the shop be or what style of cafe table ie parisian, scandi etc? Have you thought about table top material and do you need just indoor or also to be used outdoor?

Whilst I agree with Sonia re comfy chairs, don’t make them too comfy so people don’t want to leave or they’re difficult to clean (if you’re doing pastries, cakes etc which capture crumbs)

Hi all,

I so so appreciate you taking the time to respond! I’ve enjoyed reading through all your thoughts and opinions!

I’ll respond from top to bottom. Isla, there are so many chair and table options, that’s what is making it all too overwhelming. I have a friend that is in commercial interior design but all the companies she has recommended don’t sell to the public which is difficult when I am designing the shop myself (it’s not very big). I will for sure take the time to go through those sites you have mentioned and take myself off to a flea market, love the sound of that!

Sonia, thank you for this! I do agree, comfy chairs are a must! But so difficult to tell online, and I don’t always trust reviews I must be honest! We will be needing chairs for inside and then if approved by council, just a couple chairs outside which will be slightly different to the ones inside. Would love to hear what else it is that you adore about coffee shops that makes you stay!

Minnie, the shop will be more Scandi style with a wood top, and black legs. Earthy tones and then want to lighten the space up with great pendant lighting, funky artwork and accessories around the cafe!

I do agree with what you and Isla are saying regarding not wanting people to be too comfy and sit for ages with their laptops. There is a small section in the coffee shop that we will have as a “laptop zone”, kind of tucked away so if they do just decide to stay- they won’t be taking up too much space!

If anyone has any more opinions on what they love about coffee shops, I’m all ears ☺️ thanks again for all the input.

I should have asked…do you have a budget? These chairs should be comfy with the seat pad but the backs are quite low so won’t encourage hours of lingering?! You could just pick a company with easy or free returns or use high street shops, it may also be worth asking for a discount on a bulk order

re laptop users, ignore the pic, but i think a counter works well with plug sockets for each seating space so it’s obvious where laptop users should sit. I’ve also seen ones with barriers in between

Space permitting, I think it’s important to design the layout so conversations can’t be overheard or discouraged be it for work or social use (depending on your location?). It may just mean having tables and chairs facing different directions. Ideally include plants and textiles to reduce sound, dividers even better. Background music also helps to drown noise especially the coffee machine

depending on location I’ve seen coffee shops that offer book swaps and ones that host local events. loyalty cards are also obviously a draw. I like the use of local produce, coffee included if you can find a good one. I know of a coffee shop that just sells toasted sandwiches or jams, spreads etc on toasts with bread and a few cakes supplied by a local company. It’s very successful and I’m sure pretty easy to cope with.

Others focus on the post primary school crowd but personally would avoid lol!

I mentioned location before but it would help to know whether you’re in a city, village etc and who your target market is

Also key to me is rather than offer numerous coffee blends, instead have different strengths like coffee pods do and nowadays it’s key to offer different milks for those intolerant of cows milk

You also mentioned art, I’ve seen ones before displaying local artists work, a win win for both of you?

Hi Jeanna, I do love a coffee shop and the things I look for is very good coffee, a comfy chair 😊, nice snacks that are a bit different, and most of all friendly staff. Will you be offering lunches or just snacks like pastries, sausage rolls (good quality) and sandwiches? We do have a trendy coffee shop which is taken up by a lot of people working in there. The noise level is awful and I don’t know how people can concentrate in there so it’s off my list! There’s also another coffee shop where the seating is planks of wood. Needless to say that’s also off my list. I suppose comfort is very important to me. I like to feel warm and cosy when having a coffee too. 😊

I think look seriously at your competition first. What do you like and dislike about their coffee shops? Consider whether you are more Joe and the Juice, Ole & Steen or a more friendly local independent type. I have frequented many coffee shope in Winchester when we lived there and now I know lots of them in Bath. Your target market is really important as is your location. You should be factoring these things in when deciding on menu's etc. It sounds as though you are planning a scandi vibe which should be lovely and fresh. Best of luck with your plans.

I agree with the earlier advice of know your market.
If your area is all students then a cool eclectic vibe is more i important than the comfort demanded by the older patron. But you also have to make it pay for itself so be realistic about how many you need to fit in….. if you can’t fit in enough tables to pay the bills then you need to remove some tables, add additional items to sell in order to increase sales values. Consider things with a long shelf life like artisan preserves, alcoholic gifts, or impulse purchases such as candles. Beware stocking extra with a competing scent to your coffee.

Congrats on the opening, that's such an exciting project! As for Nisbets, they are pretty reliable, but I’d suggest not sticking to just one store, as leveraging https://www.comparor.com/uk/zanzibar-tea-two-bistro-set-grey-black-includes-2-chairs-table.html to compare prices on specific furniture sets often helps you find the same design much cheaper. I did something similar when looking for small patio options, and it’s great because you immediately see if it's worth the extra cost or if you can grab a stylish set and save that money for a better espresso machine.

It might be a tad unsettling, but I often see furniture from closed down coffee shops and restaurants on Facebook marketplace.
I don’t often go to coffee shops, but when I do it’s usually with my elderly mother who likes a smiling friendly patron who talks to her clearly and slowly, and doesn’t make her rush her order. She appreciates the menu in clear writing, somewhere she can see from the queue, so she can choose her order before she gets to the point of ordering, and she likes it if the barista offers to bring her order to her seat. She doesn’t mind waiting a few minutes for this.