Everyone loves to chat over a yummy custom-made cup of coffee and a fresh scone or a decadent muffin in the local coffee shop. Whether the favorite locale is Starbuck’s, Caribou Coffee or some neighborhood joint, the experience can be recreated in one’s home and shared with a group of friends. This type of get together can be hosted on a monthly basis with neighborhood friends or on occasion for a special evening event.
Concept and Design
This event revolves around recreating the essentials of a gourmet coffee bar. The design of the party space should invoke feelings of relaxation, friendliness and comfort, with a hint of elegance. While a significant selection of coffee beverages will be available, the rest of the event is rather simple. The focus of this party is to create an opportunity for friends to connect over a cup of coffee in a relaxing, homey environment.
Party Space Set Up
This entire party can occur in the kitchen and family room of anyone’s home. Make sure that the family room furniture is positioned into conversational groupings, so it may be necessary to rearrange, add or remove some of the pieces in the room. In an ideal situation, the kitchen has an island which can be used as a coffee prep area.
Add in a selection of oversized mugs, (they can be identical for an elegant look or mismatched for a kitschy look), small plates for pastries and beverage sized napkins, tune to a smooth jazz or adult eclectic playlist on your sound system, and the infrastructure for the event is in place.
Food and Beverage
In terms of food, keep the options simple. In addition to having some finger-sized fresh fruit available, one platter of baked goods should be sufficient. Good ideas for fresh fruit options would be small bunches of washed grapes, whole strawberries or slices of ripe apples that have been dipped in pineapple juice to prevent browning. Several good options for baked goods include cookies, biscotti, or bar cookies. Stay away from baked goods that require a fork, such as cakes or pies, as they don’t lend themselves to the easy nibbling that the cookie-type treats do.
Beverage offerings will focus around a variety of designer-style coffees, which will be discussed in How to Make Gourmet Coffee for Less. However, it’s important to also offer a pitcher of iced water or individual bottles of chilled water for those guests who need to have their thirst quenched.
Continue readying about Hosting a Coffee Bar in your home.
Janice Benoit - I'm Janice Benoit and I live in suburban Chicago. I have worked in most facets of the hospitality industry -- from hotel front desk to ...
