| The saying goes "You only get one chance to | | | | to find the restaurant closed. A tasteful open and |
| make a first impression" people keep saying this | | | | closed sign integrated into the design is an even |
| because it is true and not just for people but for | | | | better than idea. Passive signals sent by lighting is |
| everything else as well including restaurants. A | | | | also a possibility but can be dangerous if blinds are |
| great restaurant exterior will not only make a | | | | used to shield the interior from morning or |
| good first impression but also not present any | | | | afternoon sunlight, and should be avoided. |
| barriers to patrons entering. A great exterior | | | | 5. Parking must be provided near the entrance |
| makes a restaurant easy to find and easy to get | | | | and in sufficient quantity relative to the seating |
| into the first steps to getting customers to come | | | | inside. In almost any city it is possible to find |
| back. Follow these 10 tips to have a great | | | | restaurant buildings that are great facilities, but |
| restaurant exterior. | | | | never seem to stay in business long. This is |
| | | | almost always due to insufficient or inconvenient |
| 1. Have a clearly defined entrance. The front door, | | | | parking. The amount of parking required will vary |
| the place where you expect people to come in | | | | based on whether the restaurant is in an urban or |
| and out should be clear. Many times restaurants | | | | suburban location, but in all cases some parking will |
| that take space in strip malls will have 2 or more | | | | be required and it must be convenient to the |
| doors, because the building shell was not designed | | | | entrance. There are many successful urban |
| with a specific tenant in mind, remove these | | | | restaurant with all parking provided for on the |
| unused door. If a door is required as an exit | | | | street, but in all cases the street parking is not |
| remove the exterior handles and any other clue | | | | difficult to find by the standards of the city. Urban |
| to potential patrons that this is an entrance. The | | | | neighborhoods that are under-parked will handicap |
| entrance should be more than just a door in a | | | | any local restaurant. Suburban restaurants will |
| wall an Architectural feature should act as a | | | | most likely have parking lots adjacent to the |
| designation of entrance. This could be many | | | | building these lots need to be large enough and |
| different things, the door could be inset or pushed | | | | the walk from the lot must easy. |
| out, a canopy over the door could provide or | | | | 6. The front entrance must allow for drop off and |
| wing wall could flank the sides of the door. You | | | | pickup. Whether the restaurant will have valet |
| are only limited by your imagination. | | | | parking or not space for pickup and drop should |
| 2. Provide shelter at the entrance. The weather is | | | | be provided. People will pull up near the entrance |
| not always good and the well designed entrance | | | | to pickup or drop off people whether it is planned |
| will start to give shelter to patrons before | | | | for or not. If it is not planned for then this will |
| entering the restaurant. This has several practical | | | | cause a temporary halt to parking lot or street |
| impacts. People will not be rushing through the | | | | traffic. The halt to traffic will irritate patrons. |
| doors when it is raining, they will be able to | | | | 7. Carefully locate the service area so as to |
| approach the entrance get out of the rain and | | | | minimize odors. Restaurants will produce food |
| stop to shake off before using the doors, | | | | waste and it will smell. A restaurant will have an |
| minimizing accidents. It also provides a place for | | | | outdoor service area where waste is stored prior |
| people to stand outside while waiting for a friend | | | | to pickup this must be located with care so as |
| to pick them up. | | | | not to offend the patrons. |
| 3. Have doors that are easy to open and easy to | | | | 8. Design Landscaping with maintenance in mind. |
| get through. Most restaurants have double doors | | | | Maintaining landscaping can be time-consuming and |
| at the entrance and many times only one door is | | | | expensive, be realistic about how much time and |
| unlocked, people approach one of the doors grab | | | | effort this will take. Plantings full of weeds in front |
| the handle and pull only to find the door | | | | of a restaurant send a strong signal that the |
| immovable. This totally defeats the purpose of | | | | facility is not well-kept and will be a turn off to |
| having a double door, unlock both doors or have | | | | potential patrons. |
| only one wide door. Most restaurant doors will | | | | 9. Outdoor seating is nice to have but do not |
| have automatic door closing devices know as | | | | depend on it for consistent use. Eating |
| closers. Keep these adjusted to the minimal | | | | out-of-doors can be very pleasant and give a |
| allowable pull force force, 8.5 pounds of force in | | | | restaurant nice ambiance but these seat can be |
| the US. | | | | taken out of commission but the weather. It is |
| 4. Be clearly open or clearly closed. Not all | | | | not only rain that can do this also wind and heat |
| restaurants are open all day, some are dinner | | | | will discourage the use of outdoor seating. |
| only, some are lunch and dinner and some are | | | | 10. Your sign should have a shape. The restaurant |
| breakfast only. A restaurant should clearly indicate | | | | sign should have a distinctive outline. From a |
| the hours of operation. The hours should be | | | | distance the silhouette of the sign will be the first |
| posted to be seen from the parking lot. A lot of | | | | thing visible a good sign will start building |
| bad feeling will be generated in potential patrons if | | | | recognition at the first sighting. |
| they are forced to walk up to the front door only | | | | |