Chloe Taylor Every restaurant tells a story through its interior design and architectural elements. No matter what the theme of your restaurant is, or what kind of food you serve, you have to pay attention to the design and try and match it. The appearance of the restaurant is crucial to your brand and it will be an integral part of your marketing strategy, too. As soon as someone enters your restaurant the first thing to notice is the interior design and that’s when the first impression comes in. Based on that, they will decide whether they will sit and dine or just leave.
Architecture and Design
This is a critical component of the overall interior design of your restaurant. You should pay attention to the way you are going to arrange and actualize the features of the interior and this is critical to determining the overall look and feel of your business. The layout will most certainly impact the customer experience and that is why you have to be careful when considering the layout and decoration of all the features.
Lighting
Lighting is almost the most important element of the design. If your lighting is poor, then it doesn’t matter how much effort you put into the layout, seating, decorations, etc. Without lighting, there is no impact and there is no ambient. That is why you will have to have several sources of light.
Besides overhead lighting, you will also need ambient lighting. This will provide the feel and definite the overall appearance of your restaurant. It will characterize your business and it will be something to identify the restaurant. So, if you have an elegant and more relaxed idea in mind, the ambient lighting should be quiet, and vice versa.
Another type of lighting to consider is task lighting. This one will be used for specific tasks. For example, you will need lights that allow servers to do their job and customers to read the menus. Place this type of lighting strategically so it won’t interfere with other sources of light.
Lastly, you will need accent light for more ornamental purposes. Also, consider wall lighting for accent lights since they provide a better feel and decorate the walls.
Seating
You can never neglect the seating, the materials you use, and its arrangement. The type of seating you want to choose should influence the psychology of your customers and their experience. Take fast-food places, for example, they have seats that are comfy, but not those that would want you to sit on for a longer period of time. So, decide how long and how comfy and relaxed your customers should be and choose the seating accordingly.
Also, consider the theme of your restaurant. If you are opening a fine dining restaurant, you want your seats to be comfy, cozy, warm, and relaxing since people will sit at your place for a longer time. Also, if you have a restaurant on the beach, you can’t use such seating because it would become way too hot way too fast. That is why you can rely on wooden chairs and tables with some cushions for padding just like the new restaurant in Bayshore did. This provides a relaxed atmosphere and air to flow around the place nicely.
The Colors
Believe it or not, colors are crucial to interior design. When you are deciding on the colors you wish to feature, consider your brand, its colors, and your desired customer base. Also, specific colors can elicit different emotions and moods in different people. For example, warm colors like red and orange are powerful stimulants and that is why a lot of restaurants try to include them. But, make sure not to overdo it so the interior won’t look too busy.
On the other hand, blue has a suppressive effect and it can soothe and calm the diner and people will tend to order less food. And for more elegant solutions you can use both blue and turquoise colors to create a sense of royalty and elegance.
Scent
Last but not least, pay attention to the scents inside the restaurant. If you use the right ones, you can enhance your food sales. If you want to stimulate appetites, make sure to allow the smells from the kitchen to seep into the interior. So, opt for an open kitchen layout or regulate airflow in a similar fashion. Also, you can use artificial smells to elicit different emotional responses from your customers.
The interior design of a restaurant has many different elements. And all those elements should work together in your favor to create the desired effect, brand, and atmosphere. So, when designing the restaurant, make sure to pay attention to all these elements and your success is halfway done.
