The document discusses the importance of interior design in restaurants. It notes that restaurant design impacts customer perception and psychology. Elements like lighting, seating, color, smell, and acoustics can influence how customers experience a restaurant and whether they order more, eat faster or stay longer. The ideal restaurant interior dedicates 60% of space to the dining area and 40% to the kitchen and other facilities. Restaurant design must also consider customer comfort factors like temperature, ventilation, lighting and noise levels.

1. Restaurant
Design
Rahul Saini

2. " content overview
restaurant
history of restaurant
types of restaurant
spaces in restaurant
elements in interior spaces
commercial relevance
social relevance
misconception
importance of interior design in restaurants

3. 3
Restaurant! It is the most famous
name in the present world. Many
people do not have their meals at
their home, they often take meals
and food from restaurants.
A restaurant is a public place,
which opens to all to sell food and
beverage to any person and
people.
restaurant

4. 4
misconception
Many people think that hotels and
Restaurants are the same things.
The definition of Restaurant and
Hotel is the same. It is not true.
Hotels and restaurants are not
the same places, things, and same
definitions.
The hotel has an accommodation
system to stay at night with
facilities for food and beverage,
but in a restaurant, you get only
facilities for food and beverage.
There are no accommodation
systems and facilities in
restaurants to stay day or night.

5. 5
An establishment
where refreshments
or meals are served
to paying guests.
Through inns and
taverns served
simple fare to
travelers for
centuries,
the first modern
restaurant where guests
could order from a varied
menu is thought to have
belonged to A. Boulanger,
a soup vendor opened his
business in Paris in 1765.
The sign above his
door advertised
restoratives, or
restaurants, referring
to his soups and
broths. By 1804 Paris
had more than 500
restaurants, and
France soon became
internationally
famous for its
cuisine.
In India, the earliest
reference of restaurants
dates back to early 250
BC when taverns or inns
provided food to hungry
travelers. Street vendors
and small stall owners
also sold food in local
markets and most Indian
towns and villages.

7. 7
Fine dining restaurants offer diners an
upscale meal experience often
comprising several courses (e.g., salad,
appetizer, entree, dessert).
These types of restaurants try to create
a stylish atmosphere that speaks of
elegance, exclusivity, and class.
Fine dining establishments can operate
as a franchise for a broader appeal or as
a single location to increase their
sophisticated image.
fine dining

8. 8
Customers are served at their table
Food offerings are moderately priced
Atmosphere is low-key
Decor is often unique and based on the type of
food served
Casual dining types of restaurants usually share
the following characteristics:
As a general rule, casual dining restaurants fall
between fine dining and fast casual on the “fancy”
spectrum.
casual dining

9. 9
Fast casual restaurants cater to customers who
are looking for fare that is relatively quick yet,
at the same time, healthier than fast food and
more affordable than a casual dining
establishment.
As such, fast casual types of restaurants offer
quality food, counter service (as opposed to
table service), and a more casual, contemporary
style and decor.
fast casual

10. 10
A ghost restaurant (a.k.a. virtual restaurant, delivery-
only restaurant, online-only restaurant, or dark
kitchen) is a food-service business that serves
customers exclusively through phone orders, online
orders, or both.
In a virtual restaurant — as the name rightly suggests
— the majority (if not all) of the business is conducted
via computer, tablet, or smartphone.
A ghost restaurant doesn’t have a traditional
storefront with decor, signage, and a large dining
room. Instead, this new business model only requires
a kitchen and delivery drivers.
ghost restaurant

11. 11
A family-style restaurant is similar to the casual
dining model mentioned above with one significant
difference: servers deliver the food in large dishes
and customers then serve the food for themselves
and pass it to other diners at the table.
These types of restaurants often have a more relaxed
atmosphere than the fine dining and casual dining
models and cater to families with children or groups
of friends.
family restaurant

12. 12
Fast food is the most widely recognized type of
restaurant thanks to franchise chains like Taco Bell,
Burger King, and KFC.
Fast food restaurants attract diners because of their
price, convenience, and speed. Because of this focus,
ingredients in fast food restaurants are usually
preheated or precooked (though not always).
Food is then delivered over the counter — or through
a drive-thru window — and customers seat
themselves.
fast food

13. 13
Food trucks, carts, or stands are unique modern
businesses that normally specialize in a single type of
food (e.g., tacos, sandwiches, hot dogs, ice cream,
smoothies, etc.) and serve a limited menu that
revolves around those items.
They are generally categorized together with fast food
restaurants because the focus is on speed.
Additionally, seating options may be sparse or even
non-existent.
food trucks

14. 14
Cafes are characterized by outdoor seating, an
unhurried atmosphere, and the loyalty of their repeat
customers. Offerings include coffee, tea, pastries,
small items for breakfast or lunch, and a small
sampling of desserts.
Diners order food at the counter, pay on the spot, and
serve themselves, so the cafe model does not require
a large staff.
Turnover in cafes is usually low, and customers may
work or socialize for long periods of time.
cafe cafe

15. 15
Buffets are an extension of the family-style
restaurant where customers are provided a selection
of food at a fixed price.
Guests serve themselves and can return to the buffet
as many times as they want.
The buffet concept lends itself well to specialty
cuisine, including pizza, Indian, Chinese, “home
cooking,” and breakfast foods, although this is not a
prerequisite.
buffet style

16. 16
Pubs have a long tradition of being the place to go when
you need to unwind and enjoy a beer or other alcoholic
beverage at the end of a long day.
At first, they were little more than bars. But, in modern
times, pubs have expanded their menus to offer food
items and full meals as well as beer, liquor, and non-
alcoholic beverages.
Because of the wide range of fare and the festive
atmosphere, pubs typically provide full table- and bar
service as well as casual decor, games (e.g., darts, pool,
etc.), televisions for sports, and possibly even a dance
floor.
pub

17. 17
If you attended grade school or high school, you’re
probably familiar with cafeteria-style dining.
By definition, a cafeteria serves ready-cooked food
items arranged behind a long counter. Patrons line up,
take a tray, and file in front of the various food choices,
picking out what they would like to eat along the way.
Cafeterias are similar to buffets, but cafeterias typically
have servers behind the counter ready to dish out the
food you choose.
cafeteria

18. 18
The bistro concept got its start in France as a place to
serve hearty meals at a moderate price in a not-so-
formal setting.
When restaurateurs began opening bistros in the
United States, the format evolved to include more
refined decor, fewer tables, finer foods, and higher
prices.
Most bistro owners don’t consider their restaurant a
fine dining establishment, per se — multiple courses
in an opulent atmosphere — but, rather, as classy
(and classic) fare in an upscale atmosphere.
Bistro

19. RESTAURANT
INTERIOR DESIGN IN
importance of

20. 20
Restaurant Interior
design in restaurants is
crucial to the branding
strategy. The way a
restaurant looks impacts
how the customers
perceive the restaurant
concept and if they
consider it a good enough
place to eat at.
Shabby or very bright
interiors will form a
negative impression on
the customers and
potentially make them
leave even before they
eat. An ideal restaurant
interior idea would be to
use natural light to its
fullest to make sure your
place is more
Instagrammable.

21. 21
In the age of Instagram,
interior design is a
restaurant’s silent
salesman, if the
restaurant looks
Instagramable, it will
make it to your
customer’s feed and
entice their entire
follower list.
Good interior design
means marketable
interior design. You can
use your interior design
for marketing your
restaurant among your
target customers. If there
is something unique
about your interiors,
make it public. People
love to think that they are
a part of something
unique and would flock to
your restaurant.

22. 22
Most importantly,
interior design in
restaurants impacts
customer psychology.
You can make your
customers order more,
eat fast, drink more, stay
less, etc. all using interior
restaurant ideas.
Now that we know why
interior design in
restaurants is so
important, we come to
the Impact of Interior
Design on Customer
Experience and Customer
Psychology. To
understand how six
elements of interior
design in restaurants can
impact customer
experience in such a
significant manner,

23. 23
Elements of
Restaurant
Interior Design
AND HOW THEY IMPACT CUSTOMERS
A r c h i t e c t u r e & D e s i g n
L i g h t i n g
S e a t i n g
C o l o r s
S m e l l
A c o u s t i c s
ESSENTIALS

24. dining area
60%
washroom, kitchen, etc.
40%
Ideally, 60% of restaurant
space should be taken up by
the dining area and the
remaining 40% by
washrooms, kitchen,
storage, etc.
24
The way you design
the inside of your
restaurant and
place all your
elements plays an
integral role in
defining the look
and the feel of your
restaurant.
If you are designing a fine dining
restaurant, a 20 sq feet area per seat
is ideal; however, for a QSR 10 sq feet
area is considered perfect.
Restrooms must be located away from the kitchen but
be visible still in your restaurant interior design.
The floor plan of the dining area must
include space for operations. Leave enough
gaps between your seats for proper service.
" Setting up decor that doesn't go with the food/cuisine they serve is the biggest design
blunder that a restaurateur can make. The personality of the restaurant brand needs to
reflect in the decor. "
K A N I K A P A H W A , S T U D I O E Z U B E

25. 25
Ambient lighting defines the
overall look and feel of your
restaurant. Is your restaurant
dimly lit or is it bright and heavy
on the lights, this is the light that
defines it. Fine dining restaurants
usually use dim ambient lighting
to create a relaxing mood and
aura.
Task lighting is the light used for
performing tasks. These are the
lights that enable servers to work
and customers to read the menu
and order.
It can be to highlight pathways or
incorporate them by putting
them on some unique features
like sushi bars or minibars to
highlight them.
Technically there are three types of lighting- Ambient, Task, and Accent lighting :
Accent lights are lights used for
that extra touch but mostly for
decorative purposes.
There you can experiment with it,
but most wall lighting in this area
is received better than overhead
lighting.
You can use these lights to
reinforce the colors of your brand
as well, but don’t overdo it, or else
it will kill the purpose.

26. 26
On the other hand, Starbucks
has comfortable seats,
recliners, and sofas that are
heavy and cushioned. This
prompts customers to stay
longer and keep ordering
more coffee.
Seating is another unnoticed part
of restaurant interior design. The
type of seats you use impacts
your customer’s psychology and
the experience as well. Ever
noticed how QSRs like McDonald’s
and Subway have seats that are
comfortable but not exactly the
type you would want to keep
sitting on? At the same time, they
give a very light feeling. All this
impacts the customers to be fast
eaters and not stay.
Mixing alternate seating methods
like swings or hammocks also
have the same effect and prompt
the customer to relax and stay.
Swings, on the other hand,
remind one of childhood and
speed. This makes the customer
sitting on it order impulsively and
eat fast.

27. 27
Different colors trigger different
emotions and set different
moods. Some colors stimulate
diet while others repress it.
Warm colors like red and orange
are considered potent
stimulants, so a lot of
restaurants try to use red in
their interior.
Yellow is a bright color and can
bring out people’s appetites by
giving a lively feeling to the
place. Blue, on the other hand, is
a suppressant.
The reason why blue is
considered a suppressant is
that it relaxes the diners and
calms them; hence they order
less.
there are shades
which are big no-nos.
Gray, brown, and
purple come in this
category. While grey is
dreary and tired,
brown reminds one of
burnt food, and purple
is associated with less
popular foods like
eggplants or brinjals.
" Colour in restaurants and cafes creates a
very powerful impact on customer
experience as it helps to enhance mood and
craving for good food and drinks. Different
colors can create different moods and the
key is to tap the correct mood for your
restaurant and use it. "
V A I B H A V P A N C H O L I , D E S I G N H U T

28. 28
Just remember never to use barbecue as your scent, even
if you run a barbeque joint. It makes the place feel small
and more stuffy while killing the appetite.
This may sound far-fetched, but
according to a study, the right
scents can increase your food
sales by 300%, so make sure you
include them in your restaurant
interior design. In fact, according
to the University of Paderborn,
scents increased impulse buying
by 6%, buying intention by 14.8%,
and the length of a customer’s
stay by 15.9%.
Psychology of Scent
Chamomile, Lavender, and Vanilla reduces stress and relaxes the mind
making them perfect for a fine-dining restaurant.
Baked bread reminds one of home and gives a comforting feeling thus
works well for the dessert section of a restaurant or a bakery.
Peppermint, cucumber, and citrus flavors makes a person feel fresh
making them ideal for restaurants catering to after-work corporate
employees
The smell of cucumber can make the customers feel that an area is
larger than it seems which makes it perfect for small-spaced
establishments.

29. 29
Music does more than just
fill the gaps in a restaurant.
First, we come to the volume
of it. Controlling the volume
at which you will play the
music is the trickiest thing
to do.
While too loud can create noise, too soft
can make people think that other diners
can hear them and so make them
awkward. We advise that you use acoustic
control techniques like false ceilings,
carpets, or curtains.
Having a live
piano is the
best thing
you can do if
you run a fine
dining
restaurant.
Faster beats for rush
hour and relaxed,
slow tempo beats for
off-hours.
While most restaurants prefer
keeping their music between 72-75
dB, bars play it at an 85-88 dB
limit. A study proves that in a
bar people consume alcohol more
and faster when music is loud.

30. Acoustic
The average noise level of a
typical restaurant during a
dining rush is 80 dB (some
reach as much as 110 dB).
Restaurants traditionally
have carpeted floors and soft
furnishings and upholstered
chairs, tablecloths, and
curtains which provide
sound-absorbing qualities. 30
Human Comfort
Human comfort in an
indoor space primarily
relies on thermal
comfort and indoor air
quality (achieved by
temperature, humidity
control good and
ventilation), lighting,
and acoustic comfort.
Thermal Comfort And
Indoor Air Quality
HVAC (heating
ventilation and air
conditioning) forms an
important feature and
consideration for
achieving a functional
restaurant design.
Lighting
Lighting Design aims to
enable the occupant to
work and move arund
in safety. It provides
for our visual needs,
and also safety and
security.
I D E A L L Y , R E S T A U R A N T P L A N N I N G A N D D E S I G N S H O U L D S H O W C A S E T H A T 6 0 % A R E A I N A F L O O R P L A N M U S T G O T O T H E
D I N I N G A R E A A N D T H E O T H E R 4 0 % T O T H E K I T C H E N , S T O R A G E , F R E E Z E R , E T C .
F E A T U R E S O F A N E F F I C I E N T
R E S T A U R A N T D E S I G N A N D
F L O O R P L A N

31. Optimum Utilization Of
Seating And Smooth
Circulation
restaurant floor layout
should focus on the comfort
and enjoyment of your
customers while maintaining
an efficient circulation
pattern.
Safety Concerns
if there’s an emergency, and you
need to evacuate the building, having
clear pathways to the exits is an
integral part of keeping everyone
safe.
Full paths should be built to avoid
employees and guests alike tripping
and hurting themselves as they
navigate your dining room.
Methods of service
(self or monitored)
The restaurant design will
very much depend on
whether the staff would
serve the food, or if it is a
self-service restaurant.
Circulation and egress
This is the movement of the
people, how the staff and the
customers can move around
and enter and exit the
restaurant.
The overall dimension of
the given space
The restaurant design heavily
depends upon the whole
proportion and area available.
Based on this, the architect
would draft the restaurant design
and create a floor plan.
31

32. 32
I D E A L L Y , R E S T A U R A N T P L A N N I N G A N D D E S I G N S H O U L D
S H O W C A S E T H A T 6 0 % A R E A I N A F L O O R P L A N M U S T G O
T O T H E D I N I N G A R E A A N D T H E O T H E R 4 0 % T O T H E
K I T C H E N , S T O R A G E , F R E E Z E R , E T C .
S P A C E S
I N
R E S T A U R A N T
dining area
kitchen
service & staff
area
Entrance Lobby
Reception
Waiting Lobby
Dining
space/Bar/Lounge
POS
Electrical
Plumbing
HVAC
Surveillance
Service Entry
Preparation
Cooking
Storage
Utensils & Equipments
Perishables & non-perishables

33. 33
E N T R A N C E
Able to draw people in and make them feel
immediately comfortable.
Well maintained & easy to open.
It is inviting and welcoming.
Restaurant Entrance should be
While evaluating your entrance, focus on
these components
Does the design allow staff to greet people well?
Does the entrance make customers feel welcome?
Does it allow a free-flowing circulation for customers
as well as the staff?
The entrance of restaurant casts the first impression of restaurant on the customer. The entry
gives a preview of the type of space a patron is going to enter. A well-designed restaurant design
plan should ideally provide ample space that is welcoming and should evoke curiosity in the
customer to come in and dine. The act of entering can be signified in more subtle ways than just
puncturing a hole in the wall.

34. 34
D I N I N G
R O O M
L A Y O U T S
The dining area of a restaurant is the soul of the
place. The customer spends 98% of the time in this
area. While designing the dining room layout, your
primary aim should be that your customers be
comfortable in the seating area and enjoy their food.
The Dining Area, must ideally include the customer’s
waiting area, customer takeaway counter, seating
area, and POS terminals.
Seating Area
Between every dining table, there
should be a standard of 3-4 ft to
avoid any chaos and disturbance.
There should be ample space that
allows for the free and seamless
movement of the servers.
Waiting Area
The waiting area is often
overlooked while creating
restaurant designs.
Disregarding this area results
in diners waiting for the table.
There should be enough space
for guests where they could
wait for dining.
POS terminals or Billing System Area
The POS system should be positioned at a place
that will maximize efficiency. There should be a
minimization of the staff running back and forth
between the payment stations.
Your restaurant design should be structured to
get as many tables as you can into your dining
room. The number of tables could greatly affect
how many tables turn (and checks) you have in a
shift.

35. T H E
K I T C H E N
The Following Aspects In Your Restaurant Kitchen Design Plan
Specific kitchen working zones
should be defined in the kitchen
floor plan.
Namely, pre-preparation area, food
assembly and packing, and washing
area.
Specific kitchen working zones
The kitchen and food storage areas
include designated spaces for
cooking equipment, food
preparation, and dishwashing, as
well as cold and dry food storage.
Designated spaces
The moving area in the kitchen
he layout shall be made in such a
way that allows the kitchen staff to
move in quickly, swiftly, and
efficiently. Providing enough space
is critical to avoid accidents as well.
Proper ventilation
Ensure adequate ventilation in
your restaurant kitchen as it is
necessary for the health of your
restaurant staff and also
reduces the chances of the
various items being prepared in
the kitchen waft to the dining
area.
Employees restrooms
You may also choose to include
an office, employee bathrooms,
or a break room in the back of
the house.
35

36. Allocating Adequate Space For Different Areas In The Kitchen
This is the area where most of your
kitchen prep happens. The prep area
needs to be well equipped to
accommodate all the ingredients
required for the preparation of the
food.
36
Prep Area
The storage area should be well
equipped to store all the dry goods
that are mostly bought in bulk, such
as rice, flour, sugar, lentils, oils,
whole spices, and spice powders.
Storage Area
Cold Storage
Another crucial element of
the kitchen design is the
cold storage area.
There is a continuous need
for cold rooms, deep
freezers, and perishables to
stock perishables like meat,
seafood, and frozen food.
Washing Area
The washing space should be
equipped to accommodate
washing of large cooking vessels,
cutlery, crockery, and other
utensils.
There should also be a space
where the used cutlery, crockery,
utensils would be kept for
washing.
Pantry Area
A pantry is a room or a ready
to serve area where
beverages, food, and
sometimes dishes and others
as decided by the head chef.
Kitchen Cooking Area
This is one of the most critical zones of
the kitchen area, where the actual food
preparation will take place.
All the equipment like burners, oven,
grills, tandoor and other equipment
needed for the operations pre-decided
will have to be positioned in this area
Staff Personal Area
There should be a space for
a staff toilet. A small area
can also be created for staff
where they could change
their uniforms and keep
their personal belongings
or things they would need
for their use.

37. 37
The restrooms should be easy to access for the
customers without unnecessary wandering.
It is advisable that the restrooms shall also have
wheelchair access for catering to the specific
needs of physically challenged customers.
It is necessary that the restaurant restrooms
should be appropriately equipped with sanitation
facilities, especially trash disposal, and have
proper designated space on the bathroom floor
plan.
The restrooms should also be equipped with
proper lighting.
R E S T R O O M S
Restrooms leave a lasting impression on the
mind of the customer. They should have
sufficient lighting and easy to clean and
maintain. Every customer will appreciate
sparkling, clean, and large enough restrooms to
accommodate multiple guests.
Essentials

38. 38
Restaurant floor plans are ultimately a balancing act
between various functional needs and requirements
of restaurant design.
Designing restaurant floor plan might seem a little
easier task as compared to financing, licensing, or
construction that goes along with starting a
business. But the restaurant floor plan is a critical
aspect of effective restaurant design.
E L E C T R I C A L
S E R V I C E S
The electrical part of the restaurant is a
fundamental and crucial aspect of both the
operations and safety of the establishment.
Depending on the location, the wiring,
termination, lighting fixtures, cabling need to be
taken care of both professionally and diligently.
Plan the site for the central control panels,
Generators, etc. systematically.

39. 39
Accessibility
There's a reason that
major reason restaurant
chains are often located
near highway and
freeway exits: It makes
them accessible to
customers. Motorists can
reach the restaurant
without fighting traffic or
driving out of their way.
Most successful
restaurant locations (but
not all) are easy to find.
Location
Target
customers
Parking base
Location matters in
restaurant design.
Thereneeds to be
enough people who live
in thearea, or pass
through the area on a
regularbasis to keep you
busy.
To determine
thepopulation base of a
particular area, you
cando a site study.
The type of customers
you want to attract to
this restaurant
should be
predetermined. That
will help you fix the
menu and the setting
of the restaurant. The
age group,
occupation, income
group, and typical
taste of the
customers should be
known
Will there be enough
parking to
accommodate all the
seats in your new
restaurant? Ideally, a
new restaurant
location should have
its parking lot. Is
there public parking
near the restaurant
location if that isn't
an option?
R E S T A U R A N T
C O M M E R C I A L
R E L E V A N C E

40. Restaurateurs need to create a culture of respect
and emotions full of dignity carrying forward
ethical standards throughout your restaurant
business. ​
The restaurant owners have realized the
importance of social responsibility towards
doing the right thing for employees, community
and even towards Mother Nature. It has certainly
become an important aspect for the food
business. There are various ways by which
restaurants are showing their​
concern and care for their customers.​
40
R E S T A U R A N T
S O C I A L
R E L E V A N C E
Brand Personality
Brands, like people, have personalities. A person
can become known for acting or behaving a certain
way. So will your brand. The personality of your
brand should be defined and programmed. This
programming should happen before the first
sketch of the restaurant design is even considered.
Brand Promises
We would all like to think
we have integrity saying
what you're going to do
and then doing it when
you say you will. For a
brand to have integrity,
one must establish a
distinct set of promises
that differentiate that
brand and define it. When
the promises are met with
integrity, a strong brand
is the result. Chipotle, and
it's promise to deliver
humanely-raised food
sources, is a good
example.
Brand Positioning
You don't merely want to be considered the best of the best:
you want to be considered the only one who does what you
do. The idea of "betterness" (we have a better burger, better
restaurant design, etc.) is subjective. When you are the
"only you become a sole-source provider and can dominate
a market.