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restaurant concept

OPENUU
In Blog

3 Types of Restaurant to Consider when Designing Your Restaurant

Restaurants around the globe each attempt to create a unique dining experience, differentiating themselves from their competition in many ways. However, the typology and overall concept of your restaurant are what drives a specific audience to your establishment, especially when they know that they’ll be met with the service and best-in-class cuisine that they expect.

The interior space of your restaurant is tied directly to the type of restaurant that you own. From how a server acts to what a customer plans to wear to your restaurant all depend on the predetermined typography of your restaurant. There are varying types of service that distinguishes your restaurant, such as:

High-End Fine Dining

In a fine dining restaurant, many people go for the overall experience just as much as they do the high-quality cuisine. Find dining establishments are set apart by their attention to detail and impeccable service. Often, these restaurants will have moody lighting that creates an intimate table experience, paired with high-quality service tailored to the customer’s immediate needs. For example, servers in high-end dining restaurants will be well-trained in proper decorum and know the answers to customer’s menu questions.

When it comes to design in high-end restaurant typology, there is often a distinct style, aesthetically pleasing fixtures, and a beautifully set dining area to provide customers with a luxurious restaurant experience.

Casual Dining Establishments

Casual restaurants are meant to help individual diners and families alike enjoy their meal in a relaxed setting. In casual dining restaurants, customers will often be allowed to walk-in and wait for a table without a reservation required, hence the “casual” title. These restaurants often have more set menu options for the convenience of the chefs and guests alike.

Design-wise, casual restaurants will often play music that aligns with the overall concept of the restaurant, while the design can be themed, cozy, or eclectic. The servers will be well-educated on their menu and take time to check-in during the dining experience.

Fast Food Restaurants

Most of us are familiar with fast food restaurants in some capacity. However, proper concept design and branding are key to making these establishments profitable, meaning that every detail has been carefully designed to increase sales and optimize the cooking process.

Bright colors work best in these restaurants, while the layout of the restaurant itself is quite flexible. Fast food restaurants can be stand-alone buildings, kiosks in malls, or even be held in food trucks.

People go to these restaurants for convenience, often expecting a simple dining area. Anna Samygina points out that the furniture may be created to be uncomfortable on purpose to deter customers from loitering once they’ve eaten their food.

No matter the type of concept you choose, the right restaurant type for you is the one that best reflects your location, values, and the needs of your target audience. We can help you cultivate your restaurant concept and design, so contact us today for more information.

OPENUU
In Blog

Why Restaurant Design and Branding go hand in hand?

In the first stages of opening a new and successful restaurant, there are a variety of critical elements to consider that will work together to create a solid foundation on which to start your business on. Things like your restaurant’s overlying concept, interior environment, and name all come together to create the brand of your restaurant.

If you’re unsure of how to cultivate branding that best represents your mission and values, an interior designer will work together with you to bring your restaurant concept and brand to life.

Why You Should Invest in Branding Your Restaurant

Your restaurant’s branding will go far beyond the type of food that you serve, although incorporating your menu into a cohesive brand is vital for success. Your brand is how your future customers will interpret your restaurant, aligning who you are with what you do. 

Branding is an important part of restaurant development, whether you’re opening a quick stop restaurant or one that provides a high-end dining experience.

People are drawn to places that feel comfortable and inviting, and your restaurant’s brand is what will help your target audience’s decision-making process when deciding between your restaurant and another. Your branding is what helps you stand out amongst the competition which is especially important in a saturated industry like food and hospitality.

How to Succeed at Restaurant Branding

To create a restaurant brand that is distinguishable and enticing, focus your attention on perfecting these specific restaurant design areas to highlight the uniqueness of your offerings:

Create an engaging concept. Your restaurant’s concept ties together all other aspects of your brand. If you’re open to taking a path less traveled, look at gaps in your local market and cultivate a concept that will entice future customers. If you’re in an area where there are not a lot of casual-style restaurants, consider creating a laid-back concept that invites people in to sit back and enjoy a good, fairly-priced meal.

Set the tone with the right interior environment. If a customer’s expectations are met with the right service and an interior environment that ties into their perception of your restaurant, chances are that they’ll tell others about it. The interior environment of your restaurant goes much further than what it looks like.

Creating a certain ambiance that matches your concept and overall brand helps customers remember their experience. From the right lighting to the use of color in your space, every facet of your interior design goes a long way to creating a lasting brand for your unique restaurant.

When it comes to branding, cultivating a best-in-class concept paired with the right interior ambiance helps you connect with your customers. When you work with an interior designer to create your restaurant’s brand, they’ll help you instill your brand into the smallest touches that create a truly memorable customer experience.

For more information on how an interior designer can help you brand your restaurant and bring your concepts to life, contact us today.

OPENUU
In Blog

What Defines a Good Restaurant Brand?

A good restaurant brand doesn’t just happen. Rather, it is the result of meticulous attention to detail, expert storytelling, and a consistent effort to innovate with every decision. Best-in-class restaurant branding is smart, customer-centric, and can be easily interpreted throughout the interior environment of a restaurant.

With the right strategies, help from a professional designer, and a dedication to enhancing the customer experience, your restaurant can portray its unique brand in a bold way.

Why is Branding So Vital for Overall Success?

Branding is much more than the logo on your menus and your exterior sign. It is a careful weaving of minor details that align with your restaurants underlying mission, values, and concept. There are various factors that define a good restaurant brand, with the key concepts being:

Your restaurant’s menu: The type of cuisine that you serve may be the most obvious way of defining your brand for your customers. From the font you choose to the way that you describe your food options all tie into your larger brand. For example, if you’re a casual dining establishment, you may consider wording your menu in a “humanized” way, so that it sounds like the menu itself is having a conversation with you.

When designing your menu and the type of food that you offer, make sure that it is streamlined to your concept. Busy menus with too many options can be confusing for customers or create a perception of messiness.

Your restaurant’s name: When we think of branding, the name and logo of your restaurant is often the first thought of restaurant owners or operation managers. Your name is the gateway into your concept; without a clear name, decoding your offerings is near impossible for an outsider. A professional designer would encourage you to choose a name that is simple, easy to say, and clear to read.

Presentation: Good restaurant branding includes creating an ambiance that fits your concept and creates an atmosphere suited to your customer’s expectations. If you’re opening a fine dining establishment, it’s important that your utensils and furniture are high-quality, background sound is soft and soothing, and that your lighting is moody to create an intimate dining experience.

Service: In the same way that presentation of your built environment is vital to good branding, service that matches your concept is critical. Service differs between restaurant typologies, and once again, should match customer’s expectations upon walking in. Traditionally, fast-food restaurants only have service staff behind the counter, while high-end dining establishments are met at the door by a staff member dedicated to providing them with impeccable service.

All of the above facets of a restaurant come together to create an overarching brand that is accessible to your customers and functional for you. As a restaurant owner or manager, it’s your responsibility to create a brand that sets you apart from the competition.

If you’re interested in partnering with an experienced design studio to cultivate an engaging restaurant brand, get in touch with us today.

OPENUU
In Blog

Choosing a Restaurant Concept, Which Can Affect Design

Whether you’ve finally made the decision to open your first dream restaurant or are working on expanding your restaurant ownership career, choosing a restaurant concept is one of  – if not the most – important part of cultivating a solid foundation. The concept that you decide on will be your starting point in creating an engaging, welcoming, and sophisticated space that will stay in your customer’s minds.

If you’re venturing into the restaurant industry and need some assistance in how to design a branding concept that will engage your future customers, use the following tips and tricks to guide you through the restaurant concept design process.

Why Does Your Restaurant Need a Design Concept?

Often, the design concept that your restaurant chooses can have a great impact on the overall essence and message that your restaurant portrays. This undefined messaging is what tugs at a customer’s heartstrings and determines how they feel while dining in your establishment.

When choosing your restaurant concept, there are a variety of considerations to be made carefully, including the type of food that you’ll focus on serving, the ambiance you would like to present to customers, and your prices. Even the name that you choose for your restaurant goes a long way in presenting your concept to potential customers.

Varying characteristics of your restaurant should weave together to form a cohesive story to that interests – and maybe even inspires – your target clientele.

Consider the Type of Cuisine You Want to Offer

The most important part of a restaurant is obviously the type of food that you serve. Food style often defines the other design concepts of your restaurant, including the environment, theme, and price point of the cuisine you serve. If you’re open to different restaurant concepts or undecided on how you want to present your restaurant, nailing down the type of cuisine you specialize in will help you determine the other key facets of your concept.

How Much Will You Charge for Your Cuisine?

Deciding on your restaurant’s pricing guide and menu is integral in defining your concept. If you’re interested in creating a fine dining environment, it is likely that you’ll have to have a higher price point than a restaurant that chooses a more casual concept.

Decide on Your Restaurant Name

Your restaurant’s name will have a big impact on your future customer’s perception of your business, the type of food you serve, and what they can expect during a dining experience with you. Some restaurant owners choose to name their establishment to showcase the type of food they serve, while others try to create an aura of mystery or hidden meaning in their name. Whatever name you decide, ensure that it carries some significance and that the design concepts of your restaurant reflect your choice.

When cultivated well, your restaurant’s concept can be integrated into your menu, name, and interior design. If you’re amid a restaurant rebrand or new development, contact us for help with your restaurant concept and design process.

OPENUU
In Blog

What Defines a Good Restaurant Brand?

A good restaurant brand doesn’t just happen. Rather, it is the result of meticulous attention to detail, expert storytelling, and a consistent effort to innovate with every decision. Best-in-class restaurant branding is smart, customer-centric, and easily interpreted throughout the interior environment of a restaurant.

Read More
OPENUU
In Blog, Renovation Resources

Designer Cost for Renovating a Restaurant

What is the designer cost? A restaurant renovation requires careful planning, budgeting, execution. A restaurant renovation is based on the brand. The designer putting ideas and must-haves together has to know the brand inside and out to produce the wanted product. The design process can take a few pressing weeks to a year to complete.

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OPENUU
In Blog, Renovation Resources

5 Things to Consider When Starting Your Own Restaurant

Starting a restaurant is a wonderful endeavor! It’s challenging and exciting, but you need to make sure you do not get too caught up in that excitement that you forget some really important factors. Maybe you’ve thought it over and know exactly how you want everything, but in case you’ve forgotten something, here are five key elements to consider.

Brand Direction

Before you make any major decisions, you should decide on a brand direction, and maybe hire a brand consultant if you feel it’s necessary. This person will do research about your prospective patrons and help you brand your business accordingly. They will guide you in the right direction to reach the people you want at your restaurant. Many following decisions will be based on the brand you and your consultant choose for you.

Branding as well as Social Media updates will inform your identity.

Food Options

Who is your target audience? Should you have a large menu to please everyone’s taste buds, or do you want something simpler to please your guests with an easier decision-making process? In making these decisions, you’ll have to determine a food budget. You should also decide what you’ll be “known” for. Will you be known for your succulent seafood or your warm, creamy soups?

Menu Design

What about menu aesthetics? Are you wanting something up-scale or maybe something a little more retro? See, there are lots of ideas to consider here! Here are some design ideas:

This menu is brightly colored and enthralling. It's very visually stimulating, perfect for lunch or dinner.

This menu is brightly colored and enthralling. It’s very visually stimulating, perfect for lunch or dinner.

This menu is easy to navigate. The pictures pull the customers' eyes to page, allowing them to make an easier decision. You could picture your signature meals at the tops of the pages.

This menu is easy to navigate. The pictures pull the customers’ eyes to page, allowing them to make an easier decision. You could picture your signature meals at the tops of the pages.

This menu has a modern, up-scale feel about it.

This menu has a modern, up-scale feel about it.

Interior Design

Unless you have a knack for design, you may want to consult an interior designer. Even if you know what you want your restaurant to look like, a professional will be able to help you execute your plans more efficiently. An interior designer will also be able to tell you what will look best to your customers. Here are some design ideas:

A simple design, like this one by Minas Kosmidis, with white wooden floors and a homey feel.

A simple design, like this one by Minas Kosmidis, with white wooden floors and a homey feel.

Golucci International Design

A cozy, inviting design, like this one by Golucci International Design, with a modern splash.

DesignLSM

A corporate design, like this one by DesignLSM. This is a place you would take someone you’re trying to impress!

Employees

While you may not be that far into the game yet, it’s never too early to begin prospecting. In order for a restaurant launch to be a success, you need a strong staff. Think about what who you want representing your restaurant. Do you want a younger, more fun staff, or do you want employees who are a little more refined? Also, think about appearance. What uniform will best correlate with your restaurant brand?

For help launching your new restaurant, contact us! We are here to serve you, so you can serve us!

OPENUU
In Blog, Renovation Resources

Making Restaurant Branding Work for You

When you decide to open a restaurant, one of the first things you need to consider is how you want to brand your restaurant.  What is it about your restaurant that sets you apart from every other restaurant in your area? Restaurant branding doesn’t just make you sit down and decide what’s special about your business.  It also tells potential customers who you are.

Your logo is the first interaction your customers have with your restaurant.  It should give them an idea of what to expect.  What kind of “feel” should they expect from your restaurant?  Is it a family restaurant?  A bar and grill?  Should customers be dressed up or dressed down?  Your logo should give your customers the answer to those questions at a glance.

Tie your interior design to your logo.  When customers step through your door, they should have the feeling that they already know what to expect from your restaurant.  They’ve seen the logo; carrying it inside makes them feel comfortable and at home.  Use the same colors in your restaurant that you do in your logo or bring elements of it inside to tie your interior design together.

Determine what you want your customers to say about you.  What is it that you want to set your restaurant apart?  When customers leave your restaurant, what do you want them talking about?  Design your restaurant in such a way that your customers leave with that concept uppermost in their minds.  Do you have a focus on customer service that can’t be beat?  A family-friendly atmosphere that will have a couple on date night eager to come back with the kids?  A particular dish that can’t be beat by any of your competitors?  By focusing on this element, you’ll help your customers recognize it, too.

If you’re looking to build your restaurant’s brand from the ground up and not sure where to start, contact us!  We’re ready to help with every step of the process.

OPENUU
In Blog, Renovation Resources

5 Things to Consider Before Starting Up a Restaurant

blog-openuu-5-things-restaurant

Of all the start up business ideas, starting up a restaurant is among the top when it comes to creativity. After all, the sky’s the limit when it comes to your restaurant’s concept, and your menu is as creative and thoughtful as your head chef. If your thinking about starting up a restaurant, here are the top 5 things you need to consider to make sure your restaurant is a success:

  1. Concept: The most important element of your restaurant is the concept. This is one of those areas that appears deceptively easy, but the reality is this requires a lot of thought and research. You want to make sure your concept is going to stand out among your local competition (i.e. avoid starting up an Italian restaurant if there are already an abundance in your area). You also don’t want to fall on the other extreme, which is developing a concept that is too avant-garde or otherwise “out there” that your local clientele just aren’t ready for. Do some research to determine what you can offer that is different from all the restaurants in your area.
  2. Work with a consultant: This goes hand-in-hand with the above step. Rather than take on the task of branding your restaurant yourself, hire a brand consultant to work with you to develop a strategy for branding your business based on your target audience and your goals for your restaurant. You’ll also want to work with a consultant for your interior design because, let’s face it, Your food can be the best in town, but you won’t get people in the door to try it without an inviting interior. Hire a professional interior designer who will work with your vision for your restaurant to develop an inviting design that will match your restaurant’s concept and encourage diners to come in. Designing your restaurant is one step that you shouldn’t take alone. A professional designer will have insight into current trends as well as what doesn’t work so that you can rest assured your restaurant’s design is unique but in line with current trends.
  3. Menu design: When people think of the menu, they often think just about the food on it. But how that food is organized and displayed is important for maintaining your concept. You want to make sure your menu is accessible and that its design makes sense within the concept of your restaurant. This is another step that can benefit from a professional eye who will already know what works and what doesn’t work, saving you time and money in the long run.
  4. Be accessible: Location is extremely important when it comes to opening a restaurant, and your success will largely depend on how easily people can get to your restaurant. It is important to strike a balance between the location (which brings you the foot traffic) and your overall budget. Without a high volume of traffic, your restaurant has little chance of getting people in the door. You also want to be accessible for your guests inside by having tables for large groups as well as tables for two. Your interior designer will work with you to develop an interior that flows while also including enough options for seating a variety of parties.
  5. Work with a head chef you trust and respect: Having unique quality food on the menu is one of the most important aspects of owning a restaurant, so you need to have a head chef that you trust and respect. Your chef will be responsible for overseeing the quality of the food and selecting menu options, so you need to hire someone who you believe will be able to create unique and memorable dishes that will keep people coming back for more.  You also want to hire a chef who you trust won’t cut corners when it comes to food safety and quality control in the kitchen.

For more ideas on what you need to do before you start up your restaurant, contact us today!