What is a Cafe?

Cafe and coffee shop are two distinct terms that often tend to be mistaken by most. However, comparing them can really help you come to terms with both of them. By talking about these similarities and differences between them, the comparison between both venues can be made clearly. The ultimate purpose is to give you, the potential cafe owner, a better understanding of the business you’re embarking on.

Both coffee shops have their fair share of similarities. Both serve great coffee and also both have their own unique selling points. Some common similarities include the fact that both offer free coffee and the like. In addition, both also have in-house gourmet pastry chef and espresso specialists who make the drink and offerings more tantalizing and tempting to the coffee drinker.

These similarities, however, also have their differences. As we’ve said, both coffee shops provide great coffee and espresso, and they do it in pretty much the same way. Aside from that, both cafes usually also have small boutiques attached. While some cafe’s are isolated from the main building and operate by themselves, most have an attached window which sells specialty goods such as baked treats and baked goods. Cafe’s usually open in the morning, afternoon, and evening.

Cafe’s differ from cafes in some ways. One of which is location. Cafe’s are usually situated in commercial hubs such as shopping malls or office buildings, whereas most caf’s are located in residential areas, and they tend to close at 2PM. Another way they differ is that most cafes serve food items and drinks, while most can’t serve just coffee.

Cafe’s typically have a special theme. Some of the more popular themes are Italian themed cafes, Hawaiian, Middle Eastern, etc. The typical drinks served in a cafe include espresso, macchiato, American coffee, cappuccino, latte, etc. Some popular food items served in cafes are pizza, burgers, pasta, burritos, and sandwiches.

Cafe’s tend to have a main focus, whether it be coffee snacks or beverages. A case can be compared to a bistro in some ways, in the sense that both have a seating area and tables for people to eat at. However, the difference is that a cafe focuses more on beverages and food than it does coffee. A cafe is usually smaller than a bistro, sometimes only seating around 8 customers at a time. In some respects, a cafe is similar to a miniature version of a large modern hotel, with WiFi, internet access and rooms can be booked online in seconds.