It doesn’t matter whether customers pop in for a quick takeaway coffee or for sit down lunch, it’s not just about the coffee, it’s about the whole coffee experience. Gone are the days when you were the only café for miles, now cafés are everywhere and competition is fierce. Some cafes even deliver coffee and lunches to offices, which saves staff spending time waiting in line for their coffee fix.

So if there is something that can give you a leg up on the competition, then it is certainly worth while taking a look. That brings us to café fitouts and refurbishments and the hottest trends that could quite possibly, make you stand out from the crowd.

Here are 5 recent café fitout trends that you might consider for your next refurbishment:

Communal dining: You might have noticed some of the more stylish cafes moving towards communal tables – what’s that all about? Well this feeds into the whole coffee experience and gives us a feeling of belonging, sharing and of community. You can still keep a few smaller tables, for people who prefer not to be so communal, however people tend to flock to community tables and sit around chatting for hours – more coffee anyone?

Themed cafes: These used to be considered odd balls with the most common being a coffee shop themed around a reading library or an internet cafe. More recent trends are moving towards retail therapy mixed with the coffee experience. Check out Lock 7 Cycle Café in Copenhagen or the MOJO in San Francisco where you can fill up on your favourite coffee and buy a new bike or have your bicycle fixed all at the same time.

Organic cafes: This is an increasing trend which sources locally grown ingredients and sustainable coffee beans and other products. The ambiance is one of recycling, favouring raw timbers, metals and lots of open space. Check out the Green Salmon in Oregon or Maple and Clove in Canberra.

Food staging: With the rise of the ‘selfie’, taking photos of food and posting them to social media networks is a growing trend. More and more café owners and chefs are creating food with the idea that photos of their food could be posted online, giving them free advertising.

Fast food: The younger generation are less likely to spend their money on fine dining and more likely to expect casual dining experiences with quality food. They are also moving away from fast food chains to more boutique cafes that serve organic fast food at a reasonable price. So give them fast food – but with a difference.

If your cafe is due for a refurbishment or you are considering a new café fitout then thinking outside the box and meeting your customers where they are comfortable is the key to a roaring trade. Customer expectations are always changing and the cafes of the future will serve fast food in a multifunctional space that enhances the coffee experience and provides a comforting ambiance.

For more information on hospitality fitouts, refurbishments and café fitouts in Sydney, call Liteco Projects, interior design specialists on 02 8068 1755 , email us: info@liteco.com.au or complete our online enquiry form.