Designing or redesigning a restaurant requires planning and strategy. Each space has a purpose and must ensure the best experience, atmosphere and comfort for customers.
It is important to note that the interior design of a restaurant is a crucial part of the marketing and sales strategy. It is the first thing customers see and will impact how they perceive the brand, the type of service they can expect, and even sales, as the interior design of a restaurant has been found to impact consumption and length of stay.
Today more than ever customers are looking for a multisensory experience when choosing where to eat, so it is important to know the main elements that must be taken into account when designing a restaurant:
Design of spaces
A restaurant consists mainly of the kitchen, a dining room where the service is provided and the bathrooms. Depending on the restaurant, many have a bar, waiting area, and terrace or patio.
A proper kitchen design must have enough space to have several work areas. This may change depending on the type of food and service offered, but as a general rule, a pre-preparation area is needed, for the preparation of hot food that can include grills, fryers, rotisseries, freezers, among others. Many restaurants also have a baking space to prepare pastries.
The dining room area should be designed to allow for smooth service. Sufficient space should be left so that people can move around comfortably and at the same time the service can be provided smoothly. There are minimum spaces that are recommended for each chair, for example if it is a fast food restaurant it is recommended between 2.3 and 3.3 meters per chair. In luxurious restaurants, this space should be greater, between 3.4 and 4.4 meters.
The design should also have the service spaces to see the waiters and the waiters to the customers, and that the bathrooms should be far from the kitchen but in sight.
Illumination
Lighting plays a crucial role in the environment and comfort that you want to create. Additionally, appropriate use will support the type of restaurant and the service that you want to provide. This is why there are three types of lighting that all restaurants should have.
Ambient lighting: This is the lighting that defines the look and the experience. If a restaurant has dim lights customers will want to stay longer, but if you have bright lights customers will leave quickly so this type of lighting is perfect for fast food places.
Service lighting: This lighting allows the correct service of the restaurant. The lights needed for menu reading and ordering and for food to be served properly.
Decorative lighting: This lighting is used to decorate and lamps are mainly used that reinforce the look and colors of the brand.
Seats, colors, smells and acoustics
The type of chair used, the colors, smells and acoustics will finish giving the space personality. For example, the chairs in a fast food restaurant should not invite customers to linger for long.
Colors and smells on their part trigger different emotions. Warm colors like reds and yellows stimulate the appetite while blues have been found to suppress it. Smells, whether artificial or coming from the kitchen, also play a huge role in a restaurant’s experience and marketing strategy. Studies show that the proper use of odors can increase sales by 6% and the length of stay of customers by 15.9%.
Lastly, acoustics and music are important. You should find a suitable volume that is not too high and allows people to speak, but is not too low and you can hear conversations from other tables. For acoustics, control techniques should always be used in the design of ceilings and walls and can include carpets and curtains.
In our firm we create unforgettable spaces looking for the balance between beauty, functionality and sustainability so that clients have a multisensory experience and always want to return. We invite you to learn about our commercial projects in which we seek the comfort of customers and employees in a comprehensive manner.
