Space planning

Recently talked with a coffee shop owner.

Great place. Excellent location. Genuinely tasty coffee. But something was off. Guests would come in, grab a takeaway cup, and leave. Almost nobody stayed inside.

He asked: "Maybe add some throws and live plants?"

I asked back: "Where do you have the cash register?"

At the entrance. Right at the entrance.

There's your answer. A person walks in, sees the register, places their order — and their body has already turned toward the exit. Psychologically, they've already left. Throws won't help here.

We moved the register deeper into the space. Added one zone between the entrance and the register — two armchairs, a shelf of books, soft lighting. The path changed. The person now walks inside, looks around, feels the place — and only then orders.

Average ticket grew. People started staying.

No renovation. No new furniture. No marketing.

Space is always in conversation with the guest. The only question is — what exactly is it saying.

Sometimes a single change is enough for everything to work differently.

Is there something in your venue that's not working the way you'd like — but you can't quite tell why?

Write in the comments or DM. Sometimes the answer is simpler than it seems.