Factors Affecting Restaurant Planning and Designing
Internal Factors
i) space available
ii) budget (initial & ongoing)
iii) no. of cover
iv) target market
v) type of service
External Factors
i) market trend
ii) designer
iii) psychological effect on guest
iv) future renovation chances
v) competitor
vi) Govt. rules & regulations
Additional factors
i) Cost of repair and maintenance
ii) Equipment layout
iii) Preference of owner
iv) Division Zone (like smoking zone)
v) flow pattern
Major factors affecting Restaurant’s Planning & Designing
1. Cost/ funds in Hand:- It means that how much expenses are required or available for the making, renovation or for operating the establishment. The cost factor is always considered on the priority base and will determine the number & types of activities that can be carried out.
2. Space available:- Space is also an important criterion in restaurant planning because different types of seating arrangements require different amounts of space. The area of the space at hand will determine the number and extent of activities that can be carried out in it. Besides the shape of the space is important in planning work centers efficiently.
3. Style of Service:- Style of Service also affects your restaurant planning. Suppose you want to offer Gueridon service to the guest then it is difficult to put carpet on the restaurant floor because it creates problems in the rolling of wheels. A self-service facility will require a larger area for the display of foods. If the style of service is a buffet, the space for seating should be limited to the sides of the dining area. Similarly, in a kiosk, only a window counter is sufficient to pass on ready to serve prepared items to the customer. In a restaurant equipped for leisurely dining, at least 50-60 cms space on the table is required per person.
4. Cover:- It means how many people you are making the restaurant or the number of people or pax can be accommodated at a time in the restaurant. The number of covers always depends upon the available space in the restaurant. But it is always preferable to have the maximum utilization of the available space which can be achieved by offering different sizes of tables like- offer two, four, six or group tables in your restaurant.
5. Type of Customer:- Type of customer you are catering will have a greater impact on the type of restaurant e.g., for the elite class, fine dining is suitable a cafeteria is suitable for office goers or shoppers.
6. Number, type, and size of equipment:- The total number of meals served at any mealtime and the menu composition helps to determine the quantities of various dishes to be produced and the size and type of holding and reheating or finishing equipment necessary in the serving area. For a cafeteria Beverage equipment for hot & cold beverages, display cases for snacks, salads & deserts or hot cases for holding food before or during service, trolleys for stacking trays if it is self-service are required. For seating furniture may be fixed along the sides of dining rooms or adjustable tables may be used for seating and standing arrangements as required.
7. Man Power:- In the case of fast food & other outlets where there is a full or semi self-service style, the number of skilled staff required is less as the waiting staff has not to serve on the tables. The number of staff is determined by the number of customers to be served at one time, the composition of the menu, style of service & type of the restaurant.
8. Menu:- during the restaurant planning process, the menu is the most important factor because it works as a selling tool plus also merchandising the dishes. The menu has to be planned by the locality or target market and as per the type of restaurant you intend to plan. Its physical layout like menu paper, language, word font, etc should also match with the
restaurant’s theme.
9. Sanitation and Safety:- sanitation is related to the cleaning aspect of the restaurant. If your restaurant is carpeted, it will require more time as well as more manpower to clean it. On the other hand, if the floor has hard or marble flooring it can be easily cleaned and there is less chance of spots etc. Safety means security from various future uncertainties like fire, terrorist
attacks, etc. so the restaurants must be planned in such a way to ensure the safety & protection of the guests & staff. E.g., fire extinguishers at various places, fire alarms must be put. Emergency exits & evacuation plans must be ensured and put into place.