Eat – Drink – Feel Self-conscious!

Walking to your local cafe for a snack or beverage can be one of the great joys of city life. Quick, convenient, tasty… or so you would like to believe! This joyful experience can quickly fade into a miserable one if your local cafe and their staff are not equipped with sufficient space and/or service. This problem has plagued a particular cafe on 7th avenue in Park Slope for as long as I can remember. While sitting in this establishment the other day, I began to reflect on the fact that I have never once been a patron there without thinking:

· Am I standing in the right place?

· Am I in this person's way?

· Am I taking up too much space?

· Do I pay now or later?

· Should I get out of the way?

· Should I hurry up and finish eating so this person can take my seat?

· Are you treating me rudely because I did something to YOU?

· Is the price of my food or beverage worth the price of awkwardly standing here and wondering these questions?

· Should I be here at all?

And somehow, I keep coming back! Over the course of my reflection, I imagined that the customers, staff and business would benefit greatly by finding simple solutions to these problems. This establishment is doing a disservice to itself and its customers by not addressing these problems. I closed my eyes and envisioned an entire physical redesign, but also realized that some simple organizational and systemic changes would make a world of difference without the need for a costly physical redesign.

Things to consider:

· If you run a cafe with limited space in which customers order at a counter, designate "waiting to order" / " already ordered" locations.

· Specify the direction of the line.

· Indicate (at least verbally) when people should pay.

· Take time to consider the experience of your customers and what might make them become loyal, return customers and what might make them never return again.

· Make people feel as though you are there to help them, not that they are a burden.

· Treat customers like you appreciate their business

I don’t mean to criticize this café or establishments like it, but moreover, I’d like to help them understand that no matter how good your food and beverages may be, or how popular your establishment is, an awkward environment that makes your customers feel self-conscious and unwelcome will cause them to not return. If you consider these problems and solutions and make choices that reflect this consciousness, you will have a happier customer base, which will make your staff happier, which will in turn make your customers even happier and the cycle continues. And in the end, YOU WILL MAKE MORE MONEY! We’re all happy! Is that possible?

Do you have any similar experiences/gripes and/or establishments that relate to this topic? Do you have any suggestions for these establishments? Please contribute to this conversation by responding with a comment.