Lately, the nouns Cafe and Restaurant have become more similar to each other. People tend to use these words interchangeably. While there are differences between these two, the synonymy is, however, present.
While most people would refer to a Cafe as a small-sized restaurant or a coffee shop, it is an establishment that sells coffee, snacks, drinks, and other light meals. Cafes have facilities for customers to consume their orders on the premises. Restaurants, on the other hand, are an establishment for eating. Here, there is typically a more comprehensive range of food to opt for, and diners are served meals at their tables.
In this article, we have shown the differences, similarities, and all things about both terms. To learn more about Cafes and Restaurants, continue reading.
Cafe
A cafe is sometimes referred to as a coffeehouse. It is called a tea shop in English, Bar in Italian, and Café in French. It is a type of restaurant where coffee and tea are typically served in addition to light foods like pastries. A cafe setting is that of a casual social atmosphere where people can relax, play games, read magazines, and chit chat. Typically it is an environment where information can be exchanged.
A cafe has some characteristics of both a bar and a restaurant based on the selection of refreshments served.
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment where foods are prepared and served to customers. Restaurants differ in offerings and appearance. They have a wide variety of styles of cuisines and the model of service. Service models can range from cafeterias to fast-food restaurants to luxury establishments. Some serve all crucial meals like breakfast, lunch, and dinner, while some may serve only single meals like only breakfast or only dinner. Some may also serve only two meals.
Restaurants can be classified based on the following;
* The food itself, for example, Seafood, Vegetarian, Steak, etc.
* The cuisine, like Japanese, Mexican, Indian, etc
* Speed, such as fast-food
* Novelty themes, like automated restaurants
* Cost
* Service
What are the Difference between a Cafe and a Restaurant?
A cafe is a French word meaning Coffee. Therefore, it is a relaxing place where you can take coffee and other light foods or drinks while relaxing over a book or chat with friends. It is a place where social interactions take place. A restaurant is an establishment that prepares food. The foods and drinks are served to customers and are eaten on the premises. Most restaurants offer food delivery services, as well as take-outs.
To differentiate between cafes and restaurants, we have done so based on some factors highlighted below.
1. Price
Typically, eating in a restaurant would be far more expensive than eating in a cafe. This is because you would be ordering only a coffee or snack in a cafe, which would cost a few dollars. However, in a restaurant, because of the variety of cuisine offered, the prices are higher – based on your cuisine and actual meal.
2. What they Offer
There is a larger variety of meals in restaurants compared to cafes. Set meals are available here in various categories. While in Cafes, the variety of foods is limited. There are different snacks, sandwiches, and burgers, which are usually paired with coffee.
The foods offered in restaurants are usually not ready-made. They are prepared and served to customers on orders from the menu given them by the waiters or waitresses. While cafes generally have ready-made snacks.
3. Alcoholic Beverages
Alcoholic beverages are offered in some restaurants. On the contrary, alcoholic drinks are not served in cafes.
4. Tips
It is common to tip waiters in restaurants after meals, mostly a sizable amount, up to 10% of your meals’ cost. While in cafes, tipping is optional, and when done, it is usually in small amounts, from tipping with a few coins to few notes.
5. Menu Cards
On arrival at a restaurant, a menu card is presented to you by a waiter or waitress. With the menu card, you make choices and place orders. On the other hand, Cafes mostly have limited items displayed on the walls for you to pick from. Both businesses could utilize a restaurant POS system to display menus in digital format to speed up product selection (source).
6. Ambiance
A cafe’s ambiance is more of a casual setting for relaxation and chilling with loved ones or a magazine. In contrast, restaurants have the atmosphere of a dining setting and a formal place. Here, official meetings can take place over courses of meals. While that of a restaurant would pass for a place for casual meetings.
Is a Cafe the same as a Coffee Shop?
Coffee itself is the line between a cafe and a coffee shop. Coffee is the central focus of coffee shops. Here, there are tons of brewing methods to choose from and a selection of tea. On the other hand, in a car, food is the major focus rather than coffee. However, most cafes will offer a variety of paring of coffee, which is why a cafe can be described as a type of restaurant. But a coffee shop would not pass because it lacks a restaurant’s qualities – like the availability of foods.
A cafe doesn’t have much to do with the name of a coffee shop. While a coffee shop can use a cafe’s name, a cafe cannot use that of a coffee shop.
Note that there are no rules to what is offered in both establishments. Although rare, some coffee shops would offer snacks and food while some cafes would offer only coffee.
There are no significant differences between the two terms. What determines whether or not it is a cafe or coffee shop is the emphasis on coffee.
Conclusion
Restaurants and cafes offer food. However, cafes do this to a certain degree. While cafes serve coffee, light food, and drinks, restaurants provide many styles of cuisine, take-outs, and home deliveries. Although these terms have their similarities, they also differ based on some factors highlighted in this article. We believe that this article has been able to broaden your knowledge of Cafe vs. Restaurant.
