Fundamentals Of Restaurant Design.
While most of the people only see the sparking and glamour side of the restaurant business, the dusky end is inevitable too. The restaurant offers a myriad of experiences; when you enter the space the ambiance makes your eyes twinkle, the smell of freshly cooked food gives pleasure to your olfactory senses whereas the soft music entices the spirit. All the senses work together and a bunch of signals is given and received. A customer judges the eatery by the overall experience. Therefore, missing one point would do a blunder to your brand identity. So here is a list of sins that you should NOT even think of committing being a restaurateur.
1. Inefficient Exterior Signboards
Every book is judged by its cover in the F&B industry. Signboards are the first extension of your brand. People stand in front of your doors and analyze your restaurant, so make sure you put your best foot forward. Design your signboard such that it makes people want to come in try your food. Color, logo, positioning, and visibility matters.
2. Unable to deliver your message.
Most brands fail to extend the concept of their brands to the customer through their exterior. Exterior décor is the key that will fetch you most customers, hence it is important to send a clear message to your customers. Your exterior should be understandable to a layman. What are you, what is your specialty and why should people dine in your eatery?
3. Inaccessible location.
It is quite evident that a restaurant located on the main road of the busy street will attract more customers. If your eatery is offering a great experience, people tend to take a little pain. If your customers are taking this much pain the least they expect is to have the proper signage. Have a distinct and clear direction board to show where you are, even if your location is not the best. Also, try to get the best location possible worth your money, even if you have to compromise a bit on other things.
4. Unbalanced parking lots.
The parking lot is one of the most important services you provide to your customers. A lot of people skip going to their earlier favorite places due to dearth of parking space. Nobody wants to spend hours finding a parking spot. So choose your location with ample parking lots, such that your customers are not disappointed.
On the other hand, empty parking lots speak a lot too. People usually think that if there are not enough vehicles parked in front of a restaurant, maybe it is not a busy one. That sends wrong signals. Nobody likes am an empty restaurant. During peak running hours of your outlet, there is less crowd ask your staff to park their vehicles in front so people may think it is busy.
5. Tattered exterior menu
Displaying the menu outside is a way to represent your concept, an interesting display of menu would allure people to come in and try your food. Whereas a shabby looking, old-fashioned exterior makes people think that the restaurant is uninteresting and unsafe to eat. Your outside food menu should not be soggy or tearing apart, make sure it is well-designed and alluring.
6. Exteriors and parking lots
None of your customers will believe the fact that it’s not you who loiters the pavement in front of your restaurant. So have your pavement and parking lots cleaned regularly because people do not like entering to a place which looks dirty, unkempt and cold. It also shows that you care about your surroundings and have attention to detail.
These sure might feel like small things but are the basic fundamentals of restaurant design
7. Badly lit.
It is very important to illuminate your restaurant well for people to know you exist. A dimly lit exterior would make people think it is a shady place. So have bright lit up space outside even if your interior lighting is dull and romantic.
8. Poor space planning
A lot of restaurants face problems with cluttered hotspots. This is a result of poor planning. Hire the right people who excel in restaurant design and make efficient floor plans. Space is money. You do not want jumbled up spots in your bistro. So, utilize space efficiently and make sure it is evenly distributed.
9. Décor not done.
Interior decoration of your restaurant should reflect the concept of your brand. Putting up irrelevant décor piece here and there would only send the wrong message to the customers. Make sure you have a definite plan of how you want your restaurant to look and then decide the light, furniture, and accessories accordingly. Everything should be in sync.
10. Clean interiors
Even if you do not have the fanciest of interiors with expensive chandeliers, it is fine. A decent looking space which is spick and span works wonders. Always clean your laundry and if the laundry service is taking a lot of your money, remove it completely and come up with innovative ways to decorate your table. Always keep the washrooms clean because people think that if the restaurant doesn’t have a clean bathroom, their kitchen would be filthy too. Have interior signboards to direct your customers properly. Just a few small things and your restaurant become a lot tidier.
11. Noise pollution.
If your café is located on the main street, it could be possible that the front area receives a lot of noise from traffic. This leaves the customers irritated. Always play soft and smooth music to keep away the jitters. Also, while installing a music system, sit and check each table if they receive uniform sound.
These are a few fundamentals of restaurant design things that you should be aware of in the restaurant business. How much ever good food and good service you have, a small mistake can lead to serious damage to your brand image.
Read a bit more about the industry here:
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