Skip to main content
Tag

starting a restaurant

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!

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

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.

Read More

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!

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.

Reasons to Hire an Interior Designer to Help Design Your Restaurant

As a budding young chef you have worked hard to make it to the top. As you go to open your new restaurant you have carefully considered each item on your menu to make sure it is crafted to your exacting standards of quality and taste. But have you spent the same amount of time considering the design of your new restaurant?

Why Design Matters

The famous Ohio State University study confirmed restaurateurs worst fears when it reported that 60% of restaurants fail within the first year and a dramatic 80% fail within five. While naturally it is important to produce food of the highest caliber, it is equally important to provide a setting that encourages people to stay, socialize, and eat in your one of a kind space. A recent study published by the UCF Rosen College of Hospitality Management on why restaurant fail lists decor as a key reason many new businesses fold. The study concluded that design failures directly contributed to a competitive and economic loss. Many restaurateurs are not equipped to design for a specific space and “architectural limitations were found to be one of the major factors in restaurant failures especially in urban settings, and some of the architectural limitations in restaurants have even resulted in the greater failure of the business.”

How Hiring a Designer Can Help Your Restaurant Stay Competitive

As the study shows, restaurateurs need to be aware of the specific benefits and limitations of the space they have acquired for their new restaurant. By hiring an interior designerwith the ability to utilize the architectural elements of your space, you can maximize your competitive edge with a restaurant that combines excellent food with a dynamic design. Architectural Digests agrees that a beautiful design can sell a restaurant in their article on the 10 Most Beautifully Designed New Restaurants. Entrepreneur Magazine also offers some Low-Cost Ideas for restauranteurs looking to plan a design on a budget.

If you are looking for an innovative designer to help make your one of a kind restaurant a success, contact openUU.

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!