The 5 Steps to planning your restaurant space
Identify the main spaces you have to plan
Start with the kitchen
The reason we start with the kitchen is because its where all the money is. failing to plan a proper kitchen space is planning to fail at a restaurant. You need to put in the most thought towards two main things. The food and where to eat. By properly planning a kitchen workspace, this ensures that workflow can be optimized to fully function at highspeed with numerous things happening at the same time. Also keeping in mind what type of restaurant you are planning for. A buffet style restaurant wont have the same style kitchen placement or layout as a fine dining or a hotpot style restaurant.
Follow with restrooms
Rest rooms are more important than people give credit, the reason why we've put it in second to plan is because you want the kitchen and restrooms to be nicely spaced apart from eachother but also be close enough so that plumbing costs do not escalate.
Add in a bar and/or countertop
[gallery ids="476,478" type="rectangular"]
Whether you choose a bar for sitting or for alcohol beverages or just a countertop along with a cashier. These are next in line to consider whilst planning the layout of your restaurant floor plan. Imagine your restaurant, think of the food you serve or the theme of the restaurant. If your place is fine dining, having a bar area will add value and create a space for you to be able to entertain more customers and provide a place for guests to wait for their table. If you serve food you can eat with your hands, having a counter may be handy for those who want takeaway and need a place to wait for it.
Plan the dining space
Now that we've got the top three essentials, though the actual seating is an essential too; it's time to add in the dining space and seating. The reason why it isn't top priority is because seating is the most flexible. There isn't a set rule for seating though keep in
mind that the more personal space you provide your customers to dine, the more higher end your restaurant is. We suggest utilizing the rest of the space in your restaurant by adding in booth like or sofa bench tables against the wall, circle tables in the middle and square tables near the window. Also keep in mind that you also want to have "best seats in the house" available as well as a nook for those who would like their privacy. If you still have the space available its not at a loss to also have a "VIP" room for when guests would like to host a private event for parties or get together dinners
End with the entrance and exit area
Now being the least flexible as the entrance and exit are more to do with the building rather than the floor, we've put these last. The reason why they are included is because the entrance and exit are the first and last impressions that is left with the customers. Make sure to leave enough space to include a waiting area that is spacious enough that people don't crowd over the reception or whilst waiting for staff to seat them. Having a clear entrance/exit area is also important that a "people jam" isn't created when those who have just arrived and those who are leaving cross paths.
We hope that our tips help with your floor planning!