A Guide on Designing a Restaurant For New Owners

Did you know that more than 13,000 new restaurants opened their doors in the United States of America in the year 2018? Opening a restaurant is a big challenge and undertaking and you’ll be up against a lot of competition in your area.

One of the best things that a restaurant can do in order to stand out from the rest is to focus on restaurant design. This will bring customers a unique and fun experience when they dine at your restaurant. There are a lot of factors that go into designing a restaurant so it might seem difficult to get started.

There is the theme that you want to go for, the interior design, and getting the colors and lighting just right for that perfect customer experience. If you’re looking at starting a business in the restaurant industry then you’re in luck.

You’ve come to the perfect spot to learn all about the things you’ll need to consider if you want to make it in the restaurant industry. Keep reading this article for helpful tips that will help you narrow down the types of restaurant design for your new eatery.

Choose Colors

There is a lot of psychology behind colors and the human perception of those colors. That is something that you should make sure to use to your advantage. Colors produce different feelings when it comes to how your brain works.

When it comes to the restaurant industry, you should find ways to incorporate the color red when designing a restaurant. All of the best and most successful restaurants use red as a primary color. The color red has a big impact on growing the appetite of people that are immersed in it.

If you’re in the early stages of opening a restaurant then you’ll want to think long and hard about the colors you choose to use. This applies to your logo, your branding, and the interior design of your restaurant. Choosing the right colors has a much bigger impact on the success of your restaurant than you might think so choose wisely.

Choose Your Decor

Another big thing that you’ll want to consider when you’re designing a restaurant is the decor that you want to use. Unless you’re opening an extremely upscale restaurant in your area, most people aren’t concerned with the Adage’s range of restaurant furniture that you choose to use.

Your customers aren’t going to leave you a poor review because you purchased less expensive chairs and tables. They’re not concerned with you splurging for $1,000 chairs for your restaurant. Customers mainly want chairs that are sturdy and comfortable to sit in while they enjoy their meals.

It is always a good idea to follow a general theme with your restaurant but don’t go overboard when you’re looking for furniture for your restaurant. You can get everything that you need at In Stock Restaurant Furniture.

There is psychology at work with your restaurant furniture just like with the colors that you choose for your logo and design. You can take a modern approach with your furniture but this will attract a younger crowd that doesn’t;t spend as much money.

Get Smart With Lighting

Lighting is another huge part of designing a restaurant for a number of different reasons. The right lighting in your restaurant will improve the appearance of your interior design and the furniture you choose. It will also cover up weaker areas of your restaurant’s layout.

It is also a vital factor when it comes to providing your customers with that memorable dining experience. Try to get bright and welcoming lighting for your restaurant. That is a great way to get people walking by to come inside and check out your establishment.

Once these potential customers enter your doors, that welcoming lighting will continue working its magic. The lighting will entice them to sit down and order food or beverages from your restaurant. If possible, get LED lighting for your restaurant as it will save you money while also helping the environment.

Do your best to get warmer hues of lighting rather than cold lighting that is filled with blue light. Softer lighting encourages quiet and comfortable conversation. Blue light leads to customers speaking louder to each other.

Music

Lighting is a big way to improve the visual experience of your customers that visit your restaurant. There are things you can do to make their ears happy too. It is likely that your restaurant won’t be at full capacity at all times. That could lead to awkward silences if you don’t have music in the background.

Music is a great tool that you have in your toolbox for making that fun and memorable experience of dining at your restaurant. Still, you need to choose the music wisely. You can have the best food in the area with great lighting but if the music is off then it will ruin the whole experience.

Studies show that having good background music at your restaurant will actually make your restaurant employees happier. It is also a great way to create a positive impression on your guests as good music will make your restaurant stand out from the rest.

Rock music is a great choice if you’re looking to increase the appetite of your customers. Classic music is a great choice if you’re running a refined and posh establishment. Rock music is a popular choice for places like pizza restaurants because it increases the number of orders that the restaurant gets.

Aroma

Don’t underestimate the power of aroma when it comes to designing a restaurant. Certain smells have the power to unlock memories and strong feelings within the human body. Aroma is another great way for you to enhance the customer experience at your restaurant.

These aromas will bring back happy and strong memories while also boosting the appetite of your customers. If you’re looking for an understated way to boost your profits then you need to incorporate aroma into your restaurant design.

You should also consider using certain types of flowers in your restaurant. Some flowers have aromas that create a relaxed and happy environment. Others boost sensuality for a romantic and intimate restaurant experience.

Restrooms

Restrooms are another part of designing a restaurant that often gets overlooked. If you’re going to open a restaurant then you need to put a lot of thought into making sure that your bathrooms can accommodate your guests and provide a comfortable and sanitary space.

It doesn’t make sense to pour thousands of dollars into the other parts of your restaurant only to neglect your bathrooms. Your guests and patrons will love the experience of your restaurant until the first time that they need to the restrooms.

Once they discover that your restrooms aren’t up to par, you’ll find that your customers are a little less in love with the experience of dining at your establishment. People expect bathrooms that smell of urine and that have puddles when reliving themselves at a subway station. They don’t expect that at a fine dining establishment.

Odds are that your customers won’t return for a second time to your restaurant if they’re repulsed by the restrooms in your restaurant. Make sure that you provide ample money for designing restrooms in your restaurant.

Restaurant Layout

A big part of interior design that has changed over the past few decades is the focus on the products and services a business offers rather than designing a passive interior design that is built around the function of customers purchasing goods.

When you’re putting together your restaurant layout it is important that you create a space that allows your customers to focus on the great food that they’re about to enjoy. A great strategy is to incorporate visual merchandising within your restaurant design.

This concept helps you to make the most of the space and layout of your restaurant to increase the value of the food and drinks that your restaurant serves. You’ll use spaces to maximize things like bottles of wine or other goodies. Doing this has proven to increase the odds of customers purchasing those items.

Seating Capacity

Seating capacity is another big part of restaurant design when you’re looking at opening a restaurant. You need to strike a nice balance between having the space to accommodate a large crowd while still creating a relaxing and calm atmosphere.

It is important that your restaurant has no difficulties seating enough patrons to turn a profit. If you’re going with a more modern restaurant then you don’t need to include as much space between the tables. That all changes if you’re going for a gourmet or luxury restaurant.

Luxury restaurants have a lot more space between tables to create a more private and intimate dining experience. Keep that in mind when you’re picking out the right theme for your restaurant.

The one exception that you can make for crowded restaurant floors that are packed with tables is during special occasions. Overall, that is something that you should try to avoid if you want to create a positive experience.

Heating and Ventilation

All successful restaurants have one major thing in common: they create a comfortable atmosphere for their patrons to enjoy their meals in. Depending on the climate that your restaurant is located in, you’ll need to consider investing in an HVAC system for your restaurant that will keep the temperature stable and comfortable.

Anyone with experience cooking knows that it doesn’t take long for kitchens to become hot and smoky and you don’t want that heat making its way out to the area where your customers are enjoying their favorite meals. You need to invest money in proper ventilation for that heat and smoke.

The biggest thing that turns customers away from restaurants in the United States of America is the lack of air conditioning. If you plan on operating a restaurant in a climate that experiences hot summer months then you need to prepare to invest money into an HVAC system.

Designing a restaurant with poor ventilation and no air conditioning is a sure way to lose a lot of money on customers that choose to get food elsewhere. You’re better off making the investment into those things when you start your initial restaurant designs.

Kitchen Design

The last thing that you’ll want to invest time and thought into is the design of your restaurant’s kitchen. The kitchen is the part of the restaurant where you should expect to spend the most money upfront. Restaurant kitchens require large and expensive kitchen appliances for storing and preparing food.

One thing to consider when you’re looking at the kitchen design is finding a way for food that is ready for the customer is an easy and seamless path from the kitchen out to the dining area. You also need to make sure that your kitchen has plenty of space for preparing and making food.

Kitchens with a poor layout get slowed down when preparing food for guests. These extended waits will frustrate your customers and lead to you losing money. You’re better off investing more money into your kitchen in order to have a proper design and layout.

It doesn’t matter how great your food is, how welcoming your lighting is, or how great your background music is, if you have a poor kitchen layout then your business will struggle.

Start Designing a Restaurant Today

There are a number of things that go into designing a restaurant when you decide that you want to open a restaurant in your area. You need to put a lot of thought into the interior design, such as the colors that you choose and the overall theme of the furniture. You also need to prepare to invest money into a restroom that is clean and comfortable to use.

Lastly, don’t forget to invest your money into designing a kitchen that allows for an easy flow of restaurant workers.

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