Design and Furniture Selection

Spring is in the air and the Opening Day for Major League Baseball is scooching closer and closer. It’s almost time for America’s baseball parks to open their doors and start slinging hot dogs once again. But baseball season is about more than just hot dogs; there’s also beer, burgers, pizza, wings. It can be difficult to stand out among the crowd (and choices) when it comes to where baseball lovers choose to spend their dollars.

If you’re a first-time vendor or you’re looking to add more seating to your restaurant stand’s space, we’ve come up with a guide for things you should consider when selecting your furniture. Even if you’re not a stadium stand restaurant, these criteria can still apply when selecting outdoor furniture for a park, playground, or any outdoor area.

It’s a Beautiful Day for Baseball… Sometimes…

The weather can have a huge effect on your stand (hello, rain delays) but that doesn’t mean you can’t be ready for it. Scope out your space, are you covered? Are you out in the open? Where does the sun hit during game time? These are all factors to be noted when you’re choosing what furniture will work the best for your location. Chances are though, your stand is going to be exposed to the elements. After all, most food stands are open air in stadium environments. You’re going to want to be sure your furniture is either rust resistant aluminum or powder coated steel for protection against heavy moisture. Be sure to also consider how hot the material of your furniture can get in direct sunlight. You don’t want customers sitting down to eat a quick snack and spill their food because the seat was too hot! Aluminum furniture is a great option here with its reflective surface and the ability to adapt its temperature to who’s sitting on it within 15 seconds.

Make Maintenance a Home Run

Game days are busy, hectic, and you aren’t going to have a lot of staff to spare. Choosing the correct furniture can shorten the time that you or your staff spends on daily upkeep of your space. The right table isn’t going to clean itself but there are ones that can make it easier! High density laminated tables are a great asset to have in a stadium-like environment because of their fierce durability. Tables like this are often scratch/UV resistant and pre-stressed to avoid warping in the sun. For low maintenance seating, find chairs that can stack. Stadium stands aren’t often blessed with a lot of storage space but if you can find stackable chairs they can be easy to tuck behind your counter.

It’s Game Time for Your Team Spirit

With so many choices around your stand, it’s important for you to differentiate your restaurant from others around you. One way to accomplish that is your theming. If your restaurant is a franchise, theming may be out of your hands. In this case, try and find furniture that looks like it’s on the same playing field as those in your original restaurant. By using similar furniture, you can tie the stand restaurant to its larger franchise. If you have more wiggle room with the furniture you can pick out, try and integrate the team’s colors into the furniture. Poly lumber tables can offer a great medium for doing this because they are so low maintenance and come in a wide variety of color options.

Selecting furniture for your stadium restaurant may not be the most glamorous task that you do but it is necessary to find quality pieces that are durable, easy to maintain, and represent your brand. Be sure to study your vendor agreement before making any purchase decisions, each club’s organization runs themselves a little differently. If you have any questions on the furniture items above or finding other budget-friendly outdoor furniture, please call us at 800-986-5352. We’d be happy to help you customize your space!

Are you looking to upgrade your bar or restaurant furniture? We’ve recently added to our premium bucket bar stool offerings with the GLADIATOR Tufted 950 Bucket Bar Stool. The 950 bucket stresses design and coziness. This smart bucket bar stool takes the structure of the 625 bucket and the tufting accents of the 925 bucket to create a stool that is as trendy as it is comfortable.

Give your bar area an executive atmosphere with the 950 Bucket Bar Stool and all its options. We’re confident this bucket can fit into any environment with its three options of 22 oz. vinyl in Bourbon Brown, Distressed Black, and Distressed Wine. No matter what vinyl color you choose to complete this bucket, the back of this bar stool makes it truly unique with its button tufting. Imagine customers walking into your bar area and being wowed by the luxurious back of the 950 bucket lined up along your bar’s counter. You can also customize what base the 950 comes on. The 900 frame base throws in industrial vibes, with finish options including black, rust, and clear coat, while the 910 frame keeps the vintage look of the bucket flowing through the base.

Comfort is key with a great bucket bar stool and the 950 completely rises above your average club chair in this department. High density foam creates a molded seat and back for your customers to relax on, complete with a waterfall seat edge. This bucket bar stool’s comfort rivals that of our premium 925 bucket and ever-popular 825 bucket model, so you can encourage customers to hang around for a little longer.

With its stylish tufted back to retro industrial base options, the GLADIATOR Tufted 950 Bucket Bar Stool upgrades your bar’s ambiance to a whole new level. Please call our customer care representatives at 800-986-5352 for more information on adding this bucket or any of our other bucket options to your restaurant or bar’s space.

When someone tells you to imagine a pizza place your brain might immediately jump to images of a classic pizzeria.  You know the one. It has black and white checkered floors paired with red walls, a few chairs and tables, usually in a bistro style design, and checkered tablecloths. However, the pizzerias of today, both large and small, are bucking that traditional look and opting for a more updated image.

You might be wondering why that should matter, studies show that ambiance can affect customer perceptions in a big way. Things such as how much and how fast customers eat, how much they spend, how long they stay, and their impressions of your responsiveness and reliability. To make sure you are sending the right message to customers, we’ve gathered together some of the industry’s leading trends.

Back to Roots

In the pizza business, along with many other businesses, we are seeing a shift back to their roots. Many pizzerias are doing this by installing brick ovens into their shops. More and more, customers are wanting not just food but a complete experience. Brick ovens are part of that experience that screams authenticity. Brick ovens also benefit the taste of the pizza: toppings are crisper, and they boost food flavor. They also cook the pizza faster than a conventional oven and are an energy saver.

Open Kitchen Design

Customers are more interested than ever in not only the ingredients going into their food but how it is being made. To accommodate this pizza shops are opting to go with an open kitchen plan. The open layout allows customers to see exactly what is going on during the preparation of their food. Everything from the ingredients being used to the cleanliness of the chefs is available for viewing. Your cooking method is part of your brand.

Besides the practicality, it also adds to the experience of a pizzeria. Seeing dough being tossed into the air has a real feeling of authenticity.

Decorating Using Tools

A lot of pizzerias are using what they already have to decorate their shops. Pizza peels, rollers, and cutters are making an appearance on walls and in other areas of the restaurant. For that something extra, pizzerias are having their names engraved onto wood pizza peels to display at their entrances or on hostess stands.

Tile

Tile is back in a big way. For years the material has been relegated to the bathroom, but no more. Placed behind a bar or as a backsplash in an open-air kitchen. White subway tiles are very in and create a nice clean look. Tile can also be used to create an accent wall with texture.

Murals

Mural walls are a great way to bring color into an otherwise neutral palette full of earth tones and pull focus. Colors help to create an inviting ambiance that has customers staying longer and ordering more. Murals don’t always need to be paint. Some restaurateurs have started combining metal and wood to create focal walls. They will use boards of wood to cover one wall and then hang some form of metal art on the wall. If the budget allows, logos can be cut out of metal to create a cool branding opportunity.

Your branding will help dictate which route you should go. If your brand is more playful or eclectic, a colorful mural might fit right in with your branding. If clean lines and neutral colors are your thing then a wood and metal combination might fit best in your shop.

Reclaimed Wood and Brick

Many pizzerias are favoring the brick and reclaimed wood look. It is a combo of craft/artisan and more modern.  Especially when paired with metal accents. The texture of these materials brings in the artisanal feel while the straight lines they have ended up having a modern aesthetic. “Nothing goes better with pizza than reclaimed wood,” according to Pizza Today. Utilizing brick is also a great way to incorporate street style into your restaurant.

Whether you are considering a complete reimagining of your shop, or simply looking to add a few updated pieces like customized peels, one of these trends is bound to work for you. It will keep your shop looking fresh and your customers coming back for more.

Which one of these trends is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!

Move over Ramen burgers and Korean clam chowder, the infatuation of making two very different concepts work together in flavors and offerings is not limited to food in the restaurant industry. Commercial furniture is reflecting the mashup trend by taking differing materials and combining them to create unique pieces to accent your restaurant.

You wouldn’t bat an eye at a wood table top and metal base, but what may catch your attention is these two materials together in a chair or bar stool.

This trend has gone by many names: rustic industrial, modern rustic, vintage industrial. The list goes on and has been present in the home décor and architectural industries for some time. These materials together highlight their contrasting points while also making a great pair.

When wood is used in design, it carries a warmth and neutrality with it. It feels earthy and organic. In contrast, metal can bring a manufacturing-like or contemporary vibe. With its hard an unbending feel, it’s completely the opposite of wood that is soft and easily affected by its environment. The wood and metal hybrids are a marrying of the two that create something totally new yet familiar.

Visually these compositions meld together but they also work well structurally. In a restaurant, metal is less easily scratched and cracked, making it ideal in combating daily wear and tear over wood. When metal is used to reinforce a wood seat or back in a frame, the chair or bar stool becomes more durable.

With the popularity of the wood and metal hybrids, we have quite a few designs that are right on trend for your restaurant.

 

1) Erwin Collection Solid oak wood and black powder coated metal come together in the Erwin Collection. The rustic look of this collection is defined further with a traditional X-style back and stylized legs.
2) Elliot Collection The Elliot Collection updates the classic ladder back design by using solid oak wood and a weathered iron for an industrial look that’s softened by the wood back and seat.
3) Henry Collection The Henry Collection keeps it simple with squared off wooden backs and seats, giving this collection an understated modern look. The distressed wood paired with the slim yet sturdy, black powder coated frame makes it an easy pairing with other restaurant furniture.
4) Piper Collection The metal frame of the Piper Collection brings a breath of fresh air to restaurants with its hairpin leg design. Embracing the rustic industrial look, the sleek steel contrasts the deep tones of the oak to warm up any dining area.
5) Gladiator Collection From window pane to full ladder back to vertical back, we have all your classic styles covered with the Gladiator Collection. Traditional back designs make this collection extremely versatile and are right on trend with their steel frames and variety of wood seat options.
6) Simon Collection Think grit, think modern, think mechanical. All of these can describe the strong metal look of the Simon Collection. Because this collection comes with a variety of wood seat options to offset the smooth steel, Simon’s are a standout statement piece in a rustic restaurant atmosphere.

Each of these collections use a metal frame with a wood seat and/or back. Together, these materials create a unified theme for your restaurant by pulling from warm and cool tones. Restaurants need furniture that can meet the hectic demands of the industry with durability and visual appeal. And just like a leader of the mashup movement, the cronut, these wood and metal hybrids give you the best of both worlds.

Do you use wood and metal hybrid furniture in your restaurant? What are your thoughts on this hybrid furniture trend? Tell us in the comments below.

The rustic industrial design trend has been a favorite of restaurateurs for a while now but our Turnbuckle Table is here to shake up your décor, no matter the theme.

So what is it about this table that makes customers stop and stare when they enter your dining room? Meet the turnbuckle, a mechanism that can expand and contract table legs.

Traditionally, turnbuckles were used to sturdy the legs of old workbenches and is made up of two threaded eyebolts. One of these screws into each end of a small metal frame the other separates into a left-hand thread and right-hand thread. Turnbuckles are used to adjust the tension between cables or ropes. This tension is altered by rotating the frame, simultaneously screwing the eyebolts in and out, without twisting the eyebolts or attached cables.

Other uses for turnbuckle engineering include construction, aircraft, shipping, sports, entertainment industry, pipe systems, and now, restaurant furniture design.

Turnbuckle tables are especially popular in restaurants that have a very homey feel to provide contrast. Reminiscent of the workbench look, the combination of metal accents and vintage wood come together for an industrial feel in breweries, farmhouse-style restaurants, and coffee shops.

This turnbuckle table is made of reclaimed oak wood salvaged from vintage barns. Each table top is fully sanded and sealed with a heavy sealer to preserve the rustic elements that come with weathered wood. A steel turnbuckle connects the hand hewn, wood beam legs that is functional as well as aesthetic. Make this table all your own by choosing one of our three finishes: Natural Reclaimed, Antique Black, and Whitewash. Custom edging and additional premium finish options are also available.

One of our most popular collections is our Viktor collection. With its trendy design and durability, it has been a customer favorite for several years now. We are pleased to announce that we are bringing even more color options to the collection.

You can now purchase distressed Viktors in black, sky blue, Kelly blue, Kelly red, orange, and white. Each chair and bar stool has been artistically worn to give the look of a vintage piece of furniture. Paired with any of our solid wood table tops, the distressed Viktors can make your restaurant or bar stand out amongst others with a similar industrial theme.

Amazingly, the distressed collection can also be used both indoors and out. By using a powder coat that can withstand the demands of a commercial environment, restaurants are now able to add a pop of color to not only their indoor area but their outdoor ones as well.

Made of 16-gauge steel, and using full sigma welds, the distressed Viktor collection is durable enough for commercial use both indoors and out. It also comes complete with non-marring rubber glides to protect your restaurant’s floor against scrapes and scratches. The distressed Viktor collection is a great example of furniture being constructed design and functionality needs.

All of our Viktors offer customized seating options. If you want to take it a step beyond the metal seat, simply select a vinyl seat, an urban distressed wood seat, or a reclaimed wood seat, for an additional charge at checkout.*

To bring one of our distressed Viktor pieces to your restaurant you can find them on our Distressed Viktor Collection page or call one of our Customer Care team at 800-986-5352.

 

*Please note that that using the distressed Viktor collection with custom vinyl or wood seats outdoors will void the warranty.

Everything has a story, but some are deeper than others. Imagine as a man approaches a tree in the forest. He examines it for termites and any other imperfections. Finding none he begins to work on the tree, sawing back and forth until finally, it falls. The tree is then transported to a lumber mill where it is cut into various sizes to be sold. Another man purchases the lumber and uses it to construct a barn that will be in his family for generations. It houses the animals that are his livelihood until he hands the farm over to his children, who then give it to their children. Each year the wood becomes more and more weathered until the barn is no longer able to be used. It is carefully deconstructed to salvage any reusable lumber. That lumber is then taken to a kiln where it is dried and nails and bolts are removed from the wood.

Next, the lumber ends up in the hands of an Amish craftsman. He checks each piece for imperfections, before sanding and sealing each board into a table top. Finally, the finished tables are shipped to a restaurant where they can be utilized and enjoyed for years to come.

More and more restaurants are looking towards creating a one of a kind atmosphere for their guests to experience. What is more unique than a table top unlike any other? No two of our reclaimed wood table tops are alike; each has varying grain patterns and knots that tell the woods story throughout the years. The boards used to create these table tops are salvaged from Pennsylvania and Ohio barns, making each table different from the one next to it.

A great way to customize these table tops even further is by selecting one of our three finish options: natural reclaimed, antique black, and whitewash. Each table top is fully sanded before the finish is added and then sealed with a heavy catalyzed lacquer sealer to make sure they are ready for commercial use.

Natural Reclaimed Finish

Our most popular option, the natural reclaimed finish allows your table’s raw beauty to shine through. Sanded and then sealed with a heavy sealer, this finish provides customers a look into how the boards may have appeared when they were still fulfilling their original purpose as part of a barn. For an organic, classic rustic look the natural reclaimed finish is a great option. This finish is versatile in that it can easily be paired with many of our seating options to create a different look.

Antique Black Finish

A new choice available for reclaimed table tops is our antique black finish. This darker cousin to our natural reclaimed finish has a rich black color that accents the wood grain and helps to draw your focus on the weathered appearance. The table is not entirely black but allows just enough of the original color to shine through to highlight the deep tones of the finish. This finish would look great in any restaurant looking to create a romantic atmosphere.

Whitewash Finish

Our final stain option is the whitewash finish. The white coloring adds some light to the table top and accentuates the unique grain patterns without hiding the knots that can be still be seen underneath the finish. Perfect for brightening up a room, the whitewash finish would look great in a bakery or a cute breakfast spot with a colored centerpiece.

No matter what finish you select, all table tops are 1 ¾” thick and are available in all 32 sizes that we offer. The tables are available in both round and square options with a steel inlay option is available for square tables only.

To purchase your table top in your choice of stain head over to our Reclaimed Barn Wood Table Tops page and start shopping!

 

 

 

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When you’re searching for the right bucket bar stool, the over one million search results can be daunting to say the least. We supply a variety of commercial bucket bar stool options for restaurants to choose from to complete their look.

Within these categories, you’ll find buckets placed according to comfort, price, and quality. If your business model focuses on quick table turnover and getting the most food sales in, our 525 and 625 bucket models are your best bet. But if your strategy involves keeping customers in seats so they can graze and increase your menu’s cross-selling capabilities (and profits), our premium bucket bar stools are more your style.

Whether you’re after the undeniable comfort of the 825 bucket or the vintage look of the 925, our premium buckets will become your customers’ new favorites spots to eat and drink.

By choosing an 825 bucket bar stool, your customers will love leaning back and relaxing in what we call the ‘Cadillac of bucket bar stools’. Our customer care representatives can confirm, once you sit on the 825, you’ll buy it. It’s that comfortable! This bar stool boasts a higher end look with better grade molded high-density foam seat and back. Choose from our wine, brown, or black vinyl to complete the look of this bar stool.

If you are looking for a model with vintage accents, then the 925 bucket bar stool is for your restaurant. With its deep tuft and button accents, this bucket is reminiscent of a comfy library couch. This bar stool has a reinforced, flexible steel back to parallel the high-density foam seat and back, made for cradling your customers. To keep the vintage vibe flowing, this bucket comes in chestnut brown and black vinyl options.

Both premium bucket models sit on top of our sturdy 900 base. Fully welded 16-gauge steel and the large footprint of the base makes for an excellent support system. This frame comes in clear coat, rust brown, or black to match any bucket or decor.

When you invest in luxury bucket seats, you should also keep in mind the durability of the swivel system. All of our bucket bar stools automatically come with an imported swivel. While these swivels can do the job, we also offer an upgraded domestic swivel option that has a 10-year warranty for a long service life.

Domestic swivel mechanisms last longer because of the way it swivels. Using two nylon ring bearings, this swivel can turn effortlessly, silently, and is tested up to 500,000 turns.

By using premium bar stools and upgraded swivels, customers can feel right at home sitting at your bar area.

 

Imagine soft laughter, the clinking of glasses. Touches of sunlight illuminate plates of fresh food. A light summer breeze weaves between tables, but not just any tables, these are your tables on your restaurant’s outdoor patio. And these tables are full of happy customers enjoying the great outdoors all the while paying for drinks and food.

 

Offering al fresco dining is so much more than just expanding your seating capacity or increasing your curb appeal.

So how can building an outdoor patio boost your profits? Because it gives your customers more space for special events, shows off your restaurant from a distance, and gives them a comfortable spot to stay longer and keep the good times going.

Here are just a few of the benefits that your restaurant can take advantage of by integrating an outdoor patio into your business plan.

 

 

Patios add more space. By having a patio space, you not only have room for more activities, but also an opportunity to offer a breath of fresh air to your restaurant.

This is all depending on the environment around you. The empty lot next to your restaurant could be your future bustling patio.  But acquiring space is not always the answer, sometimes you can make better use of the spot you already have. If you’re short on space but have some room in front of your restaurant, adding sidewalk seating can be an option and create a café vibe.

If you have a flat rooftop that you have access to, you’re in luck! Rooftop bars are very trendy and give a secluded feel to what are often crowded city bars.

Having a patio can give you room for exciting events like live music, games, or a fire pit for chilly evening dining. More involvement at your restaurant can lead to more people having a reason to stop, staying longer, eating and drinking more, and therefore, increasing your profits. All of which can happen right in the outdoor space you may already own.

Patios are free advertising to foot traffic. Making a successful outdoor patio space could be your best advertising asset. Depending on the way that your restaurant is set up, it may be the very first thing a customer sees.

If your location is by a landmark, attraction, or even just a beautiful landscape, having an outdoor dining area should be a given for your restaurant.

The sight of current customers having a great time and the scent of fresh food can bring potential customers from the street that would have maybe not chosen your restaurant. It’s like a free sneak peek of what customers can expect when they come to your restaurant, and can be used to your advantage.

While customers are having a wonderful night out with friends and family, make sure you have your social media hashtags and Snapchat usernames in plain sight. If guests take a picture and post it, they will know exactly what location to tag. With that in mind, it doesn’t hurt to create a Snapchat filter exclusively for your business either.

Creating a patio that is visually-stimulating can attract and keep potential and current customers coming back for more. More traffic means more sales for you!

Patios relax customers, leading them to spend more. If you already have a happy hour, make it a patio-exclusive. Patios are a great way to give happy hour guests an exclusive area for drinks and appetizers, making it feel less stuffy than trying to crowd them in with those enjoying a meal. Having a patio-only happy hour can make guests feel relaxed and can lead them to staying longer, which often means the drinks continue to flow.

By allocating happy hour to your patio space, you are giving guests a place to gather together and increase your sales simultaneously. With profit margins on bar drinks being anywhere from 60-85%, depending on the beverage, you can still make a pretty penny on patrons that are ready to blow off steam after work.

Just make sure you have a bar that is fully-staffed and ready to roll in your outdoor area to reduce staff having to run back and forth.

Once your patio is up and running, keep these tips at the top of your mind to ensure continued success.

• Maintain your patio. Keep your furniture clean and floor space free of garbage. If something spills, clean it up. Don’t use your extra outdoor space as a graveyard for uneven tables and less than supportive chairs. The patio can be a goldmine for increasing your profits, so make it look like that.
• Keep up with outdoor trends. According to the National Restaurant Association, you should be updating your patio every five to seven years to keep it looking modern, similar to your dining room. Your outdoor patio is an extension of your restaurant; don’t let the average passersby think otherwise.
• Staff appropriately. You don’t want your indoor crowd to suffer at the hands of your outdoor patio, especially at peak dining times.

Depending on what stage your patio is in (fully-functioning, needs improvement, or non-existent), will give you a ballpark of how much you need to pour in to make it a successful space. Having a patio space will not break your business, but it certainly could help make it.

Let our customer care representatives guide you on your journey to furnishing the perfect outdoor patio at 1-800-986-5352.

 

 

 

 

As anyone who has ever walked through a fixer upper home can attest, design trends can go from cutting edge, to quaint, to downright dated, if not changed. The same concept applies to restaurants and bars. The dining area, where guests eat, plays a major role in how they experience the menu and ultimately, the opinions they form about a restaurant. To bring you emerging design trends, we spoke to Lauren Williams, Director of Design for Primanti Bros. Restaurants, about where she sees the future of restaurant design heading including lighting, colors, and dining styles.

Lighting

Many restaurants that you enter today will have some form of an Edison bulb giving off light; the bulb has its own sort of appeal and definitely gives any space an industrial chic vibe, but patrons are starting to experience some fatigue with the trend. What was once a unique way to light a space has become so commonplace that it fails to make a restaurant stand out. While the bulbs are beautiful in their own way, sometimes they can leave a space feeling a little too dark compared to some of their brighter counterparts.

Some restaurants are moving back towards having more light in their establishments. Williams predicts a move “towards light, both natural and artificial,” and the idea of coming back to “seeing the food and seeing the people you’re interacting with in the space in a pure light.”

Allowing more light into a restaurant can be achieved through either large windows that encourage natural light to fill the space or with more powerful lights and light fixtures. A unique way to achieve those large windows is by incorporating glass garage doors into the front of the building. Garage doors allow for plenty of light and can either be opened to allow a cool breeze in the summer, or closed during the cooler months to prevent customers getting a chill.

Colors

After several years of dark, industrial design, patrons are beginning to look towards the opposite end of the spectrum. White, bright, fresh looks that are originating in places like California and Miami are making their way across the United States. Think more boho-chic than industrial charm for the future of restaurant design. Be on the lookout for bold use of color making its way back onto the scene in the upcoming years in response to the earthy tones that have been trending for the past few years.

An easy way to incorporate more color is by adding bright centerpieces to your table or hanging interesting, bright art on the walls. If you are looking for a more drastic change, consider making one of your walls into a bright mural that can be incorporated into your current design.

Less Formal Dining

It used to be that burger joints and formal dining spaces were mutually exclusive, but prepare to start seeing those lines blurring. Williams discussed the phenomenon as “flexibility as the number one goal. Rooms within rooms, privacy but also openness… it’s a shift to almost residential architecture”.  It is the trend of creating a residential feel that has communal dining furniture styles on the rise, along with more padded seats, similar to what would be found in a home. Communal dining is when a large group of diners sit at the same table to share a meal. In keeping with the trend, many restaurants have started serving meals family style with shareable plates. Large communal table tops make it easier to serve those meals on the large plates and trays that they require.

Tiles aren’t just for Bathrooms

Another emerging trend that contributes to creating a residential feel, is using tile to decorate areas of the dining room. Don’t be surprised to see tiles being used to create backsplashes on bars and even accent walls in restaurants. Tile, whether it is colorful or not, is a great way to bring interest into a particular area of a restaurant without being overwhelming. Designers have determined it is time for this material to shine in an area other than the bathroom and are working to bring it into more prominent areas of the restaurant.

Incorporating Trends in Your Restaurant

What if you own a preexisting restaurant? It wouldn’t be realistic to overhaul your entire restaurant design scheme every time the trends changed, but how do you stay relevant with what customers are looking for? According to Williams, new restaurants are more the trendsetters, while corporate restaurant groups or preexisting restaurants need to focus on maintaining their identities with subtle shifts to where the trend is appealing to their audience. A great way to do this is by “layering the vintage and the modern. Sometimes you go heavier on the modern, sometimes you go heavier on the vintage” urges Williams. It is all about reaching a balance that works for you, your restaurant, and the area you are located in.

If your restaurant is a predominantly vintage style, try adding in a few modern pieces to create the layered effect. Consider changing some of your current light fixtures for brighter alternatives or replacing your current wooden menu boxes with brightly painted metal holders instead.

Something to be conscious of when making any design choices, is your audience and location. Urban areas might be more accepting of trendy spots and designs that encourage communal eating, while rural areas might not be the best market to push the full trend on.

It is important for restaurant owners to stay abreast of the current design trends. Not only are these trends important to staying relevant and making sure your aesthetic doesn’t feel dated, but to giving your customers the complete experience of great food, an enjoyable atmosphere, great customer service, and a visually pleasing environment. Possibly, with a few adjustments to lighting or colors, your restaurant can be on top of the emerging trends that are leading the next phase of restaurant design.