In the world of retail and food and beverage, a well thought out interior design determines the customer experience to a large extent. This is particularly true for businesses that have their product being heavily influenced by the ambiance. Restaurants and cafes rank among such businesses in Singapore and their owners should definitely put emphasis on quality retail interior design.
The interior of a restaurant should be designed to make visitors feel comfortable and it should also offer a degree of privacy. The interior design will also need to be functional, it should enable optimal table placement and the maintenance of the restaurant.
If you’re setting up a brand new restaurant in Singapore or you want to redesign an existing space, you should keep the following essentials in mind to ensure the sophistication of the interior and the spectacular customer experience.
Before moving on to more aesthetic considerations, you will have to think about the floor plan.
The shape of the property, the number of customers you plan to serve, the size of your restaurant staff and the appropriate kitchen size will determine how the rest of the space is going to be divided.
Apart from having a kitchen, you may want to think about additional back of house areas. These may include an office, a storage area, a walk-in fridge or pantry and a break room for the staff.
Experienced interior designers know that when design the front of house, comfort is paramount. For example, you should not cram too many tables together for the purpose of seating a larger number of people. Instead, put emphasis on privacy and making sure that people will be capable of having a conversation while savouring their dishes.
Tables aren’t the only option as far as seating arrangements go. Booths are even more comfortable and they allow for easier separation of the different areas in the dining room. If the space is large enough, consider the addition of at least several booths for those who would like to have an intimate and enjoyable meal.
Choose the Restaurant Theme
Interior design decisions should be guided by a theme. When you finalise this decision, you’ll find the rest of the process a lot easier to complete.
To choose the right theme, you should ask yourself a couple of important questions.
Start with the type of food you’d be serving. Are you opening an Italian restaurant? A European-style bistro? A fast food joint or maybe an Arabic restaurant? The food you serve can be the inspiration behind the interior design theme you opt for.
In addition, think about a colour scheme that will complement the venue nicely. If you can’t make up your mind about it, consult an interior design company in Singapore that has sufficient experience on the execution of restaurant projects.
To set the theme, you should also focus on the price range, the types of music you’d be playing, whether the restaurant will feature screens and multimedia and if the particular choices will resonate with the target audience. You can easily give your clients a questionnaire to fill out (at the venue or online) to get a better grasp of the theme they’ll enjoy the most.
The Importance of Good Restrooms
Sophisticated restaurants need to have clean and functional restrooms. Very often, people will reach conclusions about the quality of service by observing the design and the cleanliness of the bathrooms.
Do not underestimate their importance when working on the interior design.
It’s always best to carry the colour scheme and the theme across to the restroom. Very often, a service space like the bathroom will look starkly different from the rest of the interior. If you want to enforce a certain brand image, however, consistency will be important.
Choose high quality and water conserving faucets and toilets. If you spend a bit more on such bathroom equipment, you’ll have it in a good condition for a much longer period of time. In addition, bathroom maintenance will cost you less and it will be easier.
Fragrance is also associated with cleanliness. Incense, scented candles or an air freshener in the bathroom will do wonders for the ambiance. Keep the fragrance to this part of the restaurant because scents and strong olfactory sensations can interfere with the experience of tasting fine food.
A Few Finishing Touches to Ensure the Comfort of Guests
In restaurants, the comfort of guests is heavily dependent on appropriate temperature and good ventilation.
Cooking food will generate certain smells. While these are enjoyable, nobody likes having their clothes soaking up the scent of food. Make sure that the kitchen is well isolated and that the smell of food being prepared does not reach the dining room.
The comfort of guests is also dependent on the temperature in the salon. Heating and cooling equipment tends to be expensive but it is needed. Once again, look for an energy-efficient option in order to reduce your utility bills.
A stuffy dining room will turn customers away. People will not come back to a restaurant that forces them to sweat while having a meal. The proper placement of the system and making sure it’s large enough to cover the entire surface area of the venue will help you ensure a good environment for the sampling of delicious dishes.
Once you’re done with these considerations, you can move on to more aesthetically-focused aspects of restaurant interior design. The lights, décor, linens and even the appearance of the menus will play a role.
Even if you have enough restaurant management experience, you should partner up with an interior design team. Professionals like the Home Guide interior designers will try to understand your business and the type of customer you’re going under. Based on these considerations, we will recommend solutions that are best tailored to the needs of your business. Contact us today to get started on making your restaurant stand out.
