Designing the Small Restaurant

 

The space at the city center comes with a premium tag price. This is why most businesses today have to start with compact space. For instance, the space in New York City can range from $99 per foot in areas such as Queens and can massively increase to $2,500/sq. Ft. on Central Park. This has dictated the amount of space that the entrepreneur can afford. However, having a compact space for a restaurant is not necessarily bad. They can be a place that emanates intimacy, creating a more desirable business. A small restaurant also allows you to manage the overhead cost such as the electricity and rent.

 

Tips in Designing a Small Restaurant

 

Nonetheless, you also need to be aware that there is a massive difference between intimate space and a cramped and uncomfortable space. The trick behind making a personal space is to take a tight space and turn it into a place of comfort. These are some essential tips that can help you.

 

Planning Stage

 

The optimization of the restaurant space will start from the early phase of planning. When planning the restaurant's layout, it is imperative to get the proper ratio of the back and the front of your establishment. Frequently, the owners will be tempted to construct a larger kitchen. It is just too easy to put a significant amount of space in the kitchen since most of us think it is where the activity happens. However, the space you provide in your kitchen is a space taken away from the dining area, reducing the opportunity to make a profit. Most professional architects will recommend you to allocate 2/3 of the space to the dining area and 1/3 to the kitchen. The small restaurant with fast service can follow the 1:4 ratio.

 

Organizing

 

The proper arrangement is one of the keys to creating an intimate restaurant. Make sure that everything will be set in its proper place. Hanging racks and shelves would be an ideal way to save space. You may also divide the station of your small restaurant, which will allow every staff to have their designated area. This method will be able to minimize kitchen traffic. Determining your offerings in the menu can also reduce the amount of space needed to prepare the meal. You may also decrease the number of ingredients necessary to store.

 

Decorations

 

Some effective tricks can make your tight space appear larger. By applying the right colors to your wall, you will make the walls appear elongated. You may also direct the attention of your customer elsewhere rather than paying attention to the tight space. You can do this by adding wallpaper to the ceiling. Just make sure that you will find wallpaper that complements the theme of your small restaurant. You may also utilize mirrors to make your restaurant appear bigger.

 

Other things that you need to pay attention to when creating an intimate restaurant would be your restaurant furniture. Find something that doesn't have arms, such as stools. Chairs can create flexibility for your small restaurant and free some space for your customers.