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restaurant design ideas

OBJECTUU
In Blog

Restaurant Design and Development Guide for the Perfect Restaurant Layout

Restaurant design and development is just as important as menu items and service when it comes to creating a winning restaurant. There are more than a few things that need to be considered when planning the layout of your actual restaurant including the overall look and feel you want to achieve with your interior design and how far apart you place all your furniture.

Planning a new restaurant business is no joke. But even if you already own a restaurant or food establishment and want to get an update, this article will help you to design the perfect restaurant layout.

Know Your Restaurant Style

Before you start shopping for furniture, you need to determine what type of restaurant you want to open. There are several types of restaurants out there. For example:

  • Casual Dining Restaurants: These restaurants offer casual dining experiences at affordable prices, where guests can enjoy their meals at their own pace.
  • Fast Food Restaurants: Fast food restaurants are perfect for those who want something quick and easy on their lunch breaks or when they only have a short amount of time to spare before heading back to work.
  • Fine Dining Restaurants: Fine dining restaurants provide a more sophisticated ambiance and an upscale experience that requires reservations ahead of time.

Choose The Right Chairs and Tables for Your Restaurant

The first thing that you should think about when choosing chairs and tables is what type of establishment you have. For example, if you are going to have an upscale steak house, then it would make sense for you to purchase expensive chairs and tables so that they match the atmosphere of your restaurant. On the other hand, if you own a casual burger joint, then it would be better for you to go with more affordable options like plastic chairs or benches instead.

Restaurant Layout Design

When designing your restaurant layout, keep in mind that there are several different things that can make your customers uncomfortable. This includes:

Seating arrangements

If you have too many tables or chairs in one area, people may feel crowded, which makes them more likely to leave quickly.

Temperature

The temperature of your restaurant should be warm enough so that people don’t have to wear heavy clothing or sweaters to stay warm.

Lighting levels

Too much light can make people feel uncomfortable, especially if it is glaring or bright enough for them to see themselves clearly. It also causes eye strain if it is too bright for long periods of time.

Sound levels

Music can either make a person feel relaxed or agitated depending on how loud it is and what kind of music it is playing (elevator music doesn’t usually help). Noises like footsteps going up and down stairs or loud voices can also make people feel uncomfortable because they don’t know where they’re coming from.

Equipment

Refrigeration and freezer units

Refrigeration units come in various sizes and designs. The most common type of restaurant refrigerator is the upright model, which can fit anywhere from five to 100 cubic feet of food at one time. If you don’t have much storage space, consider using a countertop refrigerator or freezer instead of an upright model. These are smaller and easier to clean.

Freezers range from under-counter models that store up to 40 pounds of ice cream at once to walk-in freezers that can hold hundreds of pounds of frozen meat and vegetables at once.

Dishwasher

The dishwasher should be installed on a wall or island that has enough room for it and its plumbing connections. You may need to consider adding additional plumbing lines if you don’t have enough room for your dishwasher in your kitchen area.

The dishwasher should be placed at the back of the kitchen, as far away from customers as possible. This will keep noise levels down and reduce the chances of food contamination. It is also important that the dishwasher is in a place that is easily accessible by staff members.

Ovens

There are many different types of ovens available for restaurants, such as wood-fired pizza ovens, convection ovens, steam ovens, and griddles. The right type depends on your menu items as well as how often they change.

For example, if you’re making pizzas every day, then a wood-fired pizza oven would be ideal since it heats up quickly and cooks pizzas evenly throughout the entire process.

Tableware and utensils

It’s important that your customers feel comfortable when they’re eating at your restaurant — especially if they’re out on a date or a special occasion with family. Your table settings should reflect this philosophy by showcasing both elegance and functionality.

For example, having just one fork on each table can make it seem as if there aren’t enough forks available for everyone who wants one. Instead, provide each person with at least two utensils (fork/knife/spoon). This way, nobody has to fight over who gets to use them first!

Contact Us to Kickstart Your Restaurant Development and Design Ideas

Our team of experts at OPENUU has helped many individuals and corporations get through the restaurant development and design process.

Feel free to contact us if you have any questions about the services we offer or your project.

We would love to assist you in bringing your dream restaurant to life!

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

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.

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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!