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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

How to Come up with a Restaurant Design Budget

Whether you’ve previously started a well-designed restaurant or are new to the industry, you are probably aware to just how vital of a role costs and budgeting play in your overall success. In many commercial spaces, there is a limited ability to make major changes or additions, meaning that the design of your restaurant must be able to fit within predetermined layouts and budgets.

To make the most out of your restaurant design budget, utilize the following tips and boldly move forward to design the restaurant of your dreams.

Why Budgeting and Design Experts Go Hand in Hand

The ultimate goal of any restaurant is to stand out amongst the crowd. To do so, many restaurant developers assume that they will need a large budget to work with to create a truly unique concept and customer experience. However, when you choose to work with a restaurant design team, you can stretch a modest budget further than you may have thought. Restaurant design experts know how to work around challenging spaces to showcase your concept, streamline renovations, and address any design obstacles that could be costly.

Designing with the Future in Mind

Whether you’re aiming to create a stand-alone restaurant or eventually break out into a chain, it’s important that you utilize your budget to avoid future problems. It’s better to make sure that you get the job done right the first time, rather than experience costly mistakes due to poor budgeting and design during your initial planning.

Restaurant Design Budget in the Kitchen

For the most part, a large chunk of any restaurant design budget will be used to repurpose and create a best-in-class kitchen. The kitchen is the heart of any successful restaurant, with plenty of moving parts that chefs and servers alike rely upon to keep service running smoothly. From plumbing to powering gas ranges, there are plenty of costs to consider when designing your kitchen. This should include a fund for inevitable repairs of large-scale commercial kitchen equipment.

How Much of Your Overall Budget Should Be Put Aside for Restaurant Design?

According to Aaron Allen & Associates, restaurant developers often spend around 10% of their construction budget on the design and planning of the restaurant. Additionally, they find that the cost of building a restaurant to be anywhere between $85 and $300 per square foot, but costs can increase as your restaurant uses more high-end materials, as are often used in fine dining establishments.

If you’re working within a set budget for your restaurant, discuss your options with a professional design studio who can help you avoid obstacles and bring your restaurant concept to life cost-effectively. For more information on creating a restaurant design budget for your future best-in-class dining establishment, contact us.

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.