Creating a restaurant is the most interesting and stimulating of design challenges.
When people go out to dine, they are not just buying food, they are buying an experience which includes great food, attentive service and that unquantifiable ingredient 'atmosphere'. Atmosphere is created by the people, but also by the room, the surroundings themselves. A well designed restaurant will need to consider many angles before it can be considered to really 'work'.
1) Attracting customers - location is key, but a well designed exterior needs attractive signage, outdoor seating, enticing menu, and importantly, tempting views of the interior.
2) The right seating - this is the most tricky element to get right. The balance between squeezing in maximum covers, yet giving customers a sense of privacy from other diners, allowing freedom of movement around the restaurant for customers and staff alike, and allowing for flexibility in accommodating party sizes takes time and careful thought and planning to get it right.
3) Creating a warm, relaxing and inviting atmosphere and giving customers an interesting visual 'feast' is all part of providing an experience.
4) Choosing the right quality of fixtures, furnishings and fittings so that they will withstand heavy use, and will not become tired and shabby looking within a few weeks.
5) All of this needs to be achieved within the confines of Licensing and Building Regulations.
Getting a restaurant design right means balancing creative, commercial and operational issues.
Free Spirit - we create dining experiences.
