15 Cafe and Smoothie Shop Ideas + Recipes from Around the World

Coffee and smoothies — they go beyond quenching our thirst. They represent a city or country’s culture of pleasure and socialization and the abundant natural resources they have around. They also showcase the creativity and quirkiness of local baristas and restaurateurs. Coffee and smoothies cultivate relaxation and inspire creativity. In the melancholic times that we are in, it’s reassuring to have a nearby cafe and smoothie shop that warms our hearts. 

Moreover, cafes and smoothie shops are social venues that have the potential to create layers of experiences to excite customers and create much-needed thrills.

1. Smoothies are 10 Times Better in Italy’s Al Fresco Fresh Juice Bar

The Italian culture is deeply soaked in appreciating food, art, nature, and life. Everything is ten times better in Italy, where everything, including food, is done with so much passion and a touch of art. Recipes are preserved and enhanced across generations. However, the ultimate secret to Italian food is the fresh, high-quality ingredients grown all year round in the romantic countryside.

Tuscany, Umbria, and Sicily are world-famous Italian countryside. Tuscany is famous for its wine, Umbria for its sausages, pasta, and lentils, and Sicily for its capers, tomatoes, pistachio, oregano, and sweets.

Among Italy’s rarest and juiciest fruits are prickly pears, Sicilian oranges, figs, Etna Lemons, Amalfi lemons, peaches, Amarena cherries, strawberries, and wild berries. With so many fresh fruits around, it’s easy to get creative and play with food, layering different colors and flavors on a strawberry smoothie and serving these smoothies on a coffee table under shade-giving flowers. We turn on the yellow lights at night, play piano music, and make smoothies with vodka.

2. Lovely Afternoons are Made of Cafe Au Lait and French Macarons

There should be a name for the syndrome of being in Paris and already missing it! To seek pleasure for the sake of pleasure without any guilt is very Parisian, and one has not lived to the fullest without experiencing it. The city of love will spoil you with all the art, love, food, and fashion in the world.

Imagine opening your windows to majestic architectures and starting your day with a quest for croissants. And your afternoons are for lazy lounges in outdoor cafes, reading, writing, and engaging in pleasant conversations. 

The bold and beautiful French people favor the fierce Cafe Au Lait, made of equal parts steamed milk and hot strong french-roasted coffee. Pair with croissants, French Macarons, or a square of dark chocolate. 

The country experiences scorching hot weather in summers, and the trees bear the sweetest strawberries, grapes, berries, and citruses. It is the perfect time to make smoothies and stay outdoors at picnic tables with umbrellas. 

Create an authentic Parisian summer experience in a baroque building with vast lawn frontage. Decorate the tables with flowers, fill the walls with paintings and portraits, and hang some fairy lights. Reclaimed wood, stone walls, and vintage furniture create a nostalgic effect. Widen the windows to bring in the natural light. 

Take inspiration from famous French Cafes, including Ten Belles and Holybelly. Or from garden smoothie shop Institut Suédois.

3. Seoul Coffee and Smoothie Shop Ideas

In K-dramas, many dramatic, blood pressure raising, plot-changing events occur in a coffee shop. And Korean coffee shops are real scene stealers. They are so diverse and overflowing with ideas. You’ll have thousands of concepts to choose from. 

The gorgeous and cozy coffee shop in Gong Yoo’s “Coffee Prince” served as the perfect background for the romantic comedy series. Many meaningful, heart-fluttering scenes are shot in front of the sunflower mural, behind the minimalist countertop, and in the chill alfresco setting.

Meanwhile, the high-end Helsinki Espresso Bar featured in dramas like “World of Married” and “What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim” becomes the perfect place for fashionable, affluent people to confront each other with a strutting entrance and a grand walk-out after some dignified slapping. 

Seen in “Goblin,” Cafe Zino is where rich, eligible bachelors like to drink wine and spend time in solitude in carved oakwood furniture under the yellow chandelier while listening to live piano. 

4. Japanese Cat Cafe and Matcha Smoothie Shop

At first glance, Japanese coffee shops are like your usual. They serve your lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, and espressos, along with your favorite smoothie flavors. They have Banana, Strawberry, Wildberry, and Chocolate smoothies. Of course, there’s the genuinely Japanese, matcha smoothie. Matcha is made from tea leaves, but matcha powder is sweeter and creamier than your usual green tea.

Here are three matcha smoothie shop recipes. 

Simple Matcha Smoothie

You’ll need:

• 125ml soy milk
• 175g soft silken tofu
• 2 pumps Drinkfit Fruit First Banana Smoothie Mix
• 15ml honey
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 6 oz water
• 5g matcha green tea powder

Blend and enjoy.

Wildberry Yoghurt Matcha Smoothie

You’ll need:

• 2 pumps Drinkfit Fruit First Wildberry Smoothie Mix
• 125ml plain yoghurt
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 6 oz water
• 5g matcha green tea powder

Put all ingredients into a blender. Blend until smooth and enjoy.

Peachy Keen Matcha Smoothie

• 125ml soy milk
• 175g soft silken tofu
• 200g peach chunks
• 1 cup crushed ice
• 5g matcha green tea powder

Blend and enjoy.

Moreover, the one thing that makes your Japanese Coffee Experience more endearing are the cats, who are allowed to roam freely around the coffee shop. You can also pick them up for cuddles.

There are at least 39 cat cafes in Tokyo and 150 in entire Japan. Even Japanese businessmen are seen happily playing with cats. 

In the US version, cat cafes often feature a cat playpen. 

5. Smoothie Shops Save New York

In the city of dreams, people work 24/7 to make their dreams come true. And smoothies make the perfect on-the-go breakfast. With a real fruit puree on hand, you can get a deliciously healthy protein-enriched drink in one minute and be powered up until lunch. 

Smoothie shops are a popular quick stop in New York. Leaner smoothie bars are also present in gyms, rec centers, and convenience stores because New Yorkers love one-stop shops where they can get nutrition, exercise, home necessities, and everything else in one go. 

It’s fairly easy to own a fresh juice bar. All you need is a blender, 3-basin sink, and ice, along with a collection of real fruit purees and protein powder. Blend everything in one minute. You can also offer vitamin, energy, creatine, and fat-burning boosts. In New York, everything is hard-working, including your smoothie.

6. Peruvian Coffee Beans Come from the Tallest Mountains

The pinnacle of your Peruvian experience is in the flavorful, aromatic, and light-bodied coffee that offers flavors from high altitudes.

Tropical Smoothie Flavors and Chia Seeds in Smoothie

Peruvian smoothies are just as special. They come in an eclectic selection of tropical smoothie flavors like Melon, Mango, Peruvian Chocolate Banana, Papaya, and Avocado lemon — all made more filling and nutritious with homegrown chia seeds. Even healthier is Peru’s detoxifying green juice with miraculous health benefits. You can also make a superfood smoothie from Camu-Camu, a creamy native berry that’s loaded in vitamin C. Or you can make a strawberry or wildberry smoothie with camu-camu on top. 

Peruvian cafes are minimalist with small pops of colors and captivating Peruvian accessories that you can purchase.

7. Kopi Luwak in Balinese Coffee Shops by the Beach

Setting up a coffee shop by the beach? Borrow some wisdom from the Balinese who have mastered the art and science of open-air coffee shops. 

Bali is a small island in Indonesia that is rich in natural resources like bamboo and wood. Their people are skilled artisans who create highly vigorous yet refined, intricate art that resembles baroque folk art with tropical themes. 

The adequate supply of wood and talent translates to beautifully crafted pallet tables and chairs, shell chandeliers, rattan weavings, and paper lamps. The pillars and ceilings are also made from carved wood with unique Hindu-Javanese designs. 

Kopi Luwak is the world’s most expensive coffee. It goes at about USD 700 per kilogram. The Balinese coffee is taken from the poop of Asian Palm Civets, who, in turn, feed on berries. 

Fresh Juice Bar

Meanwhile, the Balinese serve your favorite Mango and Strawberry smoothies in acai bowls with beautifully arranged, delicately sliced toppings made of granola, nuts, and sweet tropical fruits like orange and yellow coconut, plum, banana, mangosteen, boni, and pomelo. 

8. Serve Greek Coffee in a Briki

Greece is the birthplace of beauty and romance. It bore the glorious greek gods and goddesses that inspired numerous works of art and heroes with valiant quests and stories that our modern influencers try to emanate. 

The place is as beautiful as ever. The deep blue sea and the majestic porcelain cliffs are mirrored by the dainty white houses accented with cerulean doors and fixtures. 

Recreate the world of “Percy Jackson” and “Mama Mia,” starting with a cup of Greek Coffee, an intense brew served with foam on top and grounds at the bottom. Like the espresso, they are served in small amounts. Unlike the espresso, they are meant to be savored and taken in slowly. The culture is in the manner of drinking.

It is best made with the traditional small pot called briki, which creates the perfect foam to achieve coffee’s unique taste. 

To make a cup of Greek Coffee, you’ll need:

• Greek coffee
• Sugar (optional)
• A briki
• Demitasse cups 
• Cold water
• Water glasses

Pour one demitasse cup of cold water into the briki. Add one to two heapings of coffee. Then, add one to two heapings of sugar. Place the briki over low-medium heat and stir until coffee and sugar are mixed. 

Stop stirring and let foam rise to the top of the briki, then remove it. Pour the mixture into your cup and enjoy. 

9. Egyptian Coffee and Smoothie Shop Ideas

Greek and Egypt intertwined a lot in the olden days, and their sweet and frothy coffee is a testament to their shared culture. The similarities end there as Egyptians favor their own ceramics, engraved with hieroglyphs. Gold is also Egypt’s color and is prominent in anything Egyptian. 

Moreover, Egyptian coffee is often enjoyed with dates, fruits from palm trees that grow in the desert. They are as soft and sweet as chocolate and are present on important occasions like Ramadan. Dates can be stored for a long-time, making them the perfect food for traveling in camels in ancient Egypt. 

Dates are also a unique element in Egyptian smoothies. The sweet, juicy, and deliciously healthy food goes well with berries, nuts, and citruses. 

Try the Banana, Peanut Butter, and Date Smoothie. You’ll need:

• Two scoops Drinkfit Whey Protein Cream
• Six pumps Drinkfit Fruit First Banana Smoothie Mix
• 4-5 pitted dates
• Two spoons Drinkfit Pumpable Peanut Butter
• 2 cups ice
• 12 oz water

Blend and enjoy. Makes two servings. 

10. London Coffee Shop Ideas

Londoners love cakes, especially chocolate cakes alongside your usual lattes, cappuccinos, Americanos, and espressos. Cheese Cake, Banana Carrot, Apple-cinnamon, Chocolate Cake, and Tiramisu are a few favorites— and don’t forget salted caramel tarts and brownies topped with vanilla ice cream. English teas are essential. 

11. Indian Knew About Smoothies All Along

In the 1920s, blenders were invented, and Americans started shopping and chopping fruits and vegetables to make smoothies. However, before this, drinks made from chopped, pounded, and pressed fruits and vegetables were a typical medicinal food and delicacy in Asian and Middle-Eastern culture. 

In India, sharbat, a drink made from rose petals, cane juice, lemon, and a combination of cherries, plums, and grapes, was prepared during religious occasions like Ramadan. It’s refreshing, sweet-tasting, pleasant-smelling, and comes in an alluring shade of red.

It takes hours, or even overnight to prepare a dainty jar of sharbat. The process involves:

• marinating rose petals overnight with sugar, or kneading rose them with small amounts of citric acid 
• getting sugar cane juice
• boiling different berries and pressing them afterward to extract more boost juice
• cooling the mixture at room temperature before putting them in a fridge
• and serving them in a glass jar with lemon and ice

12. In China, There is No Shortage of Beans

When in Shanghai, you can frolic through an array of coffee shops the size of a Cathedral. Younger Chinese men rarely have tea. These days, it’s all about the bean. 

The options are endless when it comes to coffee in China. International coffee chains like Starbucks are doing a great job integrating with the Oriental culture and situating their coffee shops in pagoda-style buildings. But Shenzhen-based Hey Tea is giving Starbuck a run for its money with its tea that comes with a cheese-like foamy layer of cream on top. Hey Tea is even gearing up to expand more outside China. 

There is one thing in common among coffee shops in China. Wherever you go, you will be treated to a myriad of premium coffee beans to choose from. 

There is no shortage of coffee beans in China, thanks to Yunan’s highlands that produce 95% of coffee in the country and catapults China as one of the biggest coffee producers in the world. Moreover, the Yunan province sits at a high altitude with a similar but slightly cooler temperature than Columbia or Indonesia.

The best thing about Yunan coffee? They come in a variety. The vast lands of Yunan can grow all the coffee you want, and there is room to explore varieties.

Typically, Yunan coffee bean is said to be sweet, with a higher concentration of flavors typical of highland coffee beads. They are made distinct with a hint of nuttiness, a bit of spice, and a taste of dark chocolate, black tea, and dried cherries. 

Fresh Juice Bar

Finally, when you’ve had too much caffeine, head to a fresh juice bar to cool down with your choice of fruit smoothie bowl with dragon fruit and tropical fruits on top. 

13. You Better Love Dark Coffee, Cambodia

In Cambodia, the best coffee shop in the village could be in a stall. And you can drink coffee al fresco under the shade of a tree while chatting with the friendly locals.

If you’re tired of run-of-the-mill coffee shops, you are in the right country. There is a coffee shop in every street, and it’s always different, designed with love by the owner. Some go as far as curating recipes you won’t find anywhere else in the world.

Cambodians know how to make coffee. As different as their coffee shops can be, you’ll never find a bad cup. 

The traditional way to make Cambodian coffee is to roast the beans until they are nearly black using vegetable fat. Once roasted, grind the beans into fine powder. Brew in a sock-like sieve or coffee filter to make a dark, rich cup. 

Moreover, a Cambodian Coffee and Smoothie shop is also great at making real fruit smoothies in the region’s tropical flavors. The most popular of which is Mango. Grown in the fertile land along the Mekong River, Cambodian Mango is as sweet as heaven. Cambodian Mango Smoothie is rich in vitamin C and antioxidants and will quench your thirst and fill you with creamy sweetness on a hot tropical afternoon. Or you can try a Mango and Passion Fruit Smoothie. Passion fruit adds a subtle but different layer of sweetness to Mango. The superfood has wondrous health benefits. It promotes heart health, improves insulin sensitivity, and reduces anxiety.

14. Coffee Can Save Your Life in Jordan

In Jordan, more important than your cup of coffee is the person you’re sharing it with.

Hugely influenced by their tribal culture, a coffee or a tea party happening in a home signals the neighbors that something is up. And the effort it takes to make coffee by hand by pounding freshly roasted beans is a symbol of hospitality. The sound of mortar and pestle invites the neighbors to gather around. Then, the coffee is brewed in a long spouted pot set and served to everyone in tiny cups, starting with the guest of honor and proceeding clockwise around the circle. The first cup indicates hospitality, and the second cup means relaxation. For a guest to leave without drinking even the first cup is a serious snub. 

Coffee can also serve as a symbol of revenge. A man could gather his neighbors and declare a blood cup. Whoever drinks it accepts the task of cleansing family honor by taking revenge on a named enemy. 

Jordanian coffee is made from coffee beans roasted at moderate to high temperature and ground, brewed, and served with dates or candied fruit. 

Arabian coffee is notable for not having milk. Instead, variations are created by the manner of roasting. You can roast coffee from very light to dark and add spices such as cardamom, ginger, cloves, and saffron. The result is a burst of flavors and aroma. 

Arabian coffee has four standard blends – Dimashq, Ramallah, Riyadh, and Amman. Ramallah, the most common, is made of medium roast beans with cardamom. Damascus is a pure dark roast. Riyadh is a golden roasted coffee with cardamom, and Amman is dark roasted with cardamom.

Fresh Juice Bar

Like in many other Arab countries, Jordanian Smoothies feature tropical smoothie flavors and desert fruits and can be topped with Dates. 

15. Spanish Coffee is a Fiery One

Spanish Coffee is one culinary adventure only the valiant Spaniards are capable of mixing up. The bittersweet coffee cocktail is made of coffee, rum, and fire. Try it if you dare. 

To make the dessert drink, you’ll need:

• 3 oz brewed coffee
• 1-2 oz 151-proof rum
• 1-2 oz coffee liqueur or spirit
• a lemon wedge
• nutmeg or cinnamon
• sugar
• whipped or heavy cream

Now,

• Rim the glass with lemon wedge and sugar
• Brew the coffee
• Pour rum into the bottom of the glass
• Light the rum on fire
• Whirl the rum in a circular motion to caramelize the sugar above it
• Add a sprinkle of nutmeg or cinnamon, liqueur, and coffee

A barista best does this.