When you design your restaurant, there are certain areas you will need to include in the layout.

Customer Service Area– Located near the entrance, this area would include:

1. A hostess station, which is usually a small area with a podium where the hostess will stand to greet the customers when they come in the door. There should be an area to store menus and a reservation roster.

2. A Cashiers Station, with a cash register and a credit or debit card machine. There are usually toothpicks and some sort of mints available here, free of charge for the customer.

3. A Sitting Area, that is furnished with comfortable seating for customers who may need to wait for a table.

Kitchen Area– This is an important project in your restaurant start up, and where all the food is prepared, cooked, baked, and where the food storage, dishwashing and sanitation take place. As a matter of fact, this area doesn’t need to be large, if it is arranged in the proper order. The servers should present the order at one end of an assembly line type of design, and the completed order will be picked up at the other end.

The 4 main areas of a restaurant kitchen are:

1. A cold prep area– To put together appetizers, salads, and desserts. A counter and several shelves to place equipment, utensils, dishes, spices, and other essential ingredients to prepare the food. You will need to make this area large enough when you plan your restaurant start up.

2. A cooking station– This area is used by the cooks or chefs. It will include prep tables, steam tables, fryers, cooking range(s), griddle, oven, smaller refrigerators placed under prep tables, freezer, ice bin, broiler, exhaust fans, etc.. This area will need to be roomy enough for cooks or chefs to get around one another. This is an important consideration when planning a restaurant start up.

3. The dishwashing area– You will not want this area too far from the cooking area so that large pots and pans can be reached easily. You will need two separate sinks for washing and sanitizing the cooking equipment that is too big to place in the dishwasher. You will also need a commercial dishwasher for dishes, glasses, utensils, and any other cookware that will fit in the dishwasher.

4. The food storage area– Will need to include a large walk in cooler, and a large walk in freezer, a scale, a table, a pantry for canned and dry goods, shelving for the freezer, pantry, and cooler. A small room for clean and dirty linen. When planning your restaurant start up, you will need to make sure the rooms are big enough for the storage you will need for the size restaurant you are planning.

Office Area– This area would be for a desk, filing cabinet, computer, phones, and any office and business equipment.

Break Room– This is an area where your employees can place their personal items, and an area for them to take their breaks.

Dining Area– You will need to figure about 12 square feet of space per customer when you plan your dining area. You can choose tables, booths, or a combination of both for customer seating. You will most likely choose which type of seating you prefer when you are planning your restaurant start up.

Public Restrooms– You will need to furnish at least one restroom for your customers, most establishments have one for men and another for women. Make sure they are ADA compliant and well ventilated. You should pick a design that will be easy to clean. The restrooms will need to be kept stocked with paper towels and toilet paper at all times.

Patricia Farnham – Restaurant industry veteran, owner/operator, author and enthusiast. She recently put her considerable expertise (gained from many years of managing other peoples restaurants), to the test. She purchased a failing operation and turned it around quickly. If you’re considering starting your own restaurant, or buying an existing operation, there are vital concepts you need to know to make it profitable. Check out her opinions regarding opening a restaurant on her website.

A successful restaurant will need a good design and layout plan. Design and layout plans are dependent on different factors which will come and influence the final decisions later on. In fact, the output of the layout plans can definitely affect the success of the restaurants. People often go to a new restaurant and they think to themselves “they should have put that plant elsewhere, it obstructs the good view” or “I wish they hadn’t put too much light in here.” These are certain small things which can really add up and can end up influencing the customers to go to the other side of the street where another restaurant is calling their tummies.

After the type of food and service are identified, the next step is to hire consultants regarding the design of the restaurant. These are some of the things that you need to take into consideration when considering different floor and layout plans for the restaurant.

-Density of customers

The layout plan should be based mostly on the comfort that the people who will eat will be getting. Even fast food restaurants consider the density of people, especially in peak hours, even though it may seem that these restaurants become too crowded during lunch time. For formal dining restaurants which cater to the upper class, it maybe wise to provide more space between the tables since these restaurants don’t really rely on the number of people per day. Their revenues depend on the pricing of the food items. There would be more provision for more eye candies such as furniture and art works.

-Style of service

The layout and floor plans should also be based on the type of service that the restaurant will give. Fast food restaurants and self-service restaurants would need less distance between the tables since the food won’t be served there. For other restaurants which provide table service, the space between the tables is very important so as to prevent too much clutter from happening in a specific end of the restaurant.

-Type of building

The layout plan is restricted by the type of structure where the restaurant will be built. You should be able to take into consideration all the different curves and the minor details in the structure before proceeding.

-Lighting

Proper lighting is very important for every restaurant. The lighting should be able to match the mood and the type of service of the restaurant. A relaxed atmosphere can be complemented by bright lighting while serene and serious moods can be accompanied by subtler shades.

Designing the restaurant will be divided into two important parts: the dining area and the production area. The dining area is important because this is the essence of the structure of the restaurant. The people should be comfortable in eating in the restaurant and this will be determined as early as the designing phase. Studies have revealed that 50 percent of the time, people come in restaurants as pairs, 30 percent come alone while the remaining 20 percent usually come in groups.

The production area is the second major part of any restaurant. The main thing about the production area should be efficiency. The organization of the kitchen will determine the speed by which the food can be cooked and served. The production area design should take into consideration other things like space for storage, food preparation, baking, cooking, trash storage, production aisles, employee facilities and other such matters.

In hiring design consultants, the restaurant owner should always remember to put a clause of confidentiality in the contract. This is to prevent the consultants from leaking certain parts of the design to other people, especially to the competitors. This can be as simple as a single-line clause which states that everything regarding the design will be owned by the client.

These are some useful things to remember in designing. The most important thing to remember in designing a restaurant is to keep in mind the people who will be eating at the restaurant for they will be the ultimate lever of its success or failure.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Knowninfo a premium collection of information wesites like our huge reference on starting a restaurant business and great eBooks like How to Start A Successful Restaurant Business. Visit our site daily for updated information, and unique products.

This is the place where all your clients are going to spend their time. The immediate impact on entering has to be fabulous, as the saying goes “The first impression is the last impression”. So start working on it right away.

Start with the setting of the dining tables. They should be adequately spaced apart to allow movement to flow unrestrained. Waiters and guests alike should have plenty of room to move around without crashing into each other. While you would like to utilize your space to the utmost, do not neglect this important aspect. If necessary, go around and do a mock exercise to check out the problem areas.

Select a dining set to go with your overall settings. Have you chosen a theme for your bistro? Modern or classical, smart and exclusive or relaxed and luxurious, the choice has to be made as per the clientele you targeting in your business plan.

Who are you catering to? Are you targeting students interested in a quick snack and coffee, or are you planning something for the family man who wants a good time with his family in a cozy environment? You also must have a fair idea of the paying capabilities of your clientele, for that will decide your budget for setting up as well as for later actions like menu prices. You could well be catering to a purely working class clientele, in which case your settings will need to be very different from that of a family restaurant.

Other aspects that need attention are the selection of the dining chairs, placing of the cash counter and decorative facets. Make sure the dining room chairs are matching with the tables. The counter in most restaurants is mostly placed closed to the kitchen door (as opposed to the exit in the case of most stores), enabling the counter manager to easily keep a tag of the orders. If you are opening an outdoor joint, the view will be the predominant attraction, and you need not spend too much on the interiors except for the basic neatness aspects. Decoration of an indoor eatery is a different ball game, however.

Use Amish furniture to give a class to your restaurant that is unparalleled. Elegant enough to attract attention, yet sturdy and strong to withstand long and rough use. The beauty of Amish handcrafted furniture lies in its unique style and the special ambience that it brings to your room.

Having selected the basic furniture and its settings, it is now time to work towards the selection of the crockery and setting up your kitchen. More on those aspects in my next article.

Buy dining room furniture from wholesale Amish furniture dealers for the best prices. An Amish dining room table will last you for generations.

Restaurants are usually placed into three groups:

1. Quick Service–

These are the fast food restaurants. These restaurants usually offer a menu limited to food items that can be prepared quickly. This type of restaurant will usually have a drive through window and cater to take out. Even though you have a fast food restaurant, as long as you don’t have a franchise, you can incorporate your own restaurant ideas into this concept with special decor and uniforms.

2. Mid Scale–

These are restaurants that offer regular meals for a reasonable price. The customers see this as a good value. This type of restaurant can be a full service, buffet, or a limited service restaurant where the customers order at the counter and the food is delivered to them at a table. Again, as long as this isn’t a franchise opportunity, you will be able to choose your own decor, and how your servers will dress. Many of these types of restaurants do not have a uniform for their workers, but ask them to wear a white shirt and black slacks or skirt. Once you open your own, you will be able to be creative with your restaurant ideas.

3. Upscale–

This is the type of restaurant that will offer a customer plenty of ambiance, and charming full service. The cuisine and the prices will be High end. You can incorporate your own restaurant ideas into this type of establishment as well. There are many different restaurant ideas that involve menus written on unusual objects– Cleavers, Plates, slates, etc.. You can also have a different type of theme such as a 1930 or 40’s supper club where your servers dress in period attire, or a restaurant filled with antique gas station memorabilia and servers who wear elite coveralls.

You can see that the sky is the limit, if you are not limited in your choices by a franchise. In that case you are pretty much locked in to their decor and suggestions to fulfill your contract. Some of the concepts of a restaurant could be:

· Asian Cuisine– Specialize in Oriental food service.

· Breakfast Restaurant– Specialize in big breakfasts, for a reasonable price.

· Dry Restaurants– Do not serve liquor.

· Casual Dining– Offer more of a laid back and family atmosphere with prices in the mid-range.

· Coffee Shop– Provides different coffees, teas, and light meals.

· Concession– Operate on beaches, at fairs, festivals, sporting events etc.. This type of food service is usually operated in the summer months, and has a menu limited to simple to prepare foods and snacks.

· Delicatessens– Offer foods that are usually consumed shortly after they are purchased, the main product is usually luncheon meats and cheeses. They provide sandwiches, salads, soups and other snacks. Food preparation is simple or made ahead of time.

· Ethnic Restaurants– These restaurants can fall into all three categories. The menus usually include some American versions of ethnic dishes and truly ethnic dishes. · European Restaurants– Usually specialize in French, Italian, Spanish, etc. cuisine and can be a mid range or upscale establishment.

· Family Restaurant– Offer family friendly dining, and they usually offer specials every day. Their menu is varied and they offer a child’s menu. They charge a reasonable price and are usually casual.

· Fast Food– These restaurant ideas usually specialize in one or two main foods, and may also offer salads and simple desserts. The menu offers foods that are easy to prepare.

Just about any type of food or restaurant idea can be incorporated into a restaurant of your own. Sit down and think of all the restaurant ideas you can think of. I think you’ll be surprised at what you come up with.

Patricia Farnham is passionate about the topic of starting your own restaurant. She has written many articles over the years on her experiences ranging from running other peoples restaurants to creating her own. She is a restaurant industry veteran, owner/operator, author and enthusiast. For more information on why most restaurants fail and other topics, visit her website.

Anyone that is thinking of owning a restaurant really needs to keep that in mind. Of course not all restaurants are a place to take children but for those that do allow them, it needs to be a good experience. Family dining is a huge part of the market and if you play your cards right you will be able to take advantage of it. Parents are very loyal to those restaurants where they feel comfortable taking their children for a good meal.

You will be surprised at how many restaurants hire staff that have no clue how to handle families. They seem very overwhelmed by a table with so many little people. Make sure you train them in this area so they can take good care of families coming in for a meal. Remember that they are representing your business and if they don’t do an excellent job then you will be losing out on repeat customers. You don’t have to make your restaurant into a child’s play area for it to work well though. Simple things like offering extra napkins and drinks with lids make a huge difference.

Offer pricing for families too so that they can have the budget to eat in your restaurant. Sometimes there are great family deals such as two large pizzas, breadsticks, and a pitcher of soda. This is much easier for the family than individual orders and it is more affordable. Parents aren’t going to be happy about being charged for a full price meal when their child eats very little. Offer a children’s menu with some tasty selections for the little guys at a very cheap price.

It is a good idea to offer meals for older children as well. They may want the same types of foods as the adults but definitely not the same portions of it. Make sure all of the kids meals you offer are a great price too. You will be surprised at how many buffet places don’t offer a discount for children. As a result though many parents don’t return with their children to experience it again.

Children often get impatient when they are waiting for food, so offer something fun for them to do. It doesn’t cost very much to offer a place mat with a few games or a coloring page with crayons. Parents will be able to relax as they wait for their food because their children will be entertained with these activities. Some restaurants offer games on the table to where you jump pegs over each other or you create things out of links. These types of games offer a fun way for the whole family to spend time together while they wait for their food.

Make sure you offer plenty of accommodations for children when it comes to seating as well. Booster seats are the perfect way for smaller children to be high enough to reach the table. You also need to have plenty of high chairs available to meet the demand for them during peak business hours. Make sure each of the high chairs is in good condition and has safety buckles that work so the child isn’t at risk of getting hurt.

Cleaning up from children in a restaurant doesn’t have to be difficult. High chairs and booster seats can be wiped down after each use. Have a quite push vacuum available so clean up is easy and it won’t disturb other customers. It is very easy to make a restaurant friendly for children. If you don’t have any of your own though this is something you may miss as a restaurant owner. Parents will pick up on this issue quickly and it is going to influence their decision to dine with you or not. Don’t lose out on your share of this huge market when you can invest a small amount in making your restaurant the best place to eat with children in tow.

Patricia Farnham is well known for her insight on creating a successful restaurant. Learn from this veteran restaurateur with real life examples of restaurant failure and success. She’s uncovered many methods of starting a restaurant for very little money, and keeping it open. Check out her website for how to start a restaurant information, opinions and resources.

Here are some great tips that you can take note of for a great design if you are one of those people who are thinking of opening up a restaurant. These tips play a big part in design and are proven to be very effective when it comes to creating a great ambiance where people will keep coming back for more of what your restaurant can offer.

Know This

One of the best restaurants interior design tips that you should first take note of is knowing and understanding your target market. Just by determining what your customers are demanding, you can instantly create a design in your mind that will suit best suit their lifestyle. Are you going for the young urban professionals who wear a coat and tie most of the time that will require your restaurant interior design to be more flashy and elegant? Or are you going for the market of kids who enjoy having quick fixes for their tummies but will like play rooms or arcades at the same time?

Getting a feedback from your target customers will clearly help you in formulating the best design in your mind. Chances are, once that you have finally determined what they want and once you have implemented all those elements in your restaurant, the higher the chances that they will, time and time again, visit your place and spread the word that yours is one of the greatest restaurants that they have been in.

Ask Help From The Experts

It is also important to recognize that you cannot do all the restaurant interior design by yourself and sometimes it will be best to get help from the experts. Vision Design is one of the most reputable interior design companies in the industry and they are specializing in designing restaurants, spas, homes, and others and have already received numerous awards for their outstanding designs and service.

SNS Designs, Inc. owns a number of home decor websites. They carry wide selection of unique table lamps, tiffany lamps and tiffany style lamps. They offer the most popular housewarming ideas, such as tiffany style lamps, table lamps, buffet lamps for everyone.

Red – Red is a color that is bold, noticeable and gives a sense of urgency. However, it can also be a color that symbolizes anger but also love. Red is a good color for many ethnic restaurants, since red is a dominant color in so many country’s flags.

Green – Green is a color that may signify good luck, nature and money. Green can also symbolize jealousy. Green is usually a good choice for an accent color.

Blue – Blue symbolizes peace, calm and serenity. Blue can also make a person feel cool, cold or disconnected. Blue is a nice color for a restaurant that is laid back.

Yellow – Yellow is a color that can signify happiness, joy and summer. Yellow can also symbolize cheapness or stinginess. Yellow is usually good as an accent color or as a background color.

Orange – Orange can mean excitement and enthusiasm. Like yellow, orange is usually a good accent color.

Purple – Purple symbolizes passion and creativity. However, purple also means death in some countries and in some religions. Purple is usually used as an accent color.

White – White symbolizes cleanliness, clarity and purity. White is always a good choice for table linens and textiles. White is also a great color to make your guests feel like there is more space in your restaurant.

Black – Black can signify excitement, class, boldness and be futuristic. Black can also signify sadness, evil and anger. Black is perfect for an accent color or as a compliment to a lighter color.

These are the basic colors that you will work from to create different shades and mixtures of colors for your restaurant. Pastels and lighter and darker versions of these colors will allow you to put together the perfect color scheme for your particular restaurant and allow you to attract more customers. If you notice the colors of many fast food restaurants, including McDonald’s and Burger King, you’ll see they all choose from the same color scheme, which consists of browns, reds, oranges and blacks. These companies have poured money into researching the effects of color on diners, and have found these colors to be the most conducive to buying and eating food. A higher class restaurant may want to take this into consideration and use these colors as accents to your chosen color scheme.

Whatever colors you choose, they should compliment your setting, theme and most of all, your menu and food.

Lydia Quinn writes for R & I Solutions, makers of Cost Genie restaurant costing software. Get a free demo at: http://www.costgenie.com

1. New Art – Arrange with a local artist or group of artists to showcase their art in your restaurant every month. Retain the right to veto any piece that doesn’t work for you.

2. Fresh Paint – Chipped and scuffed walls aren’t very appealing to guests. A fresh coat of paint can keep your restaurant looking new.

3. Change your music – Is your music dated? Consider changing your music to match the type of clientele you’d like to see more of. If you’re in doubt as to what they listen to, ask them.

4. Update signage – Is your sign visible during the day? What about at night? Maybe you need a fresh logo.

5. Reupholster – Refinishing and reupholstering chairs and other seating can give a restaurant a completely new look.

6. Rearrange dining room – Make your space more effective by moving your tables around. Strive to make every seat a good seat.

7. Upgrade your bar – Refinish your bar and barstools. Take a look at your premium liquors. Can their display be improved with lighting or new shelving?

8. Change your lighting – Make sure your lighting is properly focused. It should allow your customers to read their menus easily.

9. Update your restroom – Many people judge the quality of a restaurant by the state of the facilities. New sinks and faucets can lift the look of a restroom. At the least they should be in working order with stall doors that close and lock properly.

10. Foyer – Upgrade the first impression your customers have when they walk into your restaurant. Plants, seating and lighting should all be considered.

11. Clean the carpets – Carpets harbour smells and dust which can dampen the overall experience of your guests.

12. New TVs – If you have televisions, make sure their color and picture are both good. New flat screen panels have come down drastically in price which has driven down the price of older technology televisions as well.

Brad Brooks works with Halo Web Based Point of Sale to provide high-quality, cost-effective POS Restaurant systems. Feel free to contact Halo to find out how your restaurant can be more profitable at http://www.myhalo.com/

The decision regarding the general concept of a restaurant business will be dependent on different major things. Listed below are some of these factors:

Location

The style of the restaurant will be dependent on the location of the restaurant. For example, if someone is thinking about putting up a Chinese-style restaurant in a place where this type of restaurant abounds. He might want to tweak some details about his restaurant to be able to have a competitive advantage against the other Chinese restaurants in the area. Perhaps he would stick with the general concept of having a Chinese restaurant because the place is popular for this type of food but he might want to add different types of cuisine as well, perhaps go into fusion cooking.

Target Market

The target market is very important in determining what style of restaurant to put up. A busy place where class B society thrives maybe an optimum location to put up a midscale fast food restaurant. Different restaurants cater to different types of people and no one restaurant aims at capturing the whole of the market because it would just end up in confusion.

Availability of Materials

If a person is thinking of putting up a restaurant, he might want to look closely at the availability of the materials in the area. For example, a seafood restaurant will depend greatly on the availability of fresh ingredients and seafood in the local market. If not, the owner will have to look for other alternatives which can cost him additional money.

Availability of good cooks

There are more than enough restaurants in many areas today. The only thing that separates the good ones from the normal ones are the types of cooks. The style of the restaurant should match the skills of the hired chef. There are good chefs who can easily adjust to styles which they aren’t really accommodated with but these chefs are very hard to find and perhaps, they will ask for a very hefty salary.

Personal Preference

Of course, every business is built upon vision and the personal preference of the owner will ultimately determine the style of restaurant that he will start. There are ways to beat the normal odds which go against the success of new restaurants.

There are a lot of different styles of restaurants which one can choose from. These are:

Steakhouses

These restaurants usually cater to the middle and upper class markets. These are also usually oriented towards families and have a very relaxed and homey atmosphere. The meals in steakhouses are usually deemed as good buys. There are also the high-end steakhouses which concentrate more on the quality of the meat which they serve.

Seafood Restaurants

There are different types of seafood restaurants. There are the quick-service ones, the ones which cater to the middle class and the higher-end ones which cater to the upper class. The quick service seafood restaurants are very much similar to fast-food restaurants. Generally, seafood restaurants offer a wide variety of seafood and they serve it in different fashions.

Casual Dining

This type of restaurant caters to almost all kinds of people. People go here to be able to have a lot of food choices and enjoy the relaxed kind of atmosphere. The prices in casual dining restaurants are usually not that high.

Pizzeria

There are basically two choices in creating a pizzeria. The first one is to construct a full-blown restaurant which doesn’t only serve pizza but many different kinds of food as well. The other choice is to specialize in pizzas and a few other items such as beer.

Coffeehouse

More and more people are being enticed to go to coffeehouses. These coffeehouses offer the coziest atmospheres for small talk and coffee conversations.

These are only a few of the choices that you have in developing a concept for your restaurant. Explore other choices and stick with the one which satisfies the heart most.

Bill McRea is the publisher of Knowninfo a premium website dedicated to providing Information, Marketing Strategies and great eBooks like How to Start A Successful Restaurant Business. Visit our site daily for updated information, and unique products.

But one of the primary asset of a restaurant is the way it is entirely presented to its visitors and diners. This is how important a restaurant concept is and thinking about this prior to the big opening day of the restaurant is far more important. So, worry about the way you are going to dress later on before you open your restaurant establishment.

Ever notice how a good design and color combination in a restaurant appeals to most customers? Generally, this look creates a warm and gentle atmosphere for the diners which makes the dining experience a lot pleasant. But before diners enter your establishment, make sure that from the outside you have also a great appeal. That is to say, don’t neglect your restaurant facade. Your restaurant name should be friendly to the eyes with an overall curb appeal to it and it should be easily seen from afar.

Depending on the concept that you have for your restaurant, consider the lighting you will be using for the entire place. Appropriate lighting sets just the right mood that you want for your customers to experience while they enjoy their stay. Don’t forget to accentuate your restaurant’s interior design as well. Use art decors, portraits, sculptures and other related objects that could tell your diners that they are indeed in your restaurant and there is no other restaurant establishment which offers a dining atmosphere like yours do.

Overall, a restaurant may look outstandingly pleasant but it has to be complemented with good accommodation and customer service. This means that the elements of a good restaurant management has everything put to its rightful place. The food that you also serve should blend in well with how you have conceptualize dining experience for your diners. Unless you are sure of a restaurant concept, don’t dive in just yet to opening one.

Shareen Aguilar is a writer for Restaurant Business Secrets which has information about restaurant management and restaurant operation techniques.