In winter, I was lucky enough to attend an apartment cafe hosted by my friend Madison. If you haven’t seen the “apartment cafe” trend on Instagram or TikTok, it’s a gathering where people transform their apartments into makeshift coffee shops with specialty drinks and pastries.

What I’ve since learned is, it’s much easier to be the guest than the host. Being the guest is a complete treat.

Conversely, for the host, “apartment cafes are a ton of work, especially when you’re working with limited space and appliances,” Madison tells me.

Because she inspired me to one day host my own, I asked her—plus another apartment cafe host—for their best tips for creating a cafe-like environment; here’s their advice.

The Preparation Begins in the Week Ahead

Kendrick primarily made baked goods for her cafes, and Brandon Chou, who has hosted apartment cafes in Los Angeles, primarily made specialty coffees.

“I’ve been really inspired by how bars and cocktails do very unique drinks, and they’re really able to just combine unique flavors together,” Chou says. “I always wanted to learn those skills and try to implement that into the world of coffee and tea.”

Both Chou and Kendrick said their cafes involved a lot of time in the kitchen in advance, “chopping fruit, herbs, and chocolate, shredding cheese, making jams that could sit in the fridge,” as Kendrick explains.

Her advice? “Don’t try to make or do things you haven’t tried before,” she says. “Trust me, it just creates more stress.”

“Stick to what you know,” she adds. “A really good cup of regular coffee and a classic chocolate chip cookie can go a long way.”

Both also said their cafes involved modifications after the very first one.

“Over time as I was doing them, the menu got smaller and smaller and the items got simpler and simpler,” Chou says.

His friends’ favorites are his Madagascar vanilla bean cream top for a latte or Americano and a strawberry cream top made from organic strawberries macerated into a syrup. He makes them early in the morning the day of the cafe.

In addition to ingredient prepping, there are supplies you’ll want to make sure you have on hand.

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Supplies for an Apartment Cafe

• Basic utensils: First, you’ll need the obvious: Napkins, plates, and cups, Kendrick says.
• Water cups: Just like a normal cafe, you’ll want to have water available. “I would always try to one coffee, one cup of water on a little tray … just to give a little special treatment,” Chou says.
• Trays: Kenrick echoes that trays are essential—and something she forgot on her first attempt. For her, it’s more about surfaces to show off her pastries. “A tiered stand was great for showcasing different types of cookies,” she says.
• “Big, shallow Tupperwares were a lifesaver for storing extra cookies, cardamom buns, and biscuits,” Kendrick says. “As items were eaten, I could quickly replenish.”
• “To-go boxes and baggies were a non-negotiable,” she adds. “Realistically, most people only want one or two pastries while they’re actually at the event, but they still want to try multiple things or bring treats home to a roommate or partner.”

To me, the latter item made the place feel more like a cafe and less like an apartment hangout. I’m not usually leaving my friends’ places with to-go box samples of focaccia, orange zest chocolate chip cookies, and an apple cider loaf.

How to Make the Event Feel Like a Cafe —Not an Apartment Hang

Here’s how else Kendrick and Chou recommend creating a cafe ambience.

Have a Menu

“I would work with friends that were either graphic designers or graphic design students to print out these menus,” Chou says.

Decorate With Butcher Paper

Kendrick used butcher paper for her menu and also used it to line the table and label each pastry.

“[It] made the whole setup feel much more cafe-like,” she says. “It’s very cheap and easy.”

Set It Up Like a Storefront

In his apartment, Chou had IKEA kitchen cabinets against one wall, and he and his roommate built a plywood bar to go in front to create a “coffee shop lookalike.” He could stand in between the two, prep, and serve drinks.

Kendrick shifted her couch, moved chairs out of the way, and pushed her dining table up against the wall.

Copy the Pros

Chou likes to use a tool called the Baristir instead of a regular spoon to stir his coffees.

“It’s very niche to coffee shops that you’ll see sometimes,” Chou says. “It’s just very fun.”

For Kendrick, this extra flair was in the “jams, butters, honey, and cheeses on the side for guests to spread on the bread”—a huge hit.

Clean As You Go

“The worst thing you want is just someone that comes in up to your bar and you just have a mess of stuff just on your coffee bar,” Chou says.

It was a mistake he made early on.

“The very first coffee home popup I did, it was a little bit messy. I’ll be honest,” he says. “I think I learned to take a little more time to make sure that I get things cleaned in between drinks … it feels a little more warm, inviting, and nothing’s being rushed.”

Play Jazz Music

Chou even had friends who were in a jazz club play live music once.

Don’t Forget You’re With Your Friends

One key difference between real cafes and apartment cafe trend is that at the end of the day, you’re in your home with your friends, not customers.

Stakes are low, and even though it’s fun to replicate a professional setting, you don’t have to be a pro.

“In coffee shops in general, it’s pretty fast paced, but when it’s your own home and when it’s your friends, they understand,” Chou says. “There’s no pressure. I can still talk to people, I can still enjoy my own pop-up rather than the ‘working’ the whole thing.”

Kendrick adds: “You might as well enjoy the process … The most important part is creating a cozy, comfortable, and inclusive atmosphere where people feel welcomed and connected.”