Your dream of opening your restaurant is about to become a reality. You’ve found the perfect location in a bustling area with plenty of foot traffic. You already have a niche and have gathered your prospective staff. So what’s missing? Regardless of the size, location, or type of venue you’ll be operating, a basic restaurant layout plan is the foundation of your business. It should include key areas such as the entrance, kitchen, and bathroom. Unfortunately, many of these areas are often overlooked in general restaurant layout designs, as new restaurant owners tend to focus more on the dining room. Paying attention to even the smallest details in your layout and design plan can maximize comfort and efficiency, ultimately creating a positive dining experience for your customers.
Maximizing Comfort and Efficiency with a Restaurant Layout Design Plan
The Basics: Maximizing Comfort & Efficiency
It’s every restaurant owner's dream to see their dining space filled with guests. Regardless of the concept you adopt, the dining room is the heart of your restaurant. A restaurant’s layout design typically includes seating, wait stations, and storage. The right number of restaurant tables creates a balance between maximizing revenue and creating the ideal ambiance for guests. But how many seats are too many or too few? There’s often a natural urge to utilize every square foot to its fullest. However, several factors should be considered before finalizing your restaurant layout plan:
- Ambiance
- Service
- Motif
- Targeted audience
In short, it’s essential to find a way to increase your profit margins without sacrificing comfort, customer service, and ambiance. Each element should support the others, not cancel them out.
Elements of a Restaurant Floor Plan
Some restaurateurs may choose to use restaurant floor planning software, while others may leave the floor planning process to professionals who know how to maximize space, allowing them to focus on the interior design of their restaurant. As a general rule, one size fits all does not apply to a restaurant floor plan. Before starting, it’s crucial to understand the basics of a restaurant floor plan and know which elements align with your restaurant concept.
First impressions matter; a lackluster exterior may discourage people from visiting, making the quality of food or service irrelevant. The entrance to a new restaurant can either attract or deter customers. Depending on your theme, you can enhance your restaurant entrance with lighting, awnings, flowers, and music. While the dining room, kitchen, and bar are essential components of restaurant design, don’t underestimate the impact an inviting entrance can have.
Not all restaurants have enough space to include a waiting area in their layout plans. If space allows, some may keep it separate from the dining room, while others might use it as an extension of the bar area. If you decide to include a waiting area, it should provide comfortable seating and some menus for customers to browse while waiting. It’s also a great place to advertise upcoming events at your restaurant.
The ambiance and design of a restaurant can extend from the exterior right through to the restroom. Restrooms should be checked and cleaned regularly. The manager or host can handle refilling supplies, removing trash, and maintaining cleanliness. Additionally, restrooms should be easily accessible—not hidden away—so guests don’t need to search through the dining room. The layout should allow ample space for stalls and wheelchair access.
Balancing the Seating Capacity of your Dining Space
The design and layout of a restaurant bind ambiance and seating capacity together. That is their purpose. You want to attract large crowds while making everyone feel comfortable and welcome. Some restaurants, like diners, prioritize seating capacity over interior design. If you are limited in space, you may be tempted to fit in as many restaurant chairs as possible. However, overcrowding can interfere with wait service, making it challenging for staff to navigate between tables and for customers to enjoy their meals. When arranging restaurant tables, aim to leave 24 to 30 inches of space between each one.
Meeting customers' seating preferences is also important. Some patrons may prefer a back corner seat, while others enjoy being closer to the bar or in view of the kitchen. Offering a variety of seating options enhances customer satisfaction, with comfort taking precedence. If restaurant chairs consume too much space, restaurant booths may be a better option. Like chairs, booths come in various sizes, shapes, colors, and designs. Swivel bar stools also provide efficient and comfortable seating with their swivel mechanism and sturdy build.
By keeping your layout plans and restaurant furniture arrangements flexible, you can accommodate both large social events and smaller gatherings. Ensuring enough space in the dining room for customers and staff to move around is essential. Restaurant table spacing is a key consideration. Hosting and prep stations should be kept out of the dining room or positioned at a distance to prevent crowding and maintain the ambiance.
Components of a Small Restaurant Kitchen Design and Layout
When people think of restaurant kitchens, they often picture stove tops, ovens, grills, fryers, and an angry chef barking orders. While this scenario may be common in many restaurants, there’s more to a restaurant kitchen than just equipment, appliances, utensils, and the back-of-house staff. A well-designed restaurant kitchen incorporates specific components arranged in a pattern that optimizes efficiency in both performance and service. Some restaurateurs even design their kitchen layout to complement the restaurant’s concept and décor. Although the style and layout of restaurant kitchens may vary, they typically include the following components:
- Storage
- Food preparation
- Cleaning/Washing
- Service
There’s no one-size-fits-all formula for designing a small restaurant kitchen layout. Each establishment is unique, with distinct operations. Ultimately, the responsibility to meet your restaurant kitchen goals falls on you. It can be helpful to arrange a meeting with local or state inspectors to review your preliminary kitchen design plans. This ensures that health codes and safety regulations are met, allowing you to address any requirements or changes needed for compliance. As cooking trends evolve, having a flexible kitchen will allow you to adapt to future market demands. Keep your equipment updated, and consider creating distinct working zones within the kitchen, such as food cleaning, cutting, baking, frying, and cooking areas. Assigning employees to specific zones helps prevent unnecessary collisions, chaos, and tension in the kitchen.
For more information about creating an efficient and welcoming restaurant design, we recommend reading our restaurant design guide.