Top Tips to Consider While Designing a Restaurant

How to divide the space

The shape of the property, what it was used for in the past and a number of other factors will influence how you divide the space. Start with the ones you know you’ll need—tinghe kitchen and the dining room.

When viewing a property for the first time, examine the space closely and get a rough idea of what areas will be front of house and which will be back of house. From here you can start to make a mental image of the end result.

If you think it has potential, get a copy of the floor plan with square footage. This will help you understand the limitations of the space and if it’s going to work.

Give yourself enough space to work

Don’t make the mistake of not planning adequately for the production area of the restaurant. Production includes:

• The kitchen
• Busing and washing area
• Dry storage
• Walk-in
• Prep area
• Receiving
• Break room
• Back office

And any other space off limits to customers but used to get the job done.

Back of house needs to be designed for smooth operations so you can deliver quality products out of the production area consistently. If the production area is cluttered, disorganized and cramped, service is going to suffer.

Kitchen size matters

If you sacrifice the production area for a larger dining room, you’ve got to think of it like a big car with a tiny engine. Your team will always be struggling to keep up.

The size of the production area directly determines how many guests you can serve. There is no use having a massive dining room with a disproportionately small kitchen.

Your Restaurant’s Theme

The theme of your restaurant is part of the concept. It’s a way of decorating that makes your space seem unique and cool, but also makes your target guest feel familiar and at ease.

To get started creating a strong and appealing theme for your target guest make a list of all the things they probably like. It doesn’t have anything to do with food at this point.

• What style do they like? Retro or modern?
• What colors are they attracted to?
• What TV shows do they watch?
• What sports are they into?
• What style of music do they like?
• What do they do in their spare time?
• What kind of jobs do they have?

This will get you thinking about developing a strong theme for your restaurant. You can even list these questions on a survey and give them to members of your target market to get a better idea.

Pick an interest that resonates across your audience and mine it for a theme. If your customers all seem to like classic rock go all out with a classic rock theme. If their interests are luxury and glamour then your restaurant theme should reflect those values. Restaurants with a strong theme stick with it and make it an integral part of their brand.

Strive for comfort

The theme helps your restaurant stand out and make an impression. It’s like a bull horn attracting your target customers. While the theme might tell you what color the walls should be, it doesn’t tell you anything about how to make your guests comfortable.

Luckily, there are some universal recommendations for guest comfort:

• Make sure everything is clean
• No wobbly tables
• Chairs shouldn’t be too soft
• Space out tables so it’s easy to navigate
• Use appropriate lighting to create a mood
• Set music to a level that invites eating, drinking and conversation

The more comfortable your guests are the more enjoyment they’ll have. And the more likely they’ll tell their friends.

The Waiting Area

Depending on the size of your restaurant and how large the dining room is, you may have room for a waiting area. A waiting area can greatly increase guest comfort on a busy night.

This will reduce the chances of guest abandonment—people who leave discouraged when waiting. The waiting area should comfortably accommodate the number of guests you expect to keep waiting.

Adding A Bar

You can further improve the waiting experience by adding a lounge or bar for guests to relax in while waiting for their table. This also monetizes their wait time as they will likely order drinks.

If you have enough room and it suits your target guests you can feature a full bar in your restaurant. A full bar takes up a lot of space in the dining room but can generate a lot of additional sales.

Outdoor Seating

If you’ve got a small dining room and the weather is nice, some locations are perfect for adding outdoor seating. This can help you maintain the space you need for back of house while accommodating additional parties.

Take as much care designing your outdoor area as your indoor dining space. Make sure that your theme carries over and the same high level of service and comfort are maintained.