restaurant interior design

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3 Tips for Maximizing the Space of a Small Venue

Designing a small restaurant or pub can require creative thinking to make the most of a limited space; knowing how to select the right furniture and layout is essential.

Small restaurants can have very big advantages for entrepreneurs, but can also present them with very difficult design challenges. A smaller venue brings with it lower costs and less overhead. The price of rent, as well as utilities such as heating and cooling, can be significantly lower. A much smaller wait staff and kitchen staff is also an advantage of a small restaurant or pub, and initial design costs will often be significantly lower in a smaller space.

Choosing the right layout and restaurant furniture for a small venue is essential to a customer’s impression of the establishment. A small venue done right can come across as cozy, intimate and comfortable, whereas a badly designed small venue will seem cluttered, crowded and unpleasant. The following are three tips on how to choose the right furniture and layout to make a restaurant or pub a big hit in a small package.

1) Utilize bar and counter seating

Bar and counter seating is a great way to get a lot of people seated at your establishment, while still offering wait staff and customers ample space to move around. A bar placed on one side of the room adjacent to the kitchen with high bar stools is great not only for spacing – it also can establish a venue as a place to congregate in the neighborhood. Customers who might normally just be ordering food and soft drinks are much more likely to order alcohol while eating at the bar, which will definitely boost profits.

Counter seating along the restaurant’s front windows is also a great way to save some space, and offer diners who value their privacy an appropriate seating option. Seating with a street view is pleasant for diners in your restaurant and can serve to pull foot traffic in from outside.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2) Install banquet seating

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Restaurant Remodeling Tips

restaurant furniture and design

Restaurant remodeling can be very expensive but if you want the best there will be the need to pay for it. It can be done for less of a cost by choosing less expensive items but there are times when it will be best to buy long lasting items. This way there will be no need to have to go through kitchen remodeling for some time.

A remodeling can make such a difference to a restaurant and not least it can push up its revenue. However, in these hard economic times it’s not always a good idea to invest in a large, expensive remodeling.
Star off by deciding on a sum that you can realistically afford and see what is available for that amount. When remodeling, decide who it is being done for. If you don’t plan to expand your clientele base then you can invest in a minor change that will refresh the existing decor without having to spend too much and without having to worry that your customers will not like what you have done.

Decide how much needs to be done and then what order to do it in. If there needs to be a complete overhaul it will be best to start with the redevelopment before the new equipment is brought in. This could be a new floor or new furniture and in the worst case scenario may even need new pipes fitting.

Once the reconstruction has taken place it will be time to decide on the items you want and don’t want. With a restaurant remodeling there will be plenty of scope when it comes to choosing new items. There are certain things to keep in mind when remodeling a dining venue and one may seem very superficial but it will be best to see what kind of restaurant furniture your competitors are using. Another good idea is to ask your workers and your clients what furniture they would like to see in your venue and try to incorporate that into your new design. (more…)

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Restaurant Design 101

Did you know that 60% of restaurants fail within their first three years of opening? This number is much smaller than the common 1-in-10 myth, but new restaurants still have only a 40% chance of making it in today’s market. The percentage can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to discourage you. Opening a restaurant, like any other business venture, is all about using your skills and your intelligence to give the best product and service that you possibly can. If you use all the advantages you have in your arsenal, you will increase the odds of your restaurant not becoming just another statistic.

When diners come to a restaurant they want to feel as if they are not only being fed, but entertained as well. They want a dining experience that will entertain and stay fresh and memorable in their mind for a long time to come. Smart and knowledgeable restaurant owners know that restaurant design plays a big part in entertaining their customers.

Besides the quality of food and service, restaurant design can be a major factor in the success or failure of your restaurant. A well planned restaurant layout and design begin with market research, understanding trends, and ends in a well executed design based on those factors. Diners want to have an experience like no other and as the restaurant owner; it is your job to provide that experience.

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Restaurant and Bar Tips for Good Design

restaurant designSo you’ve bought a bar and are looking to be the next Gordon Ramsey, without the excessive swearing at the staff. Well, design can make or break a bar, You’re going to have to set up a design so that you don’t become one of those statistics of closed bars within the first two years. You’ve chosen a hard profession, but with a little help, your design can go a long way in making customers feel comfortable and at home while they eat your delectable dishes. Here’s some basic restaurant design tips.

Entrance Tips

  • You’re going to need ample space for a hostess station where they can welcome guests and see them to their tables. Also consider adequate space for patrons waiting for a table.
  • Some restaurants let you pay at a cash register once they’ve finished. Make this an area on its own where payment can be taken care of. This is not needed if you intend for your customers to pay at the table after their meal.
  • Provide seats for customers who are waiting for tables. No one likes to stand for an hour watching those tasty dishes brush past them.
  • If your restaurant has a bar attached to it, you can use this as a waiting area for customers who have to wait for a table. Assuming your restaurant is a hit and the wait is long.

Bar

  • Occasionally used as a waiting area, some full service bars even offer small meals along with drinks so that patrons don’t have to wait to begin eating. Serving small portions may be best so they don’t spoil their appetite on gin and steak. (more…)
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Restaurant Safety Tips – Fire

No ire image - by Kriss Szkurlatowski

In previous posts we discussed the importance of design on the success of the restaurant. But there is another aspect that many people don’t think about too often: Safety.

We all want to think nothing bad will ever happen but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared for it in case it does. And we do hope it doesn’t.

So here is an important post about an unpleasant subject that we all need to keep in mind at all times, and even more so when restaurants are involved.

Restaurants are some of the most fire hazardous places in the world, especially in the kitchen. The fact that a restaurant is usually a busy place with many costumers makes it even more dangerous.  That’s why it’s very important to install fire extinguishing systems in all restaurants.

The importance of the restaurant seating layout in a case of a fire

If you’re a restaurant owner you must realize that the way you design your restaurant seating layout, as well as the placement of the other restaurant furniture, could be a matter of life and death. First of all, to ensure a safe way out if a fire starts, make absolutely sure that the path to the restaurant’s main door isn’t blocked by anything! You must realize that when a fire breaks loose and the fire alarm starts ringing, people usually panic and seek the way out of the burning structure. Therefore you must ensure a clear, safe path for them to do so!

Wood and Fire don’t mix (more…)

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Feng Shui and Restaurant Furniture

This is the last part of our Feng Shui Tips (for now) and this time the main focus is on the restaurant furniture and their placement.

Basically, using Feng Shui can make your restaurant more inviting, welcoming, and pleasant for customers to dine in useing both the laws of Heaven and Earth to help improve life and atmosphere by receiving positive Qi which means “life energy”. Furniture are an integral part of Feng Shui. Colors, materials, and furniture are all going to change the dining experience in your restaurant.

The entrance to your restaurant is considered the Mouth of Qi. What you have near the restaurant entrance and what is visible by the entrance will affect your Feng Shui. The entrance should be vibrant and easy to find and access. The style of your restaurant needs to match the energy of your cuisine and the dining experience you’re offering. The signage and menus should use colors and styles that convey that to your customers.

Tables should not be near doorways or between access routes to the restrooms, kitchen, or back areas. This makes moving about difficult and dampens the experience. Toilets and restrooms should not be visible from the entrance way. You must think of the visual clues customers expect when they first walk into your restaurant. The restrooms are not one of them.

For your restaurant seating layouts, find a way to maximize comfort, mobility, and capacity. Your restaurant seating should mix different items like booths, bar stools, and tables to create an atmosphere of versatility and comfort. When placing chairs and tables, take care to notice the distance between a chair and the next table. There should be enough room for two people to pass by without bumping into furniture. A person should also be able to sit without being grazed by other customers walking past. (more…)

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