5 things to consider when designing for a restaurant

While we always seem to focus on the food and service, the interior design of a restaurant is one of the biggest influences of customer satisfaction. In reality, the restaurant layout plays a crucial part in the overall experience of the customer. For this reason, it is important for restaurant owners to create an enticing, friendly and authentic atmosphere for their guests to generate more hype, hook people walking by and gain a stronger recurring customer base.

DECOR

You might be reading this thinking, “do people really care about chairs?”. Well no, but people really do care about comfort, environment and the atmosphere you create for them. When designing for a restaurant you should gravitate to styles that are visually appealing but most importantly comfortable. You’d like people to feel at home and at ease in your establishment so that they have a nice experience and ultimately want to stay for dessert at the end of the night!

LIGHTING

Lighting is a massive contribution to the overall look, appeal and vibe of a restaurant and is often overlooked! The right lighting can enhance space features and improve a customer’s overall dining experience. A warm light for example will bring warmth into the space and encourage soft conversation among customers, whereas cold lights on the other hand raise excitement and energy. Illumination also has the ability to attract and hook passing customers to give your restaurant a try, think about all the extra customer potential.

LAYOUT

Restaurants these days go beyond the food. People go to their favourite restaurants not solely for the menu but for the surroundings and layout of the venue as well as the experience it provides. It is important to create a space that focuses on the product or service that you intend to sell, and on the relationship,  it has with the customers.

SEATING CAPACITY

People don’t like feeling crowded and crammed in together, so it is important to consider spacing between tables when thinking up a comfortable seating arrangement. Restaurant owners usually try to squeeze in as many customers as possible in their venues to generate more sales however they need to switch their thinking and consider the importance of recurring customers. If people are crammed, they aren’t comfortable and not enjoying their dining experience they will most likely not return. And did you know that 80% of business comes from recurring customers?! Now that’s a lot of missed opportunity for a few extra tables a night. The right designer will keep the same quantity of guests but lay them out in a way that feels comfortable, a mixture of bar stool, low and hair chairs and tables that can be adapted to suit different customers needs is important.

CUSTOMER SERVICE AREA

The customer service area is one of the most important areas in any restaurant as it determines the first impression a restaurant will make on its guests. It is necessary that the overall look you create in this space accurately conveys the atmosphere of the restaurant to entice customers to commit to the restaurant and take a seat.  To do this you can incorporate all the key points discussed, to create the ideal restaurant personality!