A restaurant is more than just a place serving food for money. Dining out is supposed to be an experience, and this is what your guests are actually coming for. Even if they can’t express this or if they don’t realize it as clearly, this is what they came there for. Visuals of your restaurant play a huge part in this overall experience, so here are a few innovative ways to improve it.
Every restaurant should have a theme. The idea that people just go to the restaurant to eat is quite inaccurate. They go there for the experience. Otherwise, they would just get a takeout. Now, before you say that some people choose to eat out to avoid having to do the dishes, is this really the case?
Do the cost differences of dining out and getting a take-out (bigger tip, beverages, etc.) really make up for this decision?
It’s far more likely that people just feel like treating themselves, and some of them feel a bit guilty (they feel financially irresponsible for having that one extra dinner out that they don’t know if they can afford). Either way, they’re doing it for the experience, and the decor is a huge part of that.
Every restaurant needs to have that one thing that it’s known for. Just think about your own experience - when you want a pizza, you have that favorite pizza place. When you want burgers, fries, or a stew, you know exactly where to get each of these meals. The same goes for seafood places, exotic cuisines, and more.
This is a crucial part of the business model (the menu, the ingredients, and the suppliers), but it’s also a vital part of your restaurant marketing. You’ll be known as that place with “Chinese, Mediterranean, Thai, etc.” food.
You want to play into this identity, so make sure to decorate the place so that it can fit the theme.
Previously, we spoke about the theme of the restaurant and the way the place looks. Well, for this to work, you need to appeal to other senses, as well.
The smell of the place should be able to inform people where they are, even if they were to walk into the place blindfolded. There are so many scented candles, air fresheners, and diffusers that can help you out with that.
When it comes to sound, things are much more straightforward. First, you need to invest a bit into good audio visual systems. Second, you need to make a good playlist. Sure, you’ll be tempted just to play the theme, but there’s this thing known as audio fatigue. Even if they’re not aware of the fact that they’re listening to the same song over and over again, your audience will grow tired of a list that’s too repetitive. This happens subconsciously.
Most importantly, sounds are incredibly important for the creation of emotional triggers. A negative example of this is the reason why veterans get traumatized when they hear firecrackers, fireworks, or someone opening champagne in the same area. A positive example (especially in your case) could be the sense of developing munchies every time you hear a particular song or a riff.
Tactile and visual effects work hand-in-hand, as well. Table cloth, chairs, and other elements that people come into contact with might affect their opinion on the authenticity of the visuals in your restaurant. Likewise, sometimes, all it takes is for you to take a look at a piece of material and immediately know what it would feel like.
All of this contributes to the overall experience, as well as the way you perceive the visuals.
Lighting plays a key role in the overall ambiance; however, it also plays a functional role in the overall design of the area. Namely, you need to understand how these two concepts can work together.
The most important thing you need to do is learn how to layer your lighting.
The first layer is ambient lighting. It needs to be, more or less, equally distributed across the entirety of the restaurant floor. At the same time, you also want to include accent lighting. This is the directed light that you use in order to stress out pieces of art and architectural features. When there’s a focal point that you want to draw attention to, this is what you go for.
Lastly, you also need task lighting. This is the so-called functional lighting. This is the light that will determine the visibility in a specific area. Every table should have a fixture providing this type of lighting.
One of the biggest changes you can introduce to your restaurant’s appearance is actually to change the layout. This is a massive change that also involves your business model. After all, it affects the number of seats available, as well as the average perceived value of the table.
You must have heard the word “give us your best table” in a number of movies or TV shows. While this is not something that’s made intentionally, it’s really a thing in the minds of the majority of your guests. Some people like tables that are more secluded. Others want to be in the center of things or have a great view of the rest of the restaurant.
Then, there are some clearly advantageous locational traits like not being seated right next to the kitchen (because of the noise), next to the bathroom (because of the constant foot traffic next to your table), etc.
The layout of your restaurant is a massive decision, and it’s probably not something you want to decide without consulting a professional designer. In other words, when it comes to improving visuals, this is the idea that you want to be the most careful about. Otherwise, you risk affecting more than just visuals.
Ultimately, improving your restaurant's appearance is a huge thing. It will improve the impression, enhance customer experience, and even increase your revenue. It will make your place look more luxurious and make it easier to justify increasing the cost of service. Now, you at least have some ideas that you could try out.
