Cafés
Order Counter Circulation Design for Cafés
Give people and equipment a route that remains usable during normal work, arrivals and cleaning.
Explore the ideas
Plan in this order
- Map separately who enters, what they carry and where they turn or pause.
- Move stopping points out of through routes, especially beside doors and intersections.
- Put the largest regularly moved item on the plan and trace the full trip, including both ends.
Worked example
Guests entering a home cross the path of someone carrying food from the kitchen to the dining area.
Place the arrival pause beside the entry rather than in the direct line through the home. Test the route with a coat being removed and a tray carried at the same time.
How to test it
Run two movements at once during the test walk. Note which person must stop, reverse or step into another activity.
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
The Elixir portfolio
Details worth a closer look
