Cafés

Order Counter Budget and Scope for Cafés

Compare like-for-like scopes by separating base work, specialist items and upgrades before requesting a quote.

Explore the ideas
Living room seating group with a clear approach from the front of the room
Arrival inspiration: keep the first route into the room open.

Compare the options

Set the brief
List the functions the finished space must support, then assign items to base scope or upgrades.
Compare
Get quantities and materials described consistently across quotes. Ask who covers making good and waste removal.
Before buying
Set aside a contingency for survey-dependent work and price likely substitutions before choosing finishes.
Worked example

A foyer refresh includes a new storage cabinet, mirror, lighting, and floor repair, but quotes describe different work.

Separate necessary floor and electrical work from optional mirror and cabinet upgrades. Compare cabinet internals, finish, installation, and making-good as matching line items.

How to test it

Read the exclusions back with each supplier and ask what must be purchased or arranged separately.

Apply it to this space
Layout
Place ordering first and pickup farther along the counter, with a queue lane that does not cross the entrance.
Detail
Make the menu legible from the queue and use a durable counter edge that tolerates bags and trays.
Trade-off
A longer counter clarifies stages but reduces room for seating.
  • Simulate ordering and pickup at a busy moment
  • Check menu readability from the back of the queue
Entry corridor leading toward a dining area beside a glass-front cabinet
Entry inspiration: a clear approach and shallow landing storage.

The Elixir portfolio

Details worth a closer look

Photographs for design inspiration
Wood display partition between an entry-side passage and living room
Entry inspiration: a permeable divider that softens direct sightlines.
Living area with a glass partition beside a television wall
Entry inspiration: glazed separation that preserves borrowed light.

Related design guides

Talk to a Designer