TIL at a coffee shop in Seattle that seat placement changes how long people stay

I was at this busy spot in Capitol Hill last weekend and noticed something weird. People who sat at the long communal table in the middle stayed way longer than folks at the small two person tables by the wall. The barista told me they actually designed it that way on purpose. Communal tables make people feel like they're part of something so they hang out and order more. The wall tables are for people who just want a quick drink and leave. Never really thought about how furniture layout can literally design your social behavior like that. Has anyone else noticed this at their local spots?

2 comments

2 Comments

nancy313d ago

Read something a while back about how Starbucks actually tested this stuff way before they got huge. They figured out that if you put the comfy chairs and couches in the back, people would stay longer and buy more pastries. The hard chairs up front were for the to go crowd. It's kinda creepy how much they manipulate us with furniture honestly but I guess it works because I definitely camp out at the communal tables longer than I plan to lol.

phoenix84513d ago

Oh man, that is wild. I had a friend who worked at a coffee shop downtown and she said her manager was super specific about where the tall tables went because those were for laptop people who would nurse one drink for three hours. The little cramped tables up front were for the morning rush folks who just wanted to grab a latte and bounce. Guess I never thought about how much thought goes into where they stick the chairs.