Are you planning to start a restaurant or cafe?

The F&B (Food & Beverage) segment is a lucrative industry with several business opportunities now. However, running a restaurant and delighting customers enough for them to return and also spread the word is no piece of cake!

To be precise, a good F&B outlet should offer – Great food – Great service – Great Experience which makes for a Loyal Customer Base & Happy Employees and of-course, engaging Social Media content!

Eating together has been a bonding ritual among human beings since the early ages. Giving a feel of community with tasty food while creating memorable experiences. Cafes, Restaurants and Eateries are the go to place for people to indulge, enjoy and celebrate.

You know how there’s always a famous locally eatery usually located in a hidden corner of the old city. Despite which people go looking for it and it is usually on a ‘must- visit’ list somewhere on the internet. What do you think works for this place? The story? Its history? The flavor? or The experience? Clearly, it is a blend of all of these nice things that make for a memorable experience.

Generally, first time restaurant owners are enthusiastic about the type of cuisine that would be served and the interior ambiance of the space. However, there are a lot of things to consider to even begin with the interior design of the space.

First and foremost, it is important you seek help from professionals who have experience of opening and running F&B Outlets. Understanding the nuances of operations, staff management, government permits, kitchen equipment, billing softwares, etc for the place for smooth operations of the business.

Branding & Marketing is key for the digital world. Discuss your business strategy, identify your target audience, ensure your location suits your brand & strategy, set your brands identity – this is what will warrant revisits to your outlet. Set the tone for your logo and design style to be associated with your brand.

Team Work Makes the Dream Work

The Team – Your Chefs, the supporting staff, Facility Manager, Marketing & Branding Teams, Housekeeping, Security, etc are the backbone of the business. Your outlet can have the best interiors with the best quality furniture – however your customer comes there for the experience which is bland without great food and great service. Also, to keep up with social media you need a team that keeps your followers engaged and making things interesting for people.

Other Design Elements – The crockery, food presentation, table setting, take-away packaging designs and also the staff costumes have to be designed to blend well with the interiors and be a part of the experience. The Branding team can help you with all of this.

The Interior Design – This is my field of expertise. When you approach an architect or interior designer having a certain idea of all the points above will give a strong starting point and also ensure a productive first meeting. It also helps with not deviating from the core idea of your business.

Interior ambiance should ideally reflect your brand values while enhancing the experience of the food being served The theme should include the colours, wall decor, furniture, etc in line with your brands identity. Unless you are planning a fine dining restaurant, always plan for flexible furniture which can be rearranged to accommodate different number of people. Nowadays cafes and diners are popular venues for hosting events, parties etc so consider possibilities for those too.

Other Services – As part of the interior design ensure the building services such as

External LED Signage
HVAC system (Air Conditioning tonnage to be calculated by a professional)
CCTV system (With good backup and wired connectivity)
Data/Wifi service (If its a value feature of your facility)
Audio System (To be designed by a professional – make provision for a mic if you plan to rent out the space for events and gatherings)

Check out some of the F&B spaces I have had the privilege of designing