As with most things, the ultimate objective of a restaurant is to provide its guests with the best experience possible, so that they’ll come back again and again and tell their friends, thus becoming the best marketing money doesn’t need to buy. Of course terrible food, poor service, or bad location each could kill the experience (all things we’ll take about in the future to be sure), but just as is important is the design of the restaurant itself.
A restaurant often reflects the personalities and interests of the owner, especially the single location, local establishment. And it should. The restaurant is an extension of the passion of the owner and should have that energy flowing through-out the place. But it’s also important to ask who the targeted customer will be, what will they like, what will they expect, and what will make their experience a great one.
Here are three simple things that should be considered when designing the space:
- Line of sight: People don’t like to have all of the action happening where they can’t see. At the same time people don’t like to be the center of attention. So avoid creating spaces where the customer would feel like all the eyes are on him or her or spaces where people’s ability to see the rest of the crowd is hampered.
- Sound: Unless you are running a heavy metal bar and grill, pick a music or ambient noise level that will be loud enough to keep conversations somewhat private while not so loud that screaming becomes the required speaking tone.
- Lighting: It can be used in many ways to create unique and dramatic moods and environments. But it still must be functional—people like to be able to read their menus, see who they are talking to, and locate where the runaway meatball landed.
Inside the Group is the brainstorming and discussion world of evolution firm Westfall | Group
