7 Things to Consider When Creating Your Restaurant’s Floor Plan
When it comes to planning your restaurant’s floor plan, there are plenty of factors to consider. The goal is to create a layout that works best for you, your staff, and your customers so everyone can have a great experience whilst inside your establishment. While it’s easy to get carried away with unique and fancy layouts, it’s the form and function that ultimately matter the most.
That said, here are 7 things to consider when creating a restaurant floor plan that’s efficient and well-structured.
- Occupancy
How many customers you intend to serve should be your first consideration when designing your restaurant’s layout. Some statutory factors like hygiene facilities and fire safety can help determine your maximum capacity. Make sure you look into these at the start of the project and consult expert advice when needed.
The type of concept you’ll use will also affect the likely occupancy of your restaurant. For example, fast-casual restaurants and bars tend to accommodate more customers per square metre than fine dining establishments. As a rough guide, use these numbers to determine the number of customers you should expect to accommodate:
- Fine dining/a-la-carte – 1.8 – 2 customers per square metre
- Full service – 1.3 – 1.5 customers per square metre
- Fast food/cafe – 1.1 -1.2 customers per square metre
- Bar seating – 1 -1.1 customers per square metre
- Bar standing – 0.6-0.7 customers per square metre
- Entrance
First impressions last and what your customers see when they enter your restaurant is key to creating a positive image. They should be directed naturally towards the table and seating as this will help put them at ease upon arrival. As your guests pan the space, you can incorporate bits of intrigue and discovery through smart interior detailing and well-defined seating zones.
- Bar
The positioning and layout of your bar will usually be determined by the type of hospitality-concept you’re going for and whether drinking is your predominant offering. Know your equipment needs beforehand and make sure there’s enough space to accommodate them all.
Consider your fridge requirements, the number of tap beers, POS stations, and ice wells to ensure your bar is well-equipped to meet the needs of your guests. Ideally, the bar should be positioned near the front of your venue as it’s often the busiest and most crowded area. The more people are seen in your establishment, the more customers you will inevitably attract.
- Kitchen
The design of your restaurant’s kitchen will depend primarily on your concept and menu. Having a clear idea of your food offerings early on can help you plan an efficient back-of-house as well as your storage and equipment requirements.
More than anything, the flow patterns inside the kitchen should be optimised so that your kitchen staff can operate with maximum efficiency. In terms of where to position your kitchen, consider the areas where water, electricity, and gas are most available.
Situate the back-of-house in the least prime position of your restaurant as you want the defining features like bars and dining areas to be the focal point of your customers.
- Bathrooms
The venue of your restaurant along with the local regulations will help determine the number of WCs you’ll need. Verify this while you’re at the initial planning stage to ensure you have enough space for facilities including accessible bathrooms.
Pathways to the bathroom should be clear and sign-posted to direct guests easily. Like with the kitchen, the bathrooms should be located at the back of the restaurant where water and drainage are easily accessible.
- Zoning
There are plenty of benefits to dividing up a hospitality space. First is that it allows the provision of corner tables. Some guests prefer to dine at the edge of a space so they can comfortably view their surroundings. Second of all, different zones won’t feel as empty when there are few customers around, thus helping to maintain an active atmosphere within your restaurant.
Lastly, zoning caters well to design concepts that use multiple table sizes. Whether your establishment is suited to couples, small groups, or big groups, zoning helps to separate these groups and maintain a comfortable dining space for each of your customers.
- Ambience
The ambience is what constitutes the entire dining atmosphere for your guests. A great-tasting menu coupled with the right ambience is a recipe for success and this can be achieved with excellent interior décor. Your colour schemes, furniture choices, and overall aesthetic should be a harmonious combination to ensure it reflects your brand identity the way you want it to.
We recommend contacting a professional shopfitter for this exact purpose so that you can pick the right elements that blend in perfectly with your restaurant.
Hopefully, these tips have given you some great insight on planning out your restaurant’s floor plan. If you would like to receive professional advice on your floor planning and shopfitting, feel free to contact 360 Shopfitters today and we’ll get back to you at your earliest convenience.
