I have traveled all over the country. And with every place I’ve visited, I’ve sipped on my favorite beverage, coffee, in many different coffee shops. I have never been a person to just stop at the nearest coffee chain for my coffee fix either. I’ve always been one to look for the “mom and pop” type coffee place. The places whose character is formed by the owners, staff and those who frequent the shop.

Below are the top four things I think create a coffee shop’s character and make it what it is.

Music

To me, music can impact anything. Your mood, your energy, and well, your coffee shop. Music can greatly enhance or totally destroy the vibe of a cafe. I feel like a coffee shop should be consistent in the type of music it plays to its customers. If it plays calming acoustic music one day, but dance music the next, customers may not know what to expect. While variety can be a great thing, attracting a consistent type of customer base might not work out so well if a shop’s music is too diverse. A perfect example of not being consistent is when one of my favorite coffee shops played electronic music consistently and then one day blared vulgar rap music. I had to leave so I could get my work done.

Staff

A friendly staff is super important. My everyday shop is about 50% related to the fact that I know the staff and feel comfortable at the shop. They know my name, what I drink and all about me.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere of a shop is everything. It’s created by the people in it, the music, the shop’s design and the art on the wall. All of these things work together create an energy and a vibe. Personally, I like consistency. Also, I like a combination of coziness with an eclectic feel. Pictures, paintings, and displays of collectibles are some of my favorites. Also, here’s one that’s important, temperature. One of the most popular coffee chains I can think of seems to want to freeze their customers out by jacking up the air conditioner. That’s a great way to ruin everything.

The Coffee Itself

Since I am talking about what makes a coffee shop a “good” coffee shop, I probably also need to talk about what I personally think is one of the most important factors in having one. The actual coffee and products offered. Are there just three items offered? Is the coffee genuinely good? Is it too weak? Does it have a bad aftertaste? Is there coffee consistent with every order?

What are your thoughts on what makes a good coffee shop?