Who loves coffee (in my Kel from Keenan and Kel voice)?
One of the events I plan throughout the school year at my job is a cafe event. It’s an event that encourages our students to really allow their creativity to shine. Aside from the artistic expression being a component of this event, coffee is another big one. We create uniquely themed drinks for our guests to enjoy and really try to mimic the coffee shop ambiance that we all know and love.
In today’s post, I am going to share some tips and tricks I learned from planning three cafe events in hopes of helping those of you are planning to plan something similar. Let’s get started, shall we?
[bctt tweet=”D.I.Y: Tips for Planning a Successful Coffee Night At Home” username=”acupofkims”]
CHOOSE A THEME:
For most of our cafe events, it usually is themed after a holiday because of when we typically plan it. For example, we have a holiday cafe that has now become an annual event that the students look forward to.
The purpose of choosing a theme is to help you determine everything else for the event. By selecting a theme that you’re looking for (whether that’s a rustic, country house theme or a Christmas theme), you will have an easier time planning the rest of the details for the event such as the decorations, the drinks and their titles, the mood, and so much more. When we settled on a theme for our event, it made everything else ten times easier than it would’ve been if we went into it with no direction.
DIVERSIFY YOUR BASE DRINKS
While you may love coffee as much as I do, there might be some people you are inviting who may not like coffee very much or may not be able to drink it. I would recommend having options for those guests as well!
What I’ve done while planning cafe nights in the past is have fruit-infused water, hot chocolate, and tea as an option for guests who may not want to drink coffee. Since it’s self serve, perhaps you can have hot water available for them to use, and a selection of tea and hot chocolate to choose from. I would also consider making a cold brew using a cold brew pitcher or by doing it yourself!
HAVE PLENTY OF TOPPINGS AND SYRUPS:
Now that you’ve got your them and base drinks together, it’s time to get some toppings! I would recommend getting a bag of assorted candies that guests can use to include in their drinks if they want. I usually get peppermints (which I crush so they can add on top), M&M’s, bite-sized candy bars, chocolate syrup, strawberry syrup, caramel, whipped cream, and Oreo cookies. It’s my go-to and usually allows me to come up with signature drinks with it as well as give guests enough options to choose from.
MAKE A PLAYLIST TO ADD TO THE AMBIANCE
One of the things that you might notice when you enter a coffee shop is the music. It’s normally relaxed and it’s rare that you hear Katy Perry or some sort of poppy or upbeat song blasting through the cafe’s speakers. This adds to the ambiance of the cafe, helps to aid in the productivity of the people that are working, and helps so that you don’t have to compete with the music when trying to talk to the person in front of you.
Find or create a playlist of your favorite, chill songs and have it play softly in the background. You don’t want the music to be too loud because you want people to still feel that they can have a conversation.
CONSIDER YOUR DECOR AND PRESENTATION
What are you going to place on your tables? Is your self-serve coffee night going to be on one long table or are guests welcome to go into the kitchen and make their drinks on the countertops? Are you going to have your drinks served out of mason jars, mugs or monogrammed cups?
I would recommend adding string lights to add to the warm ambiance you’re looking to emulate. However, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to decor and what to add on the tables. I would recommend keeping it simple, but having some displays where you’re going to have your coffee bar. The reason for this is if you’re hosting an event in your home, it will draw everyone’s attention to the table where they’ll be making their drinks.
HAVE SIGNATURE DRINKS WITH INGREDIENTS LISTED
While during our event we had baristas or volunteers make the drinks for the guests, you can still have signature drinks and encourage your guests to try on their own. You can create your signature drinks based on the theme you decided upon and allow your guests to make it while they’re deciding what to put in their coffee drink. First, figure out the signature drinks that you’d like to serve and what ingredients go into them. Then design your own recipe card for the drink and display it at the party.
Those are my tips for planning a successful coffee night, but I’d love to hear some of your suggestions!
[bctt tweet=”Plan your own coffee night using some tips I’ve learned from planning a few!” username=”acupofkims”]
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