Opening a coffee shop? There are many more necessary items you’ll need to succeed than just a couple of coffee pots. Especially if you plan to serve food in your cafe, you’ll need to be sure that you have the right equipment and small wares to run a coffee shop well. As you read, check off the items you’ve already got and make a note of anything you still need. We assume that you do plan on serving food, limited to sandwiches and baked goods such as pastries or muffins.
Beverage Equipment:
These are the most important pieces of equipment you’ll buy for a cafe that focuses on coffee of any variation. There are dozens of different coffee machines for cafes, here are a few that will ensure you can serve all types of coffee requests.
Drip Coffee Makers
A water connection fills a basket of ground coffee, then drips into a coffee pot. The pot is on a warmer or a hot plate, which can lead to burnt-tasting coffee if they are neglected.
Automatic Brewers
Because these machines tend to provide single-cup or small brew amounts, they are a great way to improve quality and reduce waste by lowering the quantity of brewed coffee.
Industrial Grinders
These equipment pieces can hold between two and five pounds of whole coffee beans and are capable of grinding their capacity into brewing grounds within a few minutes.
Espresso Machine
A hefty initial investment but a necessity for a coffee shop to serve this strong, bold, and robust hot beverage.
Blenders
While a commercial blender looks a lot like the one in your home kitchen, it’s much more powerful. You’ll definitely need this for smoothies, frappes, and specialty blends.
Other Beverage Equipment
There are a few other machines you’ll need to invest in to run a successful coffee shop. They include:
- A hot water dispenser for teas
- An ice machine
- Airports or self-serve drip makers
Equipment for Preparing and Serving Food:
Assuming you intend to offer sweet baked foods and simple sandwiches, or similar foods, you’ll need to make sure that you have all the following items checked off your list.
Oven
The amount of baking you intend to do will reflect the size and capacity of the oven your cafe will need.
Microwave Oven
This will allow you to re-heat foods for optimal tastiness. Your customers will thank you for it.
Toaster Oven
Bagels and sandwiches can be toasted to warm the bread and/or meats and cheeses. A commercial toaster will be sufficient if you only plan on serving bread and not toasty sandwiches.
Prepping and Baking Items
They may be little items, but you’ll need them in a big way to serve treats in your cafe.
- Baking and muffin pans
- A kitchen timer
- Liners or parchment paper
- A mixer and bowls
Refrigerating Equipment:
If you aren’t going to serve food, then you’ll only need to keep milk, creme, and non-dairy alternatives chilled. A standard refrigeration unit should serve the purpose well.
However, you’ll need a much larger refrigeration system, like a walk-in cooler for keeping foods cold. Eggs, fruits, meats, and vegetables will all require a refrigerated space to keep them from going bad.
Water Filtration Equipment:
This may not seem like such a big deal, however, the quality of the water in your coffee directly affects the taste of your coffee. You’ll need a good filtration system to ensure that you are serving high-quality coffee to customers.
Business Equipment:
There are a few items that you’ll need to keep the business end of the cafe running as it should.
- A point of sale system or POS
- A security system
- An up-to-date website
- Cleaning products including scale remover, sanitizer, and line cleaner
- A three-compartment sink
- Small wares such as cups, a frothing pitcher, a knock box, an espresso tamper, syrup pumps, and many others
Good Luck!
However challenging it may seem to get started and open a cafe, there is great reward to be had from it as well. Good luck with your own shop.
