For centuries, coffee shops have served as prominent social hubs and community spaces. Often considered to embody many of the characteristics of the “third place”, cafés have offered more than just coffee for some time now.

However, as specialty coffee has evolved, especially alongside the rise of automation, the role of coffee shops has also changed. To stand out in an increasingly competitive market, cafés are turning their attention to offering differentiated experiences to serve as dynamic and engaging spaces for everyone who walks through their doors.

There are many ways coffee businesses can achieve this, but they need to ensure it suits their needs, remains on brand, and captures the attention of their customers.

To find out how coffee shops can elevate their spaces, I spoke with three people from the Turkish specialty coffee chain Espressolab. Read on for their insight.

You may also like our article on why coffee shops need to prioritise hospitality in an era defined by convenience.

The third place: How coffee shops became important social hubs

Urban sociologist Ray Oldenburg defined the concept of the “third place” in his well-known book The Great Good Place, published in 1989. He explains that the home (the first place) is private, and work (the second place) is a structured social space. Third places, meanwhile, are relaxed social spaces where people can connect and build community in a range of different ways.

Although the term was coined almost three decades ago, the concept of the third place has existed for centuries. Coffee shops have long served as these spaces, dating back to the early 1500s across certain parts of Asia and Africa and later in Europe. During this time, coffeehouses (as they were referred to) often had long tables and benches, which helped foster a sense of community and encouraged people of various social and economic backgrounds to interact.

Fast-forward to the late 1990s, when large chains (most notably Starbucks) helped introduce the third-space concept to coffee consumers worldwide. Starbucks’ founder, Howard Schultz, was inspired by espresso bars he had visited in Italy and wanted to replicate the same environment in the US and other markets. Serving as a home away from home, the idea was to create spaces where customers could stay for hours beyond just drinking a cup of coffee. 

As third wave and specialty coffee culture boomed in the early 2010s, coffee shops and roasters focused their attention on consumer education and knowledge sharing. This effectively placed baristas at the forefront of the third place concept and helped to bridge the gap in the supply chain.

How automation has changed coffee shops

Third wave coffee culture is synonymous with the craft of making coffee, with phrases like “brewed by hand” and “hand roasted” commonly used in the industry. But as consumer preferences have evolved, specialty coffee has embraced automation in a number of ways.

Many cafés have invested in automated equipment, including pour-over devices, tampers, milk foaming solutions, and super-automatic espresso machines, to drive efficiency and consistency. In addition to improving beverage quality, the use of these technologies has freed up baristas’ time to interact with customers in more meaningful ways – adding another layer to the third space concept.

Esat Kocadağ is the founder and CEO of Espressolab, a Turkish specialty coffee chain that operates in several different markets. “We have benefited from embracing automation, but it’s our baristas and roasters’ skills and expertise that help us to elevate the consumer experience,” he says.

Tradition meets specialty coffee in Turkey

Coffeehouses have served as the third space in Turkish culture for centuries. Since the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, coffee has been ingrained into the fabric of daily life in the country. In 2013, Turkish coffee (also known as ibrik or cezve) was added to the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list for its integral role in social interactions and special occasions.

According to World Coffee Portal, between 2014 and 2024, Turkey’s per capita coffee consumption skyrocketed from 350g to 1.5kg, with 70% of that coming from Turkish coffee. But even as traditional brewing methods prevail, specialty coffee has become increasingly popular in the country over the past decade, especially among younger generations. 

In recent years, an influx of international coffee chains has made Turkey one of the fastest-growing branded coffee markets in Europe. Consumers are also demanding more premium coffee options, helping to drive the popularity of specialty coffee shops and roasters.

Ersin Kefeli is the Marketing & Corporate Communications Manager at Espressolab, which opened its first café at Istanbul Bilgi University in 2014. 

“Specialty coffee has grown in leaps and bounds across Turkey,” he says. “We believe that scaling is not an obstacle to maintaining quality – that we can build the specialty coffee market and increase both volume and quality simultaneously.”

Today, the specialty chain operates over 260 locations in Turkey, South Africa, Jordan, Germany, Qatar, and beyond. “We also have locations in less saturated markets like Libya, Iraq, and Lebanon to introduce more consumers to specialty coffee,” Ersin adds.

How café design can elevate the customer experience

Interior design and layout are integral to the overall coffee shop experience, creating an inviting atmosphere that draws customers in and keeps them coming back. Even considering the finer details, such as where to position the espresso machine, plays a huge role in how people interact with the space.

Renato Correia is the director of coffee operations at Espressolab. He stresses the importance of staying on top of emerging design trends when developing a thriving café space.

“As new trends evolve, the philosophy behind café design has changed,” he explains. “Modern homes have become less cluttered and more functional, and café designs have mirrored these changes.

“Location is another factor to consider,” he adds. “A neighbourhood café will have different needs than one in a city centre. Understanding how customers interact with staff and each other in different locations is critical to curating a space that works to different strengths.”

Functionality is also a key consideration. A coffee shop’s layout will inevitably influence the flow of customers in and around the space, which also impacts barista workflow and overall café operations. “How customers move about a café and engage with the space and staff are essential to our design ethos,” Renato says.

Designing multi-functional café spaces

One practical design approach, especially for larger spaces, is to separate a coffee shop into dedicated sections. This not only helps direct foot traffic around the space but also creates distinct areas that customers can interact with in different ways, offering new and exciting experiences.

Esat explains how Espressolab followed this design concept for its flagship store in Istanbul, which is Europe’s largest coffee “experience” centre.

“In collaboration with our in-house architects and designers, we conceptualised each separate space,” he tells me. “We wanted to create a range of areas to develop a coffee concept that was unlike any other, particularly in the Turkish market at that time.” 

Ultimately, this allows coffee businesses to provide a variety of spaces for customers, suiting a more diverse range of preferences. For some visitors, a quiet area to socialise or work is a necessity, while for others, engaging with staff to learn about brewing and roasting better fits their needs.

“Our flagship store houses our main production roastery, a specialised bakery, an entertainment theatre, a juice bar, a coffee workshop bar, a filter brew bar, and two espresso bars,” Esat tells me. “It’s important to make continuous adjustments to the various spaces so we can accommodate customers’ needs and offer more engaging experiences. The more in-house concepts you offer, the more engaging they become.”

As specialty coffee consumers have become increasingly focused on education, their interest in experiencing brewing and roasting firsthand has grown. For many, having the opportunity to interact with baristas and roasters on a more intimate level has become an important part of the café experience.

“From the bakery to the roasting department, the coffee ‘theatre’ concept enables customers to be as close to café operations as possible,” Esat explains.

How café operators can create different social experiences

As living costs remain high in many countries around the world, customers expect value for their money. Beverage customisation has become a prominent way for coffee consumers to indulge while still remaining price-conscious. The novelty of a product is now just as important as the product itself, which means consumers want more than simply coffee – they are demanding an experience.

The same principle applies when a customer visits a café. Now more than ever, consumers want an experience that’s about more than buying a drink.

Baristas play a vital role in creating community-driven social spaces. They act as the “ambassadors” of specialty coffee, sharing their knowledge, building deeper connections with customers, and catering to a wide variety of needs.

“A barista is not only a skilled artisan, but they are also the face of a growing, dynamic hospitality sector,” Renato tells me. “If a customer only wants to order a coffee to go, the barista can provide this service. However, if a customer requires a more interactive experience to learn more about the coffee they’re drinking, we train our staff to share as much information as possible.” 

Ersin agrees, highlighting how both staff and customers add to the atmosphere of a coffee shop.

“Without a team running the café, the customers enjoying the space, and the energy created by both within these spaces, a coffee shop is just a few walls, furniture, and some equipment,” he says.

Education is key

With out-of-home coffee consumption recently reaching pre-pandemic levels, there are many opportunities for cafés to engage with customers in differentiated ways. Education, meanwhile, will always be a cornerstone of third wave coffee culture.

Ersin explains that Espressolab’s flagship store has a workshop area where baristas host various educational sessions on topics ranging from coffee brewing to chocolate making. 

“We refer to our roastery as a coffee ‘experience’ centre because we run many events, from live music to lectures, all with coffee at the core of what we do,” he says – adding that they also host activities such as yoga, pottery classes, and movie nights to cater to a diverse range of people.

Workshops and educational courses can also cover multiple areas of the supply chain, deepening consumer knowledge and appreciation for the wider industry.

“Our in-house theatre plays various documentaries on how we source our coffee, manufacture items and furniture in our stores, and even how we process milk from our own dairy farm,” Esat adds.

For centuries, coffee shops have served as important social spaces. However, as the industry evolves, consumers expect more from their café visits and demand an experience. 

To stand out in today’s competitive market, more and more café operators are reimagining their spaces with fresh, innovative concepts that go beyond just serving coffee. In turn, they can introduce specialty coffee to a wider range of consumers.

Enjoyed this? Then read our article on how the third place concept relates to coffee shops.

Photo credits: Espressolab

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