Coffee shops

[Kingoftheroad]

What do you expect from a good quality coffee shop?

I was having a discussion with a friend who owns a small chain of independent coffee shops. I mentioned that I’m not keen on having people queue up behind me for take away food whilst I’m enjoying either a peaceful few minutes to myself or chatting with a friend etc.

What, in your opinion makes for the ideal coffee shop?

Speaking as a tea drinker...

Good sized teapots that you can get at least two cups out of. And not chipped or stained.

Loose leaf tea or at least an excellent quality teabag. And NEVER a bag just dumped in a mug.

Generous milk. I nearly always have to ask for more.

mobile.twitter.com/seannwalsh/status/1130499208702767105/video/1
This may have some pointers

Good coffee
Good tea (leaf in a pot)
Amazing cake

I'll forgive almost anything else!

Reading this I have to agree with the pp who mentioned cost - margins in cafes are incredibly tight, and they are notorious for poor pay. If you want all of these, and the many amazingly well trained and happy staff it takes to deliver it, then you need to prepared to pay for it.

Decaf coffee
Dairy alternatives
A bathroom I can fit the pram in
Comfortable chairs

Pet hate (and reason we've not been to a coffee shop this year) is the total lack of recognition that if you are eating in, you'd like food and drinks to be pretty close together.

Modern practice seems to be to shove the food into the grill asap, and then dick around with drinks. The last straw was a Starbucks, where the food was put on the counter before the drinks order had been taken. Costa are no better. (And the independent coffee shops near here were never an option anyway, as I have a "thing" about uncovered food. Although I really should get over myself I suppose).

Much rather have a coffee+whatever at home now. The way we like it at a fraction the cost.

Simply coffee shops who know what a cappuccino is! Milk foam + espresso + chocolate dust! It’s really not hard!

Also those coffee shops who have those airport lounge style machines ARE not real coffee shops! They need to grind their own beans

No small screaming children allowed
Clean
Good coffee
Good I. E homemade cakes
Comfy chairs
Relaxing music, IMHO jazz/blues
Water easily available for free, preferably ina jug with some little cups next to it

Foreign cakes. Think Valerie Patisserie; the Brits don't know 2 pig shits about proper cakes.

Agree 're lovely pastries and cakes

I would love a coffee shop that stayedopen to at least 11

And banned baby groups esp those who save a table with one magazine

Good coffee, good home made food, not too crowded, no kids running around (quiet seated ones are fine) and must allow dogs as mine loves a trip out to eat!

Really good coffee.

Some savoury options as well as sweet. Actually decent.coffee that is ethical and REDUCED PLASTIC WASTE so you want to pick it and pay more than a chain

Must not only have whole milk. I like a dash of skimmed milk in tea and coffee; I can stomach semi skimmed if that's all there is, but not whole, it just tastes too creamy and horrible.

Filter coffee would be nice, I prefer it to Americano.

Some places give a free babyccino or tiny hot chocolate for kids when an adult is buying something, that's always a plus.

Mugs rather than stupid cups please.

No screaming babies/children (mine is very good and loves a visit to a cafe/coffee shop, I'd happily take her somewhere not particularly aimed at families although this is probably contradictory to the request above for free babyccinos)

Open in the evening.

Nice home made cakes and biscuits, not bland crap that's obviously been bought in frozen.

Cakes/biscuits that are not huge portions so suitable for children or people who just want a sliver of something.

Decent number of tables for 2. Lots of places seem to only have tables for 4 so you end up taking up more space than you need or sitting with strangers. And definitely no long sharing tables.

Tables that are not sticky, please please please.

I think the most important thing is good coffee. Once that is sorted, then good quality food with fresh ingredients. I live in a small village with a cafe that I don't go to as the coffee isn't good enough. There is a cafe 5km away that i will make a special trip to cycle or walk to, because the coffee is great. When I am there I will also buy cake, even though they arent top quality.

Some things I get in Costa where I live:
order at the counter and then have table service
always greeted with a smile and sir/ma'am and a thank you when you leave
tables, chairs and floors are clean
soya milk at no extra charge
reduction in cost if you bring your reusable cup (have so far resisted the temptation to just turn up with a mug from my kitchen, but one day...)

If I could add anything to this list for other coffee shops, it would be plenty of seating options where my conversation is not going to be drowned out by the noise of the coffee machine - I do not want to sit 3 feet away from it. Also buy single wrapped herbal teabags and chuck them out when they are out of date, otherwise they don't even taste of anything.

I forgot - they are often open until 10pm or even later.

I think coffee shops should have table service, like they do on the continent.

I don't understand why 1 or 2 French waiters can serve an entire café, and keep the tables wiped clean, when we get barista service, and massive queues.

Decent coffee would be nice. Not a huge bucket of it but a nice small sized cup of equal espresso and water with a nice thick crema

Excellent freshly ground coffee.
Coffee that is actually hot, can't stand tepid offerings from Starbucks etc.
Sockets with USB ports for phone charging.
Gluten free savories.
Reduced sugar GF cakes (& I don't mean replaced with other sweeteners like agave or honey) I find most treats too cloyingly sweet these days.
Comfy cosy nooks to sit in. Variety of seating eg sofas, tables & chairs etc.
Single sex (or self contained) toilets.

One of the coffee shops near me makes a massive effort to source their coffee and they often change it. They take real pride in what they sell and even sell the beans in the shop from that weeks particular coffee. And locally made cakes.

Option for skimmed milk.

Free papers or a book swap.

I like friendly and professional waiting staff to come to the table to take my order rather than having to queue (and worry there won't be any tables.)

clean tables and floors - and sparkling clean toilets.

Feeling of spaciousness and light, and unhurriedness. So tables not too crammed together, people queuing not in the way of the tables.

Good food.
Quality tea and coffee.
Homemade cakes and baked goods.

Agree with a pp who said it’s often about cost, and also inexperience with running a hospitality business.

A cafe opened in our town which had a lot of the things mentioned - fresh cakes (more risky as you need to be v hot on stock control and there’s more wastage), a large space, well-trained and decently-paid staff. Obv the prices were a bit higher than Starbucks etc.

It lasted 4 months before folding as people preferred to go cheap. We went there a lot as it was one of the few places where you could order a flat white / cappuccino and get the drink you actually want instead of the bucket of milky coffee you get in most coffee shops (including most of our local independents).

I lost count of the number of people we saw come in, wrinkle their noses at the prices, and leave.

totally agree with you about the queueing on top of you OP!

For me:
Space between tables
Clean tables
Clean toilets
Nice pastries - flaky pain chocolats and croissants, not those ones that seem like they were made 4 weeks ago, out of old sandals.
Vegetarian options for lunch
No loud music - peace and tranquility.