Restaurant Design Issues and how they affect Prospective Customers
Introduction
According to Restaurant Branding and Design (2010), restaurant design as a whole does not only create a given mood of ambiance for prospective customers but also directly affects the manner in which the staff will work and generally determine the level of satisfaction and comfort of all stakeholders. First of all, to ensure a good design, a concrete plan must existent to sufficiently tackle all of the vital aspects required to ensure that the restaurant remains competitive. A restaurant design has to all inclusive; composed of good colors, ample space, good ventilation, lighting, fixtures and furniture and general aesthetics. This paper discusses various aspects of restaurant design and how they affect general operations within the restaurant.
Color
Individuals’ reaction to color is instantaneous hence any restaurant design has to choose a color scheme that will create the mood of the purpose a given section of the restaurant serves. For instance red often generates hunger. As a result fast food restaurants have made use of this color for signs and other paintings. The signs and roofs of fast food restaurants such as Burger King, KFC, McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Hardees are painted in shades of red to easily makes triggers hunger making one to pop in one of them and have a bite. Orange also falls in this bracket as it is closely related to red (Baraban & Durocher, 2010). On the other hand, colors such as pale yellow and green are soothing and could be appropriate to be used in the sleeping areas.
Nationwide restaurant design
Restaurant designs must not only conform to specific needs of various customers’ segments but also on the universal accepted standards that will enhance its general outlook. The style of the restaurant has to incorporate the element of space as a whole. The staff, menu and interior all have to be a unified unit. The interior furnishings have to be a reflection of the style and menu, unifying everything together flawlessly (Fullen, 2002).
The type of the service provided in the restaurant will greatly determine the setting and design of the restaurant. For example if the restaurant appeals to kids, interior has to be brighter and the kind of furniture must be able to withstand spilled stuff like drinks, food and sources.
According to O’Connell (2010), lighting is a very important aspect of restaurant design and a well lit surrounding is a great way of spectacularly altering the mood of the restaurant. Up lighting appends drama and generates a higher-end feel to aspects of the interior. It is also very pleasant and calming. Down lighting elevates energy levels while spot lights can increase the essence of a focal point within a given space or an item. Exterior lighting is also very important as they create a welcoming mood and also create a feeling of being safe among individuals.
Fullen (2002) points out that other important aspects of a restaurant design include parking space that helps reduce congestion and attract motorists. The design of the restaurant does not need to be so sophisticated, but artistic to bring out the essence of style.
Effects of design restaurant issue on gender, age and ethnicity
Some elements of a restaurant design like the way the door swings, sitting arrangements among others can be seen as minor but play an important role in attracting different segments of consumers across gender, age, and ethnicity. They also greatly influence the opinion of consumers concerning a food service operation.
Gender
Male and female customers asses details of restaurant designs differently and even though some may have similar preferences within a particular joint, they are actually perceive things differently. Taking Hunting Beach Restaurant & Brewery, based in California, it is very apparent that it appeals to both female and male diners but genders experience brands in a different way. Men’s attention is quickly drawn to the big copper (brewing) kettles, also quickly notice flat-screen TVs within the bar. On the other hand, women quickly notice a chandelier and disco ball. When it comes to furniture, men like lightweight chairs as opposed to women who prefer cumbersome furniture. Heavy doors are preferred by most men while it could be a bother to most women. Men pay close attention to structural elements whereas females respond to lighting, colors and fabrics. It should be importantly noted however that most restaurant designers consider pleasing female customers initially. This is because women make many decisions on dining-destinations; furthermore they ply a lot of power (Alli, 2008).
Age
Some restaurant designs also appeal to clientele of a specific age. For example some paintings and blend of colors are designed to suit the kids; others will be more appealing to the teens, youths in general or the older generation. Bright colors of animated objects will work well for children. Cartoons also are more appealing to children than older generations. When it come menus, they have to be the funniest ever in terms of their colors and the pictures. They should have pictures of favorite kids dishes with comic stories (2010).
Teens and young adults are energetic hence colors of strength such as white and green should be incorporated in the restaurant designs to make them appealing to them. They also like bright patterns, colors and bold pictures such as orange and neon. Both exterior and interior designs of the restaurant has to be “cool” as this is the generation that is so much into sophisticated technology. Technological graphics and paintings of latest and special effects objects have to be incorporated. Sound is also a very important aspect for this generation hence putting up a restaurant within a location of many teens must put this in mind (Baraban, R. and Durocher, 2010).
Alli (2008) affirms that on the other hand, older generations as are greatly influenced by peer pressure as young generations do. They also love restaurants whose moods are relaxed and cool. Therefore any designs have to bear in mind that this generation is not so much into bright colors and loud music. Current architectural designs are also not very much appealing to this generation. Traditional designs such as wooden traditional floors, roofs could very much attract old people. Theme restaurants also perform magic when it comes to older generations, for instance the Ninja Akasaka theme restaurant where ninjas are in charge of all operations taking you through narrow paths in darkness and serving food and drinks.
Ethnicity
Restaurant designs also reflect cultural diversity or ethnicity. Due to globalization, aggravated by modern communication and communication technology, restaurants in various parts of the world today are more than just eating places. Their designs have incorporated diversity to be more appealing to even customers in foreign land. This is manifested in the affluent diversity of food and design being displayed currently in restaurants (Restaurant Branding and Design, 2010). For instance, the designs could be in the shapes of building that are more appealing to Asian like ancient castles to attract the Chinese community, the Arabian-style for the Arab.
Conclusion
Restaurant design is a very important aspect as it greatly determines the success of the business in terms of the customer segment attracted. The design encompasses various elements such as colors, lighting, parking space, furnishing style, general building outlook, among other things. Colors such as red and orange generate hunger hence widely used to paint most restaurants. Different designs attract different prospective customers in tem of gender, age and ethnicity.
Reference
Baraban, R. and Durocher, J. (2010).Successful Restaurant Design. San Francisco: Wiley.
Fullen, S. (2002).Restaurant design: designing, constructing & renovating a food service establishment. Florida: Atlantic Publishing Company
