Floorspace vs Storage/Service Area

[crema123]

Hello Coffee Mates,

I have a nice looking location here for the first specialty coffee shops where I am. The space is 1000 sq ft, and I am working on the layout. Fortunately we don't have laws that require us to have bathrooms, so 1000 sq ft is a nice size, I think.

I would like to maximize customer floor area, because tourists like to come in from heat and rain and sit to have some coffees.

I am thinking that: 15% of floorspace for Storage, 15% for service counter, and 60% for customer area - that is ~153 sq ft storage, ~153 sq ft service, and ~680 customer. I understand design is very important to making your areas fit together efficiently.

As a rough percentage of floorspace, what is your recommendation based on your experiences? Do you reckon that I am being too aggressive and should have more storage?

Cheers,
Frank

 

[John P]

In general 50%+ for front of house (seating) and 50% for everything else.
The smaller you can keep the back of the house, the more area you will have for customers. As far a specific percentage breakdowns, it all depends on your equipment, shape of space, types of supplies you may need on hand, etc. Don't overlook using the entire wall space from floor to ceiling for storage.

The best way is to look at other shops you know are successfully designed and see how things are there. You may want to start with the equipment you must have in terms of ice machine, fridge, freezer?, oven? water heater, sinks, etc. and that will take up a given amount of space, determine what you must have for counter, behind counter space/equipment. The remainder of the space is available for any other storage, seating... but as I mentioned before, if you use the whole vertical space for storage and utilize undercounter storage well, you may not need much of a separate area.

Does that help??

 

[crema123]

Thanks John, that's a help. It's a bit concerning seeing 40-some plus percent of your floorspace going to away to service / storage, but I suppose that's what happens 8)

 

[John P]

If you eliminate tables you can fit more people.