| Planning the layout of your restaurant can make | | | | a catalogue. Always go and see the furniture in |
| or break your business. It decides how many | | | | person or ask for a sample so you can see it in |
| customers you can serve at any one time, | | | | situ. Some furniture styles are bigger and bulkier |
| influences the quality of the service and allows | | | | than others and will take up far more room than |
| you to accommodate different groups of people. | | | | you expected. This can throw your best-laid plans |
| The furniture you choose is central to the layout | | | | into chaos as you realise free space between |
| so must be considered right from the start. | | | | tables has shrunk and the restaurant now has a |
| Of course you need to fit as many customers in | | | | cluttered, claustrophobic feel. |
| as possible, but that's not to say you should leave | | | | Using the corners of rooms. A lot of restaurants, |
| a cramped atmosphere. This will displease | | | | especially those with angular bars or interior |
| customers and stop them coming back to your | | | | partitions, find it difficult to use the corners to |
| restaurant - they might even complain about the | | | | their maximum potential. You don't want to cram |
| lack of space. Find a happy medium that lets you | | | | any poor diners in there and make them face a |
| utilise all the space well. This includes: | | | | wall at close proximity, but you don't want to |
| Leaving space for essentials like the bar, the | | | | leave the space open because then it's wasted. |
| waitress station and enough room between tables | | | | One solution is to use a large, circular table in the |
| for waitresses to get through without bumping | | | | corner and utilise the space for groups. This |
| into each other. This allows your staff to work in | | | | means that someone is sat right in the corner but |
| an efficient manner and keeps your customers | | | | no-one actually faces the wall. |
| happy. If you make life difficult for staff thanks | | | | Finally, planning all the little details that make dining |
| to a poor restaurant layout they'll work slower | | | | in your restaurant convenient and pleasurable. A |
| and make more mistakes. | | | | coat stand by the entrance for example where |
| Buying multifunctional furniture. This lets you | | | | people can hang their coats and umbrellas, bag |
| accommodate varying party sizes easily, from a | | | | hooks underneath the tables so diners know their |
| single diner by themselves to large corporate | | | | belongings are safe and clearly signposted |
| groups. Many types of furniture can achieve this, | | | | bathrooms that are easy to find and easily |
| two of which are modular styles and also folding | | | | accessible. A good space around the bar if diners |
| furniture. Single diners especially can take up a lot | | | | have to pay here is also a good idea, otherwise |
| of room without making you a lot of money, so | | | | you'll have to deal with queues forming that get in |
| it's very useful to have smaller furniture options | | | | everyone's way. All these things just make the |
| for them. | | | | dining experience nicer and will keep people |
| Not relying on contract furniture measurements in | | | | coming back again and again. |