Throughout the brunt of lockdown, Animal Crossing: New Horizons has been a lifeline for veteran gamers and newcomers. Nintendo’s life sim provided virtual interaction with our peers and kept us busy decorating our islands with amusements, building dream cafes, and sporting geeky apparel.
With the return of Brewster’s Cafe on the horizon, many islanders have been inspired to create their own cafes for residents. If building your very own java hut sounds like your next passion project, then follow these steps to bring the liquid gold to your island.
How to design your cafe
There are many routes you can take whilst designing your own cafe, with a lot of pre-existing cafes to inspire you. Jumping on the trend of building your own Starbucks cafe could be one option to explore, or borrowing a Parisian style to add aesthetic to your cafe could be another option.
Some islanders may map out a detailed blueprint of their dream cafe, but it generally comes down to what items are available. You may want to wait for the ornate tables and chairs to arrive, or you can collect what cafe-related items you can and start from there.
Where to buy items, equipment, and decorations
Nook’s Cranny is your in-game shop for all your cafe needs, providing you have the Bells to pay for them. Timmy and Tommy’s small shop rotates items every day, therefore it may take time and luck for your ideal espresso machine to arrive. You can do your shopping at Nook’s Cranny between 8am-10pm, but be prepared to wait for the right colour of mugs.
Acquiring a good selection of items to build your cafe takes time and Bells, but accumulating a lot of hours in-game will reward you with plenty of items for your storage. Additionally, indulging in the turnip market and selling every bug and fossil you come across should give you healthy funds too, because building a cafe can be expensive depending on what style you are going for.
How to earn Bells for your cafe
There are a number of ways to earn Bells in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, that every islander should exploit. Investing in the turnip market is a popular way to make revenue, but there are other plants and plenty of weeds that can make you rich too.
Bugs, fish, and fossils all sell for a decent profit as well, if you’re willing to disappoint Blathers by not gifting them to the museum. Hitting rocks, shaking trees, and digging up Bell Bags are other, lucky ways to pocket extra money. If you are using each of these methods to your advantage, then you’ll have the Bells to set up your cafe in no time.
How to get custom uniforms and artwork
If you’re going down the route of replicating a Starbucks cafe, then you’ll need the uniform and interior design to match. Thanks to the Custom Designs Portal, you’ll be able to download brand logos to your NookPhone and apply them to clothing and canvases of your choice.
Located in the back right corner of the Able Sisters’ tailor shop is the Custom Designs Portal. Once you interact with it, you’ll be able to enter the kiosk where you can search for other users’ designs.
If you wanted a Starbucks hat, for example, simply type ‘Starbucks’ into the criteria search and select ‘Brimmed Hat’ as the type. You can then repeat this method to make your own Starbucks uniform.
There is also the Custom Design Pro Editor app on your NookPhone, which allows you to create your own designs. By using a range of tools and different colorways, you’ll be able to tailor your uniform to the aesthetic of your cafe and even create your own logo.
Both the Custom Designs Portal and the Custom Design Pro Editor can also be used to create artwork for your cafe.
Where to build your cafe
Deciding whether your cafe should be indoors or outdoors can be tricky for some islanders, or perhaps you have the funds for both. Unless you’ve already utilized every available space on your island, you should have plenty of room to plant the foundation of your coffee hotspot.
Having an outdoor cafe allows you to take advantage of the New Horizons’ sun illuminating your cafe before it sets. You will also be able to use more outdoor space to expand your cafe without forking out extra Bells for a building expansion.
An indoor cafe offers the charm of a cosy nook to escape to and shelter from rainy days. You also have the decorative advantage of hanging artwork and menus on the walls, which is where the Custom Designs Portal and Pro Editor will come in handy.
