What makes a great coffee shop?

Is it the coffee? the decor? the ambience? the buzz?

The Best of Liverpool assesses businesses every day to ascertain whether they meet the criteria for GREAT businesses. So what do we look for in a Great Coffee Shop?

Before I list the criteria, let me mention a recent experience. I was in the Liverpool Library on the weekend. What a fantastic facility, but I digress. The sun was shining, it was very warm and a coffee outside sounded like a great idea. So my companion and I bought 2 coffees and went out front to sit in the sun. There were lots of unoccupied tables, but only 1 had no cups and other debris on it! We sat there. But the table was dirty, not having been wiped in the recent past! We watched with interest others clearing tables to make space. The debris piled up on some tables, and as we left they had not yet been cleared! Interestingly, there were many unoccupied tables as we left, and we had not seen any sign of effort to clear any of them. So was this a great coffee shop? I was not aware of the issues outside as we bought the coffee, and I suspect the staff weren't either. I mean they would have cleared it if they were aware, wouldn't they?

In the last few years, coffee shops have improved immensely on the standard of the coffee sold, as a result of coffee machines etc. That means that you are nearly always sure that the coffee will be of reasonable quality. However, the simple things are still hugely important and often forgotten.

So what do I look for? Assuming the coffee is reasonable quality, whay would I come back?

• Cleanliness, clear tables, clear seats. The best coffee shops constantly clear used crockery and other debris, cleaning and wet wiping the tables. If they need to clean the seating, they make sure the seats are dry! I've been inn a few where I have had to dry the seats, and that's just embarrassing! (Does anyone remember Felix in The Odd Couple?)
• Friendly staff. When you spend 10 minutes in a queue, the last thing you need is surly staff!
• Comfortable seating. Personally, I don't like garden furniture in coffee shops. I know of one good coffee shop, that is let down by the plastic furniture! Another had a bench, where I was dumped on the floor when the person at the other end got up! Lol!In fact nearly Rofl!Not Luckily I didn't have a hot coffee in my hand or that shop would have had a public liability claim.
• Free Wifi! This is a must, especially when the shop is used for business meetings, or where you can share a Facebook entry with your companion. 
• Clean toilet facilities. Do I really have to mention this? Unfortunately I do! A few shops I've been in recently would suggest that these facilities are a case of out of sight, out of mind. When the toilets are a mess, I NEVER return!
• A hook to hang my jacket in the loo! No one likes to put their clothing (or handbags) or computer bags on the floor in the loo! Why do so many toilets lack this most basic of requirements? 

So Coffee Shop owners, please take note! The Best of Liverpool would be happy to talk to you if you qualify!