Cafés

Café Kitchen Furniture Planning for Cafés

Specify the occupied size, operating clearance and route into the building before choosing furniture by catalogue dimensions.

Explore the ideas
L-shaped kitchen with pale green lower cabinets, white upper cabinets and a tiled backsplash
Kitchen inspiration: a light palette and continuous counter run.

Compare the options

Set the brief
Use templates at the size of the actual furniture. Include seated users, open drawers and reclined positions where relevant.
Compare
Decide which items need to move independently and which benefit from built-in anchoring.
Before buying
Confirm that the largest pieces can turn at the entrance, lift lobby and corridor, or specify assembly in place.
Worked example

A family wants a movable island, but stools and open drawers could occupy the same aisle.

Mock up the island, seated knees and fully extended drawers together; choose a smaller cart if the cook cannot pass while someone sits.

How to test it

Overlay the furniture in its stored and in-use positions, then check both against the measured plan.

Apply it to this space
Layout
Keep hot preparation adjacent to the pass and route used dishes toward wash-up on a separate side.
Detail
Use wipeable splash surfaces and task lighting at plating and wash stations.
Trade-off
A more complete kitchen increases menu flexibility but reduces front seating.
  • Trace a food order and a dirty dish return
  • Check appliance doors clear the prep route
Straight kitchen with sage base cabinets, white wall units and under-cabinet lighting
Kitchen inspiration: a single-wall arrangement with task lighting.

The Elixir portfolio

Details worth a closer look

Photographs for design inspiration
White L-shaped kitchen with gold-tone handles, under-cabinet lighting and a chimney
Kitchen inspiration: an L-shaped work surface and integrated lighting.
Parallel kitchen with teal cabinets, a pale backsplash and profile lighting
Kitchen inspiration: two opposing work runs in a compact plan.

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