What Really Makes a Great Coffee House?

By Josh Wood

This is a question that one never really would have heard until the early 1990s. I can remember the first "coffee house" I ever had the pleasure to find. It was the end of my senior year at Syracuse University in 1993. I remember that it seemed so odd to me that an establishment would focus almost entirely on coffee.

Oh, how the times have changed.

The coffee culture has blossomed, and some might even say grown way out of control. In fact, any visitor to a large city has to wonder whether or not Starbuck's Franchise Kits can be purchased at any Wal-Mart or Target.

That's all behind us now. The bottom line is that the coffee culture is now a permanent part of American life. And so it's time to ask the question, "what are the qualities one should look for in a coffee house?"

Well, that probably varies from person to person. If you just want to run in for a quick cup of java on the way to work, here are the basics you'd want:

1.) Great tasting coffee. One would probably desire a few options, such as lighter and darker roasts. Flavored coffee fans probably have a favorite they would consider essential, such as hazelnut, vanilla or chocolate. However, some coffee houses focus too much on variety and not enough on quality. It's better to have fewer options that are brewed well. And decaf aficionados will be the first to tell you that coffee needs to be discarded if it has sat around too long.

2.) Cleanliness. It seems regrettably rare to find a coffee house that makes this a priority. The most important issue is how they store their milk. It should be cold - not cool - and kept in a container that is THOROUGHLY SCRUBBED every day, and the milk station should be cleaned on an hourly basis. Obviously you want the rest of the establishment to be in good order, too. Especially if they have a bathroom, which should also be cleaned every hour.

3.) Fast, Friendly Service. If you're on the way to work, you want to be in and out. And you certainly don't want to leave annoyed at the people that are there - in theory - to provide you with great customer service. Preferably, the coffee will be served by someone who also appreciates the importance of a great cup of coffee in the morning. Has anyone else been served coffee by a 13-year-old clerk that has no idea what a cup of coffee is supposed to taste like?

4.) Fresh Breakfast Breads. For those that like a nice muffin, bagel or croissant in the morning, nothing is more delightful than when you take that first bite and realize its been carefully prepared and served fresh. What could be worse in the morning than a dry muffin or a bagel that is so hard you nearly break your jaw?

And that's about all the average person needs as he or she hurries off to work. However, some people are in search of more. I call this person the coffee house dweller, and he or she is usually in search of true coffee house culture. If someone wants to stay a while and read a book, write in a journal or simply relax a little and enjoy a sumptuous cup of coffee or tea, there are some core necessities that need to be provided.

1.) Good Music - As we have stated in other articles, you cannot have good atmosphere without a good sound system and appropriate music. This means enough speakers so that the music can be played softly and still be audible by everyone. Of course the music one imagines when they think "coffee house" involves the usual acoustic fare by the Beatles and Bob Dylan. However, most genres has something to contribute to the coffee house crowd. The proprietor should do the necessary homework to find the perfect music for the environment he or she has created.

2.) Comfortable seating - Who wants to sit in an uncomfortable or rickety chair while trying to relax? Many coffee houses even offer couches or upholstered chairs. This is a wonderful development, provided that they are cleaned on a regular basis. However, a clean, sturdy chair with ample space at a table is all one needs to spend an hour comfortably soaking up the atmosphere.

3.) Good Design - One of the most overlooked ingredients to coffee house design is lighting. If the owners have taken the time to properly light their space, it goes a long way toward the creation of a good impression the second customers walk through the door. And if what is lighted is a CLEAN, uncluttered open space, the stage is set for a bohemian paradise!

4.) Good Location - It always helps to be in the right place. Beside a restaurant, bookstore or movie theater is optimal, since these are places people go to slow down and relax a little. Coffee houses in more populated areas may stand a better chance of success - since there are more people - but I've been to some fabulous places in the suburbs and the country. If it's "packaged" with other establishments, as mentioned above, that's when "regulars" start to pop up and really drive your business. Who wouldn't love to go to dinner and a movie, and then stop in the coffee house and dissect the movie with friends while enjoying a nice cup of coffee?

5.) Live Entertainment - Nothing beats some great live music or stand-up comedy. A coffee house that consistently provides such quality entertainment - even just once a week - stands a great chance of developing a robust customer base.

Coffee houses truly are one of the best developments in American culture over the last few decades. After all, where else do people go these days to get away from the television and read, write and enjoy some great music? And if the owners and managers take the steps outlined above, who knows how far the coffee culture can go!

This article first appeared on BlueBurbia.com. Reprinted by permission of Josh Wood.