Designing Coffee Shops and Cafes for Community

Designing Coffee Shops and Cafés for Community brings together research, theory, and practical applications for designing coffee shops and cafes as places to enhance community connections. As people search for meaning and connection in their lives, they often seek out places that root them in their community. Designers are responsible for creating these spaces, and to do so well, they need to understand the physical and social attributes that make such spaces successful.

Addressing societal trends, environment and behavior theories, place attachment, branding, authenticity, location, layout, and ambiance, the book provides guidelines to help designers and operators create more welcoming third places―places that are not home, not work, but those where we can relax in the company of others. It includes eight case studies by authors from threecountries that ground the theories in real-life third places. Its practical design guidelines cover location, accessibility, seating, lighting, sound, and more.

Written for students, academics, and designers, this book discusses the value of coffee shops and cafés and guides readers through the ways to create places of belonging that bring people together.

Lisa K. Waxman, Ph.D., is Professor Emerita in the Department of Interior Architecture & Design at Florida State University (FSU). Over her 35 years at FSU, she served as department chair and received several university teaching awards. She has been active in service to the profession, holding board positions with the Interior Design Educators Council (IDEC) and Council for Interior Design Accreditation (CIDA). Waxman is a fellow of IDEC and received the 2019 Arnold Friedmann Educator of Distinction for her contributions to the profession. Always fascinated by people and places, her research interests include place attachment, sustainability, and design for special populations. She resides in Tallahassee, Florida, with frequent visits to the mountains of western North Carolina. As a recreation enthusiast, she can often be found on her bike or in the pool.