Are you about to open a new restaurant the likes of which your market has never seen? If so, you’ll want to design your restaurant space to make it stand out but always with a focus on the type of cuisine you will be offering along with a level of service you will boast. Just as presentation is the name of the game when putting out those amazing culinary creations, so too is the space in which you want your patrons to enjoy their meals. Restaurant Architecture – Shea Design offers ideas on how to create the space you need to set the tone for all that comes after. From arriving at your door, to an exquisite meal, to customer service par excellence, restaurant design really does play a huge role in customer experience.
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Curb Appeal Is a Huge Part of Marketing
Whether you are going to be located in a mall or on the waterfront at a posh resort area, it’s vital to set the stage from the outside in. Work with your architect to design the exterior of your restaurant in such a way as to introduce passersby to the type of restaurant that lies within. This will mean working within the elements already in place in the neighborhood. Although you want your restaurant to stand out, there really is such a thing as over improvement, so create a design that is a cut above the competition but not obnoxiously so.
Color and Lighting Work Together to Set the Mood
Have you ever thought about how fast food restaurants always have walls painted in white and that they are so brightly lit that you almost want to hurry out to get out of the glare? There’s a reason for that! They are, after all, fast food restaurants and because they want customers in and out the door, they don’t work hard to make their customers comfortable. Bright colors and lighting keep people energized and that’s what they are after. Conversely, fine dining requires ambient lighting and colors which are earthy in tone. Patrons can relax with a triple digit bottle of wine and an exquisite meal fit for a king. They want you to linger because the longer you sit, the more you will be enjoying those high price menu and bar offerings.
A Word About Service Areas
No matter what kind of restaurant you are creating, the most common customer complaint is listening to all the noise and commotion in service areas located too close to the dining area. Don’t think for one moment that customers checking out your new restaurant won’t have a quick look around when first walking through your doors. Since this is one of the biggest annoyances voiced by customers around the world, they will certainly be checking out the seating arrangements. When designing restaurant space that stands out from the competition, keep these seemingly insignificant details in mind. Never set up service areas as an afterthought. They are more important than you think to customers looking to enjoy their meal.
Whether you are building a new restaurant from the ground up or working with a design team to repurpose an existing building, how you design restaurant space may be just as important as the food you serve. Keep this in mind and you will oust the competition, no holds barred.
