# Calculating number of covers



## orchid

Hi there

I am new to this space - seems like a great, friendly place to get advice!

I am currently looking into premises (currently used as business office space) that is approx 850 sq ft. While putting my business plan together (which at present only consists of headings!) I am considering how many tables / people I would be able to accommodate in this space. The only sensible way I seem to gauge this is to look at existing coffee businesses for sale - one person advertised his coffee shop as being 1,550 sq ft and states s/he has 100 covers. So based on that I am deducing space for around 50? Am I completely way off? Or is there a known formula that I am ignorant of? Would be grateful for any advice on this. Thanks


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## MikeHag

If there's a known formula I'd love to hear it, but as it depends on the nature of the business, its menu, seating design etc. I think a rough estimate is the best you'll get. But I'm happy to share my workings, which are based upon a combination of sitting in cafes doing research, and sitting at a table with a tape measure. See pics below.


























Off the top of my head I'd say the following:

With 850sqft, i.e. approx 80sqm, your space is limited so I'd guess you're not planning a complex dining experience, but rather a coffee shop perhaps with simple, quick food... hence:

- 12-15sqm kitchen

- 15-18sqm bar area

- 10sqm toilets

- 37-43sqm customer seating

and that's without an office, staffroom/staff toilets, or dry store.

With these assumptions you would have space for 24-28 covers. However, if you pack them in tighter than me (I've left a good gap between tables), have one toilet not two, have a smaller bar area etc. then you might get 40+ at a push, but personally I'd find it uncomfortable (I hate it when cafes don't have enough toilets). Optimising floor space is a tricky trade off.

Would be great to know how you get on, or what other advice you get. Would help me validate my workings!


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## orchid

Wow - what an impressive response! Seems like you have done a lot of research around this. Thanks so much for sharing your insight on this matter. Your suggestions sound really sensible and well thought out.

I just checked the info I was given. The space has 2 toilets already which is additional to the 850 sq ft (i thought that the toilets were included in the count) which is a bonus. 1 of them would probably be staff toilet due to its position & size. The other toilet I am not sure if i'd keep where it is due to its position but need to work out a proper floor plan & costs to move it. Ideally, (if cost and space not too prohibitive) I would like to put in an additional accessible / disabled toilet with baby changing facilities as there are no others in the area. It has a basement too which could potentially be used a dry store? Will definitely keep you posted on where we go with this.

Did you get a professional in to do a floor plan for you? Or can any one recommend where to look to find someone who would be able to design me a layout to make best use of the space?

Thanks again


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## MikeHag

You're very welcome







Always happy to share.

I haven't had any plans drawn yet, just knocked up my own floorplan (below) as a starting point... I know it will change but it has been very useful so far. Expect I will need to get a professional in eventually once we find our site, if only to get Class 3 planning approved but also to ensure that things like drainage and electrical points (we need a 3 way supply for the espresso machine) are in the right place. Money well spent, I suspect, but finding the right guy is critical and I haven't done so yet I'm afraid. Lots of people happy to take your money for a poor service, IMO.


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## orchid

Hi MikeHag

Saw show on bbc yesterday where an experienced coffee shop owner said the rule is 10 sq ft per person (including table & chair). Will have to play around with the space to see how accurate this is!


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## MikeHag

Thanks for this info. So that's about 2sqm for a table of two, whereas I estimated 3.12sqm. I reckon somewhere in between is probably good comfort-wise. 2sqm/10 sqft is possibly based on squeezing in as many people as possible, which isn't always ideal IMO but could be the right approach for a small city venue where people don't mind being tightly packed.


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## seeq

I think your last point is a good one Mike. If you opened a coffee shop in London you could easily pack more people in per sq foot. People are used to it. I would imagine you would have to give a bit more space in your location to make people comfortable. Did you put consideration into disabled customers? and where they could go/sit within the shop and also I would imagine there is regulations for space and access to fire exits that must be considered?


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## MikeHag

In my own provisional plans there are two toilets, both meeting regs for disabled customers. But plans change and it all depends on what can be done with the retail unit. For example I've just found a unit that is of interest in many ways but the toilets are on a different floor. That's not just a potential problem for disabled customers, but the old and young too. Wish I could just design and build a place!


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## Ben83

Hi. I see this thread is now a couple of years old but wondering if anyone can recommend a simple floor planning software? I need to estimate the number of covers I could comfortably offer within a prospective site that I'm considering making an offer on. Thanks.


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