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Management

Article/Photo: Ed Arvidson

Setting the Mood; Café Ambiance

The ambiance of your café is an important factor When selecting colors to paint your café, it’s im-
for attracting and retaining customers. Ambiance refers to portant remember that warm colors like red, yellow, and
the overall “feel” one might have when visiting your place orange enhance appetite. And, conversely, cool colors like
of business. It includes such things as the colors you’ve blue and green will suppress appetite. If you are selling
chosen to paint your walls, furnishings, art and decorations, beverages and food you’d probably want your customers
lighting, music, temperature, and cleanliness. These are to have a ravenous appetite, so be sure to paint your place
things we tend to take for granted when they are all done warm colors!
right, and that might stick out like a “sore thumb” when Appearance, comfort, and durability are important
they’re not. Good ambiance will contribute to an overall factors to consider when selecting furnishings. First, your
feeling of wellbeing. furnishings need to fit the intended concept of your busi-
ness. For example, if you establish a small shop with limited
seating in a core downtown location with a hefty rent
factor, then you may want hard café seating. Unpadded
seats and tight table configurations are not conducive to
relaxing, staying for prolonged periods of time, reading,
or conducting business, which are all good if you want
people to please drink their beverage and leave, so you
can accommodate more paying customers. On the other
hand, if you have a large space, and seating capacity isn’t
normally an issue, then having some comfort seating
(sofas, upholstered chairs, etc.) can provide a relaxing
atmosphere where people can linger… and hopefully buy
additional product, or attract friends who will. Comfort
seating is also important if you anticipate doing a significant
evening business; in essence becoming your customer’s
living room. It’s a must if you will be serving beer, wine,
or cocktails.
Art and decorations are a subjective decision. Being
the owner, I’m sure you selected what you like. Hopefully
your customers like your decorations and artwork as much
as you do. To get a grasp of whether or not your decor ac-
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