A Step by Step Guide to Designing Restaurant
What is the first thing which comes to your mind when you enter a cafe or a restaurant?

You involuntarily focus on the interiors, in short, the ambiance of the hotel. You also at times choose the restaurant based on the interiors or the ambiance of the hotel. So the interiors also are the main outlook in setting up a cafe. Dining out nowadays has become a wholesome experience, where people are not only focusing on food but also the overall atmosphere of the place. With globalization taking great strides ahead, there is a heightened shift in the tastes of people. The good gourmet experience is not the only thing which entices the new age foodie, but also the kind of place he is dining in. Designing plays a very crucial role in setting up a café. There are few things that need to be kept in mind before designing a café and those are:

1. The Entrance

• It has to be perfect because it casts the first impression on your potential customers

• It should be subtle and inviting.
• You can decide the entrance of your restaurant based on the themes of your hotel.
• It should have a free-flowing circulation for the staff as well as the customers.

2. The Exteriors

• Exteriors are as important as the interiors.
• It should be commercially viable but should have a warm touch to it.
• Using tall glass windows will attract the customers by showing them the beautiful interiors through it.

3. The Lightning

• A flash of perfect lighting is the cynosure of any interiors, especially of a restaurant.
• Not too bright, not too dull. People should feel relaxed when they enter the place.
• Good lighting also, by default creates a good mood among your patrons and increases their need for the appetite.

4. Color Theme  

• Colors affect our mood and so they must be used very cleverly and strategically, following the theme of your cafe or restaurant.
• If it's a cafe, you could use bold colors because the majority of customers will be young people and bold colors attract them. 
• It is a restaurant, then sophisticated colors could be used as it would be in sync with the different type of crowd coming in. So choosing the right kind of colors is very important. 

5. The Menu card

• One of the most important aspects of a restaurant is the menu card.
• The font should be readable and most importantly, it should have the logo of your hotel.
• The different dishes displayed should be properly readable and people should be able to make accurate choices from them.

6. The Seating arrangement

• The seating arrangement should be just perfect, with comfortable seats and chairs situated at a good distance so that the privacy is very well maintained. 
• The material used should not be too tacky or gaudy, it should be very comfortable to sit on.

7. The Staff uniform

• A smart and well-dressed staff have a good impression on the customer.
• In a cafe, an informal look is fine, but a restaurant is a more formal place to dine at, and should more svelte uniforms.

8. Choosing your kitchen location

• It should be situated away from where the people are going to dine in because nobody likes the smell of your food cooking in a closed atmosphere, while everyone would only like to taste it. 
• The kitchen should adhere to all the safety norms and the overall safety of the staff. 
• The rest of the important aspects such as the chimney, the electrical wiring, freezing units should also be carefully designed and well placed for the security of the staff. 

 

9. The Cutlery

• How would you want your cutlery to be?
• Small, big medium? What color would you want it to be overall?
• The colors of the cutlery would go with the overall theme of the restaurant and would compliment at the same time.

 

10. The indoor air quality and ventilation

• If it is an open space hotel, then there is no need for ventilation but if you have a closed ambiance, then it is extremely important to have proper air ventilation which has to be taken care of while designing

11. Waiting area

• The often most overlooked area, it is as important as the entire set up of the hotel.

• There should be enough space for the waiting guests to be seated and waiting for their turn and the guests should feel comfortable while waiting.

The Branding And Advertising of Cafe

Branding and Advertising is a medium to build your potential customers. Social media can be used as your go-to tool while opting for branding. Posting various images of the cafe on your social media accounts can attract the crowd. Your restaurant must have an attractive website that will be easy to navigate and should have the basics mentioned on it including location, contact number, and the menu of your restaurant. Make sure to upload Amazing quality photos on your social media.

Advertising does not need to be only online. Putting ads in the local paper could help with your offline promotion. Email marketing can be used to send various delivery coupons and offers at your cafe. And make sure to give exceptional hospitality to your visitors because that's one thing that your customers are going to remember always.

Location of the cafe/restaurant

Location plays a very important role while setting up a cafe. The location of your restaurant should be a well thought out plan. Here are a few questions you must ask yourself before setting up your cafe- Is it going to be in the middle of the city, or located far from the city? How can your prospective client's commute? Who are your potential competitors if you have your cafe in the middle of the city? Is there enough parking nearby the vicinity of your restaurant?
 

The target audience of your cafe/restaurant

You need to carry out effective market research while deciding on the target audience of your cafe. Is your cafe preferred by youths or anyone can pass by? Who will be your potential customers? What would be their preferences be like? What would they like to have? All these things should be taken into consideration while deciding your target audience.

Launching of the business

Finally when you have zeroed on all the final aspects of designing, then comes the part of the actual launch of the website. Planning a launch event is a great way to do this. Owing a restaurant or a cafe brings with it a lot of responsibilities which require you to be on your feet. However to set up a good design eventually you need to focus on all the aspects of designing a cafe such as the interiors and all the other technical dimensions which come with it.