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Successful Restaurant Design
Successful Restaurant Design
A successful restaurant’s design brings its brand and brand personality to life for all to see. To
accomplish this, it needs to appear focused, functional, inviting and
consistent -- all while making enough room for possible expansion,
renovation and longevity.
What makes an effective ?
A
well-defined concept always has a better chance of long-term success
than some vague notion. So know your brand and make sure it’s concrete
in vision and focus. A compelling brand connects with clients in
numerous ways and also serves as a catalyst for your restaurant’s
future. Once you know your concept, ask yourself the following in
relation to it:
Does your restaurant design have longevity?
Can
you maintain your vision and success over the long term through your
vision and brand? Or will you ultimately have to revise your brand repeatedly to
adapt it to trends or client needs?
Is the restaurant design consistent?
No
matter what, a strong, concrete brand strives to produce the same
successes day-in and day-out, no matter the circumstances. That means
everything in your restaurant must remain the same all the time, from
the décor to the plate presentation to the manner of speech used by the
wait staff. Without consistency, your brand loses credibility and
appeal.
Does your restaurant design have market appeal?
Your
brand may garner nationwide recognition or dining awards early on, but
if it doesn’t connect well with clients in your city, it still needs
focus. The goal of every restaurant, after all, is to be considered the
first place a customer wants to eat when he or she wants to dine out.
Achieve that and you’ve got yourself a winning concept.
Can your idea expand easily? Winning
brands always want to grow and reach more people. The ones that do this
best possess the following qualities: Broad customer appeal;
consistency of quality and service; and management systems that are
well-established and adaptable to nearly any situation anywhere.
I’ve got my restaurant design down. Now what about actual construction?Because each restaurant is different, composing an effective basically becomes a one-on-one undertaking between the operator and his restaurant designer. Before beginning to develop concept, the restaurant designer
must understand the operator’s concept, market position and operational
goals. Once knowing this, the team can then target their efforts
towards visualizing those goals.
Once everyone is on the same
page, you can start focusing on the specifics, such as size or
amenities. However, while doing so, always ask yourself if these choice
will successfully express personality of your brand or not.
Restaurant Design: Size and amenities.
Are
you looking for a quiet atmosphere or a noisy one? Do you want soft
lighting or energetic lighting? Do you want to promote a bar area or
lounge or keep your restaurant primarily a place for dining? To
determine this, examine your brand and ask yourself how each item fits
into your overall scope. Also, look at your prospective profit margin,
compare it with others in your niche and try to figure out how your
sales would jump or fall with the addition of a bar area or liquor. How
many people do I want to have in the restaurant at a given time? How
fast do I want to deliver my food? Do I want my atmosphere to be casual
or formal? In deciding this, remember that your goal is to cater to the
most patrons possible without sacrificing service -- and to convey your
concept’s personality on all fronts, including those the customer never
sees (kitchen, behind-the-scenes, etc.).
Restaurant Design: Location.
Most
owners search for functional, visible places with affordable rents and
utilities. But just as important is seeing how your brand fits in its
external surroundings. If your concept is strong but your choice of
location isn’t, your brand will still fail. This can be avoided by
knowing your targeted customer base well: Find out what they want and
their dining habits, then fill that void for them.
Restaurant Design: Cost.
An accurate budget is key to any restaurant design.
You need to bring your concept to life, and purchase enough essentials
like equipment and furniture, without bankrupting the rest of your
plans. Likewise, you also need to create a budget that’s flexible
enough to accommodate the unexpected. The last thing you want is to
exhaust your funds before your concept opens -- or worse still, while
it’s still taking shape. Also, remember to put money back into your
concept so that it remains fresh over time.
What else should I consider?
Don’t
skimp on staffing. Though they may not be part of the immediate
construction or décor, your staff will still be your primary brand
connection to your clients. Without their help, you run the risk of
alienating your customers.
By choosing the right people, and
training them correctly, you will see your vision better realized and
brought fully to life. To ensure your staff properly conveys your
concept to the public, train them well by having them attend workshops
in product knowledge and service tips. Also, hold pre-shift discussions
regarding specific instructions.
Another good step, to ensure
longevity of staff, is to create a work environment that encourages
career growth and cross-training for other positions.
Want to see samples of our restaurant design work?
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