Cafe & Coffee Shop

Who Creates the Atmosphere of the Store?

About this topic

The question 'who creates the atmosphere of the store?' interrogates by whom and by what the 'atmosphere' of a cafe or coffee shop is created—by the owner, staff, customers, spatial design, time of day, culture, etc. Atmosphere is formed not only by physical elements (lighting, music, aroma, layout) but also by human elements (customer service, relationships between customers, owner's philosophy) and temporal elements (time of day, season, customers' length of stay), intertwined. Yet this is not merely a 'product of design' but a phenomenon 'co-created' in the interaction between space and humans. Through this question, we examine the power that space holds and the essence of atmosphere as 'invisible design.'

Conceptual positions

01 Designer-Led Theory

The view that the atmosphere of a store is created by lighting, music, layout, aroma, etc., intentionally designed by the owner or designer. Physical and visual elements are the protagonists of atmosphere.

02 Customer Co-Creation Theory

The view that the atmosphere of a store is only completed when the presence, actions, conversations, and length of stay of customers are added. Atmosphere is born when customers pour 'content' into the 'vessel' prepared by the store side.

03 Time and Context Dependent Theory

The view that even the same store changes atmosphere depending on time of day, season, customer base, and events of the day. Even if physical elements are fixed, the context of 'that time and place' is the biggest factor determining atmosphere.

04 Relational Creation Theory

The view that the atmosphere of a store is 'co-created' within the relationships among owner, staff, and customers. It is not created by any one person, but born as a 'field' woven by mutual gazes, words, and silences.

Talk entry points

Who do you think creates the 'atmosphere' of your favorite cafe or coffee shop? The owner? Staff? Customers? Or the space itself?
Have you ever felt that even the same store changes atmosphere depending on the time of day or how crowded it is? What do you think causes that change?
When you enter a store and feel 'this store's atmosphere suits me,' what elements are in place at that time?
What do you think is the difference between when the owner or staff are aware that they are 'creating the atmosphere of this store' and when they are not?
As a customer, do you ever feel that you are 'contributing' to the store's atmosphere? What actions or presence do you think constitute contribution?
What is the difference between a store where you feel 'I can't create this store's atmosphere alone' and one where you feel 'I am also somewhat involved'?

Conceptual tensions

Design vsCo-Creation

Is atmosphere created by the store side's 'design,' or born from 'co-creation' between the store side and customers? How to handle the gap between design intention and actual experience.

Physical Elements vsHuman Elements

Do physical elements like lighting, music, and layout create the atmosphere, or do human elements like customer service, conversation, and presence of customers have a greater impact? The balance and priority between the two.

Fixity vsFluidity

Is the store's atmosphere 'fixed' by interior and menu, or does it 'flow' depending on time of day, customer base, and events of the day? The relationship between fixed design and fluid experience.

Intentional vsUnconscious

Is atmosphere something the owner or designer 'intentionally' creates, or something born from the accumulation of 'unconscious actions' of customers and staff? The struggle between intention and unconsciousness.

Individual Sensation vsCollective Field

Can atmosphere be reduced to individual sensation as 'what I feel,' or does it belong to the collective field as 'something floating in the place'? The boundary between individual and collective.

Talk note

This topic explores the essence of the invisible phenomenon called 'atmosphere' through the interaction between space and humans. It is a quiet space for dialogue where asking 'who is creating the atmosphere of this store' gradually reveals how one relates to everyday spaces.

Glossary

Atmosphere (Atmosphere): The 'air' or 'feel' that a space holds. An overall impression that is difficult to verbalize, born from the fusion of physical, human, and temporal elements.
Co-Created Atmosphere: Atmosphere co-created through mutual influence between the store side (design, operation) and the customer side (use, reaction). Born not from either side alone but in the relationship between the two.
Agency of Space: The idea that space itself has the power to influence the emotions and actions of people who spend time there. Lighting and layout 'silently' guide people.
Invisible Design: Overall atmosphere design that includes not only physical design (interior, lighting) but also invisible elements such as time of day, customer base, and owner's values.
Air of the Place (Ba no Kūki): A concept unique to Japanese, referring to the implicit atmosphere or mood floating in a place. In a cafe, the 'air of regulars' and 'tension of first-time customers' mix to create a unique field.

Talk prompts

Ice breaker

If you were to express the 'atmosphere' of the store you are in now or a store you frequent in one word, what word would it be? From whose created atmosphere does that word come?

Deep dive

If you were to 'create the atmosphere of this store by yourself,' what elements would you want to change? Are those elements something the store side can change, or something you can change?

Bridge

When the other person is saying 'the atmosphere of this store is…,' quietly imagine the image behind those words of 'who and what is creating that atmosphere.'

Further questions

When the owner says 'I created the atmosphere of this store,' who is included in that 'I' (staff? regular customers? the space itself?)
When a customer feels 'the atmosphere of this store doesn't suit me,' is that 'doesn't suit' a problem with the store's design or with their own senses?
Why do regular customers and first-time customers feel different atmospheres in the same store?
When you feel the store's atmosphere is 'bad,' do you seek the cause in the store side or in your own state?
When you feel 'the atmosphere of this store has changed over time,' what has changed (physical? human? temporal?)
Is it possible to convey atmosphere as something 'invisible' to someone in words? If possible, how?