Cafés

Café Kitchen Materials and Finishes for Cafés

Select materials by where they will be installed, how they are cleaned and what can be repaired when one part wears.

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
Mark high-touch, wet and impact-prone surfaces separately before picking finishes.
Compare
Ask suppliers for care instructions, repair options and a full sample with exposed edges and joints.
Before buying
Price installation, replaceable pieces and long-term maintenance alongside the initial material cost.
Worked example

A busy household wipes the counter repeatedly and often sets down hot cookware near the hob.

Compare samples for stain, heat and repair behavior, and use a replaceable backsplash panel where splashes concentrate.

How to test it

Put the sample beside its adjoining materials and test the agreed cleaning method on a spare piece.

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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