Restaurant atomsphere

Designing a Restaurant Atmosphere

Designing a Restaurant Atmosphere

Contents

Importance of a Good AtmosphereSight, Smell & HearingTemperature, Tempo & LandscapingExterior DesignSignsExterior LightingEntrance WayLightingColors

Tables & ChairsTable SettingsCurtains and Window ShadesPlants and FlowersWalls, Ceilings, FloorsAcoustics, MusicHuman FactorsRestaurant Design GuidelinesSize & Shape of Dining Rooms

Importance of a Good Atmosphere

DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

People are attracted to a restaurant by more than just good food. It is a place to see and be seen, not just a place to eat. Equally important is the way people feel while in the restaurant .

Atmosphere is made up of everything that makes an impression on people. The building design, decor, interior color scheme, texture of the walls, service, and the food create the atmosphere.

People want a dining experience, an escape from problems and everyday routine. The atmosphere should project a feeling of friendliness and comfort, be attractive and interestingly different. The atmosphere is remembered long after the meal is finished. For the restaurant owner this means repeat customers and, hopefully, a profitable operation .

Importance of a Good Atmosphere


Sight, Smell & Hearing


The perception of sight is a question of acceptability to the eye. Sight perception involves color, lighting, harmony, contrast, order, and space. A waitress with a dirty uniform and grease smears on the menu are sights unacceptable to the customer's eye .

Smell involves both pleasant and unpleasant odors. Smells can positively contribute to the atmosphere. The aroma of fresh brewed coffee, oven-baked bread, fresh cut flowers, and a pine scented breeze can heighten the appetite. Negative smells involve kitchen odors, body odor, garbage.

The noise level of conversations, serving staff, kitchen sounds, and music affect the atmosphere. The level of noise acceptable to the ears is a function of age. The older the age group, the less the intensity of noise which is acceptable.

Sight, Smell & Hearing


Temperature, Tempo & Landscaping


A comfortably warm room and hot food portrays a feeling of high quality, elegance and a slow leisurely meal. Fast-food restaurants needing high turnover to earn a profit usually keep the dining room temperatures cooler in the winter to encourage people to eat faster.

Atmosphere is affected by the tempo of service, length of time to produce the meal, and the time given to eat the meal. The tempo of the dining experience should correspond to the image of the restaurant. Normally, the tempo in a luxury restaurant is more leisurely than the tempo in a fast-food restaurant .

Landscaping helps provide the setting and atmosphere for the total dining experience. A well maintained and landscaped exterior attracts customers.

Temperature, Tempo & Landscaping


Exterior Design


The function of the exterior design is to attract customers and invite them in to eat. The exterior design should reflect the character of the locality, but be different enough to attract attention.

People are naturally suspicious and hesitant upon entering a new restaurant. They are looking for some indication, either positive or negative, as to the quality of the restaurant before they enter.

Signs, parking area, landscaping, design and color of the building, windows, curtains, view of the inside, lighting, flowers or plants, and type of door will all be closely scrutinized.

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Exterior Design


Fine Dining Exterior: May suggest exclusiveness with a traditional façade and a modest sign. The emphasis is on elegance and good taste. Windows should be usually draped to provide privacy. The main feature of awareness is an impressive entrance and a sophisticated menu display and may be, staff in attendance.

Café Exterior: Large windows to show the style.

Restaurants catering to children and young families often use bright colors on the exterior to attract attention. Bright colors reflect a happy, friendly, comfortable feeling, and indicate that families are welcome.

Quick Service (fast food) Exterior: Entrance should be large and open, as well as the windows to create a visual link between the exterior and the counter. (because chain restaurants rely on brand identification).

Exterior Design


Signs


A good sign should indicate at least four things. First, it should indicate "this is a restaurant“.

Second, a good sign should indicate the type of food and service that is being offered.

A third piece of needed information is the price range. The sign should not necessarily specify an exact Turkish Liras or dollar price range, but by means of its style, color, size, and shape, it should indicate an approximate price range. The use of the words "cafe," “kebap," "restaurant" each project a different image and price range.

Families often eat together. The fourth item a sign should indicate is the type of customer the restaurant caters to. Families need to know if children are welcome.

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Signs


The sign should be chosen carefully. The style, design, and color of the sign should follow the same theme as the interior and exterior of the restaurant. Signs should be simple with a minimal amount of wording. The letters should be large enough to be read from at least 50 m. The most effective signs are simple and brief.

In locations where many signs are competing for viewer attention, the design becomes even more important. Signs should be eye catching, and unique.

If there are eight rectangular signs in a 200 m. stretch of road, the chances are small that any one of them will be read. But one oval sign among seven rectangular ones will draw attention to the oval sign. Attention can be drawn to a sign by varying the size, shape, color, construction material, height, lighting, or style of printing.

Signs


Exterior Lighting


Proper outside lighting can add texture, charm, and beauty to a building and landscape, can make the restaurant more eye-catching and can invite customers in.

The intensity and style of light fixtures must also harmonize with the desired atmosphere. Its placement needs careful consideration.

Signs, architectural highlights, entrance ways, and parking areas need to be especially well lighted. At night lighting should provide safety by illuminating steps, sidewalks, and other hazards. It should also provide a sense of security.

Exterior Lighting


Entrance Way


The entrance to the restaurant should be unmistakably visible to even the casual passerby. There should be absolutely no doubt as to where the entrance door is located.

The entrance area is the customer's first and last view of the interior. People will naturally be critical on entering the restaurant for the first time. They will notice the type of decor, the windows, walls, floor covering, lights, pictures, and the inside view.

When the dining room is full, the entrance area serves as a waiting area, so carefully plan and maintain the entrance area.

Entrance Way


Lighting


The use of natural light during the day is always preferable: This saves money, has psychological benefits and allows color discernment.

Artificial lighting is usually the least planned element of the atmosphere A restaurant needs varying levels of light intensity. Bright lights are needed by the staff for cleaning the dining area. The breakfast trade desires a moderately high level of lighting to keep them awake and allow for the reading of the morning newspaper.

A moderate level of lighting is needed at noon to stimulate a fast turnover of customers.

A low intensity of light creates a leisurely, intimate atmosphere conducive to evening dining. To create these atmospheres, use a rheostat to control the lighting.

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Lighting


Young people are attracted by low levels of lighting. As people grow older, their eyesight generally deteriorates and brighter lighting is required.

Low levels of lighting are generally associated with higher prices and high quality service. Candlelight develops an excellent mood and intense atmosphere. The red flame enhances and flatters people's appearances, and makes most foods appear more appetizing

Lighting can create the “mood of a space”. Direct lighting (halogen bulbs) is effective for food display areas such as salad bars and sea food. Indirect lighting (reflection to wall or ceiling) creates small shadow patterns that feel friendly. When people look good and feel attractive, they tend to return for repeat visit. Effective lighting most crucial element is balance. If a room is too bright, too soft, too deeply shadowed, or too homogeneously lit, it won’t feel comfortable.

Lighting


Colors DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

Dining room color combinations can make people hungry, depressed, happy, agitated, eat fast, or eat leisurely. Changing the color scheme of a dining room can noticeably increase (or decrease) business. Color can be used to change the shape and add interest to the rooms.

Green & Blue: Cool colors. Calms and relaxes excited people. Makes time seem to pass quickly. Tends to encourage conversation, most suitable for small areas, hot climate and daytime use. Sometimes negative affects on food display.

Red: Suggests passion, excites, stimulates, can be used for food display, enhances the skin. Should be used in small areas because makes the room smaller. Red & Black is a classical combination. Enhances the appetite. Makes time seem to pass more slowly .

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Yellow: Cheerful. Feeling of warmth. Boosts morale. Suggests sunlight, particularly appropriated for breakfast areas.

White: White walls in fine dining areas are psychologically negative and uninviting, but colored walls stimulate food sales. White is very effective when harmonized with other colors. White walls encourages turnover in fast food units .

Violet & Purple: Tends to lend elegance and sophistication. Royal.

Orange: Friendly, Brown: Relaxing, Gray: Depressing

A single solid color in a room is monotonous and boring. Use a mixture of warm and cool colors. Two opposite colors on the color wheel, such as green and red or yellow and violet results in a very pleasing combination.

Tables & Chairs DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

Round Tables are very popular for fine dining room because it allows guests to converse with all other guests seated at the table without difficulty. Square & Rectangular tables can accommodate groups, when the tables are pushed together. Fixed banquette seating gives a sense of privacy. Type of seating used depends upon your needs and space optimization (see the graph below) :

Type of Dining Room Tables for 2 Tables for 4 or more

Schools Cafeteria 30 % 70 %

Business Restaurant 60 % 40 %

Family Restaurant 25 % 75 %

Hotel Restaurant 60 % 40 %

Cafe, Tearoom 80 % 20 %


Since they are the first things noticed by the customer upon entering the front door, tables & chairs must reflect the desired theme and atmosphere. The customer also expects comfort, quality, and beauty in furnishings. At the same time, the restaurant owner wants furnishings that are durable, reflective of the restaurant's character and theme, low cost, and space saving.

The type of seating and the layout of the tables and chairs are just as important in creating the proper atmosphere as the softness of the seats.

Proper positioning of tables can mean more efficient use of dining room space. By positioning the tables in diagonal rather than square formation, more seating per square foot can be obtained .

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Table Settings


The silverware, dishes, glasses, napkins, tablecloths, and salt and pepper shakers must enhance the dining room atmosphere and show the overall quality of the operation. (Napkins Linen can still give the feel of fine dining without the extra expense of table cloth).

An old fashioned silverware pattern would destroy the atmosphere created by modern decor. The silverware should feel and look right when held in the hand.

Remember, while sitting at the table the customer comes into the closest contact with the feel of the atmosphere. Remember, while sitting at the table the customer comes into the closest contact with the feel of the atmosphere.

Table Settings


Curtains and Window Shades


Curtains and window shades are both functional and decorative. They offer a sense of privacy and protection from the sun. Available in many textures, patterns, and colors, window treatments combine to give a feeling of warmth and coziness.

Fit large windows with insulating curtains to conserve heat in the winter and lower the cost of air conditioning in summer.

They should complement the architectural style and theme of the restaurant and can relieve the monotony of the shape

of the room. The color, style, and material of curtains must enhance the atmosphere, but not draw undue attention.

Curtains and Window Shades


Plants and Flowers


Flowers and plants used as decoration in restaurants can add color and variation. Fresh-cut flower arrangements used to be commonly placed on tables as decoration. They are seldom used now, but can bring a personal touch of freshness if the flowers are simply arranged and regularly replaced before wilting.

Large potted plants are becoming increasingly popular both as decoration and as a screen to divide a room into smaller, intimate areas. They also absorb sound to quiet a noisy room.

By careful selection and arrangement, flowers can blend into the decor and add to the total feeling of the room without becoming the center of interest. The most tasteful arrangements use only two or three bold colors and either blend or contrast them with the color scheme of the room.

Plants and Flowers


Walls DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

Wall accessories (pictures, prints, photographs, sculpture, mirrors, clocks, antiques) and other accessories can contribute and enhance the overall atmosphere of a restaurant. When acquiring accessories, the shape of the accessory, in relation to the wall or area in which they will be displayed, must be considered. A cluster of small accessories would be more favorable on a small wall than one or two large decorative pieces.

The accessories should not call attention to themselves, but relate and contribute to the general theme of the restaurant. They can successfully add to the general atmosphere if they contain the color, pattern, and subject of the total design scheme.

The number of accessories to use depends on the type of atmosphere desired. To reduce theft, securely bolt down all pictures and decor items.

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Painting is the cheapest way to decorate walls, but the surface must be in good condition before painting. When painting, several different wall finishes are available (tippling, scumbling).

Wallpaper can liven up a room and change its proportions. It is also a good way to cover rough, cracked walls. It can also unify the theme of the restaurant. Large rooms appear at their best when using wallpaper with large patterns. Small patterns should be used in small rooms. A room with heavily patterned wallpaper will appear more crowded and less intimate than one with solid color walls. For this reason often only one wall is papered while the remaining walls are painted.

Wall coverings: Wood is an extremely versatile and varied wall covering material. The inherent beauty of wood creates a luxurious, warm atmosphere. Tile, cork, terrazzo, draperies, brick, stone, and plaster are other wall coverings that can change the feeling of a room and set the desired atmosphere.

Ceilings DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

Historically ceilings were very ornately decorated with intricate patterns and designs. Today ceilings are often neglected, large blank surfaces. However, much can be done with ceilings to complement the theme and decor of a restaurant. The previous discussion on wall treatments equally applies to ceilings

Height: 2,5m (minimum), for small areas, creates sense of oppression in large areas. Difficulties may arise in ventilation and air distribution. 3m. Appropriate for small to average size room. 3,5m and more, produce impersonal space, may give a sense of grandeur and occasion (banquet)

Create interest in the ceiling by painting patterns, ovals, and other shapes on it. An especially effective technique is to repeat the floor pattern on the ceiling. A simplified version of the carpet design can be painted on the ceiling. This has a unifying effect and strengthens the atmosphere.

Ceilings DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

Floors DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

Everyone entering a restaurant has direct contact with the floor. Customers consciously look at the floor to see how clean it is. The color, texture, material, and design of the flooring must complement the total atmosphere of the restaurant. It must blend in with and add to the theme of the restaurant without calling attention to itself.

Carpeting is widely used today in all types of restaurants. The addition of carpeting tends to upgrade a restaurant and attract a higher income clientele. It adds warmth and a sense of luxury as well as deadening sound.

Carpeting will usually have a more comfortable feeling if it is of a darker color than the surrounding walls. In general, the color of the carpet and walls should be from the same color family.

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Vinyl floor tiling is available in a myriad of styles, sizes. Advantages of resilient tiles are its durability, economy, ease of installation, and simple maintenance. Many fast-food hamburger chains use ceramic tile flooring because of their easy maintenance and extreme durability. The noise from walking on ceramic tile creates an exciting atmosphere. The disadvantages of ceramic tile are its initial cost and the commitment to one type of flooring for the life of the building.

Terrazzo is a flooring material made from chips of marble, onyx, or other rock embedded in cement or certain chemical compounds. It is usually poured in place and ground and polished to a uniformly textured surface. A terrazzo floor is extremely durable and permanent. It requires very little maintenance. Terrazzo is ideal for heavy traffic areas and where customer turnover is high. Many fast-food restaurants have terrazzo floors.

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The natural beauty of wood flooring offers many, variations in color and pattern. Although wooden flooring requires more maintenance and is noisier than other types of floor coverings, its beauty can be a major contributor to developing the atmosphere.

Wood flooring is available in four forms: strip, plank, parquet, and fabricated wood blocks. Wood flooring can be finished in different ways. They can be stained, bleached, streaked, varnished, waxed, or painted.

The durability of brick, slate, and stone makes their use as flooring well suited for high traffic areas such as entrance ways. The charm of such flooring materials can add measurably to the atmosphere. As in tiling and terrazzo flooring, customers' footsteps will be more noticeable than on carpeting. Also the permanence and initial high cost must be considered.

Acoustics DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

The sounds of a restaurant are part of its atmosphere. Kitchen noises, customer voices (talking, laughing), traffic noises, and dish bussing all add to the atmosphere.

Noise in a dining area is not always undesirable. People who work in quiet places, or are lonely, may seek out noisy restaurants. Business people will sometimes seek a noisy restaurant to conduct business so they will not be overheard.

A noisy surrounding can create a special atmosphere which sets people at ease and stimulates people and makes them eat faster. However, before changing the sound patterns of your restaurant know your customers' needs.

Acoustics DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

Music DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

A good music system, proper musical selection and proper volume have a positive effect on the success of a restaurant. An inadequate sound system can be a major factor in the failure of a restaurant .

The correct type of background music (slightly louder than the ambient sound) puts customers in a good mood and helps make the staff more relaxed and efficient.

Foreground music, loud enough to be easily heard over the ambient sound of the room without interrupting conversation, is used in most type of cafes. Recreational music, loud enough to dominate the atmosphere of the room is used for bars and discotheques. The higher alcohol sales in a restaurant, the greater the customers toleration and need for louder music.

Music DESIGNING A RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

Restaurant Design Guidelines


Existing Location: The key to designing this location on a budget is to use existing features and avoid extensive remodeling. Do not be concentrated about doing something unusual with every surface of the dining room service.

Concentrate on one item or area that could be developed into a focal point, spend some money there. Track lighting can be used to emphasize the chosen local point. Focal points could be a grouping of plants, a wall with various types of art, an exposed kitchen.

A new location can be designed with a similar philosophy. The difference is that the restaurant owner must create the feature that will become the focal point.

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Restaurant Design Guidelines


Avoid exaggerations: One problem encountered with overdone, exaggerated theme designs and decors, is that they can detract from the food and the customer’s dining experience with a visual overload. The customer may be initially impressed with the decor, but in the majority of case, this is not what will bring them back.

Emphasize activities over design: Customers today desire casual, open restaurants that allow them to see, and to be seen, to be part of something fun and exciting. Rather than making the design the main emphasis, many operators today make the activities taking place in the restaurant the attraction. For this reason, exposed kitchens have become popular. Customers enjoy seeing cooks preparing their food. It gives them something to talk about, something to look at

Size & Shape of Dining Rooms


Type ofRestaurant

RestaurantSeating (m²)

Servery or Bar (m²)

Food production & storage (m²)

CloakroomToilets, etc (m²)

High standard,Traditional Restaurant (80 seats)

2,0 1,2 0,9 0,3

Café, Tea-RoomMid-Market (100 seats)

1,6 0,2 0,6 0,2

Cafeteria, Counter,Self Service (140 seats)

1,4 0,4 0,4 0,15

Popular familyRestaurants (100 seats)

1,2 0,4 0,2

Fast-Food unit(50 seats)

0,8 0,6 0,8 0,3

Other Restaurant Sea tings:Banquet: 0,90 m² - 1,00 m²Bar (50% seated): 1,10 m² - 1,40 m²Bar (25% seated): 0,60 m² - 0,90 m²Close Seating (discotheques, clubs): 0,60 m² - 0,90 m²Exercise: Calculate the number of seats in a café (200 m²)

THANK YOU……. THANK YOU…….

Yamini SoniYamini Soni

Restaurant atomsphere

Design

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