Best restaurant design concepts - e-architect (2024)

Best Restaurant Design Concepts guide, Dining Style Advice, Eating Out Design Tips

22 Jan 2021

Despite the restaurant business being highly profitable, it is a competitive industry, with small and large establishments fighting for customers. If you run such a business, you definitely understand how outdoor and indoor décor and ambiance affects your customers. That said, you should consider investing heavily in a creative restaurant design. The guide below outlines some of the best restaurant design concepts to consider.

1. Exterior Design

Your restaurant’s exterior design is your visual language that communicates with your customers. This is why getting the right design is an important factor that determines the restaurants’ success. The exterior design gives your clients a clue of what to expect from your establishment. While no surefire or specific element guarantees success, the right combination of various elements can provide this.

An important part of the exterior is how you construct the entrance. Simple installations, such as canopies, awnings, upright plants, and other décors, can improve the doorway. Inexpensive settings, such as wine barrels, easily attract the attention of passers-by and inform them of the dining experience to expect inside.

Using multiple colored tiles on the pavements and clearly visible entrance mats also attracts your customer’s attention and differentiate you from competitors. Colors and signage also play an important role in your exterior design’s success. Highly saturated and bright colors often bring a casual and fun feeling to restaurants.

On the other hand, dim and warm lights are best for upscale restaurants. Broken bulbs, cracked pots, and dried plants are a turnoff and often give customers wrong impressions about your establishment’s cleanliness.

2. Interior Design

Apart from the exterior, most restaurant owners dream of developing a gorgeous and breathtaking space that flocks. When planning your interiors, a general rule of thumb is that dining spaces should take up at least 60% of your interior space while the kitchen, restrooms, and storage rooms share the remaining 40%.

The spacing between tables and other seating arrangements should allow for easier navigation. However, spacing for restaurants varies depending on the type of restaurant. For instance, 20 square feet for every person is best for classy and fine dining restaurants. Fast food establishments can use 10 square feet per person.

3. Lighting Design

Proper lighting has subconscious effects on your customers. Flickering fluorescent lights can easily conjure your customer’s minds. Unfortunately, despite such importance, lighting is among the underestimated restaurant design elements. For starters, proper lighting sets the right lounging mood for your customers. Most customers are always searching for different dining experiences.

Good lighting also increases your sales. Just as it sets the right mood, customers enjoy a lengthy dining experience under the influence of lights, thus ordering more. As customers spend more time in your establishment, they will likely spend more money. Proper lighting also increases sales by enhancing the appeal of your food.

Lighting designs in a restaurant should also help differentiate spaces within your restaurant. Choose and install restaurant lights according to functionality. Restaurants have separate areas that contribute to their overall functionality. Areas such as dining lounges, bars, and waiting bays should have separate lights that reflect the different purposes of every area. For instance, waiting bays should have bright and warm lights that give an inviting feel, while sitting areas should have dark lighting that creates an intimate feel.

4. Good Waste Disposal System

Food waste is a significant issue that restaurants should learn to manage. Nothing is unsightly as dumped leftovers in a restaurant. It leaves not only bad odors but also gives potential customers a bad impression of your establishment. Therefore, you should incorporate a proper waste disposal system in your restaurant design. Restaurant waste often results from overproduction, food trimming, and preparing wrong portion sizes.

Therefore, besides designing a good waste disposal system, adopt various measures to minimize waste production. Monitoring your inventory, storing your food correctly, and conducting a waste audit can help reduce waste production. You should also have a team dedicated to managing your restaurant’s waste.

However, even with an integrated waste management strategy, you will still have some leftovers to be disposed of. This calls for hiring reliable and professional commercial waste management experts to prevent accumulation.

5. Restaurant Menu Design

Menus are an important marketing tool for restaurants. However, most people view it as a simple inventory that lists available items with their corresponding prices. Menus are crucial documents that outline your restaurant’s offerings, brand attributes, and other culinary philosophies. Therefore, the size, paper choice, photo quality, font, and typographies should be chosen with caution.

Best restaurant design concepts – Bottom Line

There are hundreds if not thousands of design concepts to consider in your restaurant. Modern successful restaurant design concepts go beyond good service, a good atmosphere, and good food. Apart from the key concepts mentioned above, other essential design considerations include staff uniforms, ventilation, restroom design, and acoustic designs.

Comments on this guide to Best Restaurant Design Concepts article are welcome.

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Best restaurant design concepts - e-architect (2024)

FAQs

How to design restaurant architecture? ›

A restaurant floor plan should include:
  1. The kitchen.
  2. Kitchen elements like refrigerators, stoves, and other large appliances.
  3. Tables and chairs.
  4. The entrance.
  5. The waiting area.
  6. The bar area.
  7. The restrooms.
  8. Your staff area or backroom.

What kind of mistakes do you think a restaurateur usually make in the design of an outlet? ›

Inefficient floor plans, wait stations, bar setups, and table configurations impede servers and customers. Consulting with an architect who has restaurant experience prior to building out the space is ideal. Even the perfect space for a restaurant can fall short if the layout of tables and chairs is wrong.

How do I choose a restaurant design? ›

The Best Restaurant Design Tips
  1. Design With Your Brand Personality In Mind. ...
  2. Balance Ambience & Seating Capacity. ...
  3. Minimize Bad Tables. ...
  4. Don't Underestimate The Importance Of HVAC. ...
  5. Include Tableware In Your Design Scheme. ...
  6. Make Uniforms A Priority. ...
  7. Give Special Attention To The Bathrooms.

What are the 5 steps of architectural design? ›

The 5 phases of a design project are Schematic Design, Design Development, Construction Documents, Bidding, and Construction Administration, according to the American Institute of Architects (AIA).

What are the 5 steps of architecture? ›

The American Institute of Architects (AIA) defines Five Phases of Architecture that are commonly referred to throughout the industry: Schematic Design, Design Development, Contract Documents, Bidding, Contract Administration.

How do most restaurants fail? ›

Inflated costs. It takes a lot of money to keep a restaurant running. There's food cost, liquor cost, labor cost, overhead costs, prime cost, and more. These costs add up quickly, and many owners can become overwhelmed trying to find ways to reduce costs in a restaurant.

What is the biggest problem in the restaurant industry? ›

9 Biggest Problems in the Food Service Industry
  • Labor Shortages and Staffing Issues.
  • Rising Food Costs.
  • Stringent Food Safety Regulations.
  • Food Waste Problem.
  • Technology Integration in Food Service Operations.
  • Food Supply Chain Disruptions.
  • Consumer Preferences and Changing Trends.
  • Competition and Market Saturation.
Jan 9, 2024

What is the most problem in restaurant? ›

Here are five common restaurant problems and the solutions that can help to address them.
  • Inventory Shrinkage and Waste.
  • The Need to Reduce Face-to-Face Contact Between Customers and Staff.
  • Heavy Labor Costs.
  • High Employee Turnover.
  • Poor Customer Experience.
Feb 15, 2021

What does a restaurant concept include? ›

What Is a Restaurant Concept? A restaurant concept is the overall idea or theme that defines the restaurant. Concepts include your menu's design, service style, dining room decor, and — of course — the style of food. Many restaurants are conceived based on a chef's personal experiences or interests.

What makes a restaurant trendy? ›

Current components that are making food and drink popular are: International Flavours – Many people want to try something new with their restaurant experience. Eating dishes inspired by other cultures is therefore one of the top trending culinary experiences for 2023.

Why are restaurants called concepts? ›

A restaurant concept is the overall idea or theme that defines your restaurant business. It must be memorable, simple, and most importantly, authentic. The concept includes names of the menu dishes, style of service, decor and of course the style of food being served.

What makes a restaurant luxury? ›

Luxury Restaurant Must Have

Decor, background music, furniture, and, most importantly, fireplaces help to create an excellent ambiance for a restaurant. The atmosphere is essential in creating a luxury restaurant, and luxury fireplaces are a perfect choice for making it.

What is a restaurant designer called? ›

As a restaurant architect, you could be responsible for designing the interior and exterior structures of eateries. Restaurant architects confer with clients to determine what type of design they'd like for their dining establishments.

How do I choose my design style? ›

How to Discover (and Name!) Your Interior Design Style
  1. Step 1: Think about color. ...
  2. Step 2: Look at so many pictures. ...
  3. Step 3: Browse in-person. ...
  4. Step 4: Play “This or That?” ...
  5. Step 5: Consider how you live. ...
  6. Step 6: Contemplate your comfort level. ...
  7. Step 7: Pick a style that feels right for you.
Feb 28, 2022

How do I create my own architecture design? ›

5 Tips for Starting an Architecture Project
  1. Develop your own interpretation of the project brief. ...
  2. Research and understand your project's site context. ...
  3. Figure out your constraints. ...
  4. Research precedents and case studies. ...
  5. Sketch, sketch and sketch!
Feb 6, 2024

What does a restaurant architect do? ›

As a restaurant architect, you could plan structural and electrical systems, develop construction plans, coordinate with construction crews and propose a budget.

How do I create my own architectural style? ›

Study existing architectural styles: Learn about various architectural styles from different time periods and regions. Understanding the principles and elements of these styles will provide a foundation for your own work. Identify your influences: Reflect on the architects, artists, and designers who inspire you.

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