Dining out is more than just having a meal – it’s about the experience. That’s why, as a restaurant owner, you need to truly focus on the full experience your customers are getting when they step into your establishment.
More than just an exciting menu and delicious dishes, you need to offer a unique and enjoyable experience, so your patrons have a good time and come back again and again. Not sure how to achieve that? This article will offer you just a few ideas for how you can elevate the customer experience.
Interior Design
When you’re going out to eat, you’re often looking to break away from the same old scene of your kitchen table or eating a microwaved meal in front of the TV.
That’s why creating an amazing vibe in your restaurant is important. Picking some kind of theme and giving everything you’ve got to your interior design will always work in your favour. Whether you go for a sophisticated, expensive, and elegant look, or a more rustic, farmhouse style, make sure you commit to a theme and colour palette so that everything feels cohesive.
Special Touches and Enhancements
It’s those little added extras that can make things feel just a bit more special, isn’t it? That’s why those special touches are something you should consider including in your restaurant.
Small details could include providing custom napkins with your logo on them. Put a little extra effort and money into your menus with wooden or fabric covers, instead of just printing and laminating them. Incorporate a feature wall somewhere in your space where patrons can take a photograph to remember their experience, or serve freshly baked cookies with coffee orders!
Furniture and Seating
Your guests will always want to be comfortable. Aside from looking good and aligning with your restaurant’s overall theme, your tables and chairs need to be comfy and laid out in a way that makes sense.
Make sure you have space for both intimate settings and larger groups. Additionally, having different seating options can really work in your favour. For example, traditional dining tables and chairs can be accompanied with a more relaxed option of a comfy bench or sofa and a low table, for guests who might simply want to enjoy a drink.
Lighting
There’s a lot to be said for lighting, especially in a restaurant. Interior designers and decorators know that lighting can be used to create different moods and feelings in a room, as well as serving a functional purpose.
Consider what type of atmosphere you’re trying to create in your restaurant. A bright and cheerful coffee shop will want to take full advantage of natural lighting with big windows. On the other hand, a more elegant and romantic mood can be achieved with dim lights and candles set on tables and around the space. You might even consider string lights or lanterns.
Music and Sound
Background music is crucial to consider, and you’ll need to think about the type of music you want to play, as well as the volume at which you play it!
Dead silence never works well in a social setting, but you won’t want the music to be so loud that guests can’t enjoy a conversation. However, an upbeat vibe at a pub-type restaurant might call for a higher volume or even a live musician. A friendly café might play modern radio hits, while a more upscale dinner place should rather consider instrumental jazz or classical music.
Temperature and Ventilation
You’ll also need to consider your guests’ comfort in terms of the temperature! Maintaining a comfortable room temperature is important. Make sure to monitor the heating, and consider installing a fireplace for the evenings if your restaurant is particularly cold – or opening doors and windows for fresh air if the opposite is true!
Don’t forget about ventilation. While the smell of delicious food can be alluring, you don’t want the smell of smoke coming from the kitchen to disturb your guests or cause any coughing.
Cleanliness and Maintenance
Of course, a well-designed and perfectly decorated restaurant is no good if it isn’t kept clean and tidy. Any business should prioritise cleanliness, but this is especially true in the food and beverage industry.
Make sure that your restaurant is well-maintained and that the building is properly looked after. Cracked tiles and bad painting jobs aren’t going to cut it! You also need to ensure that a strict cleaning protocol is implemented in the kitchens, bathrooms, and dining areas. Bathrooms should also be monitored and cleaned up regularly throughout the day to ensure a pleasant experience for guests.
Speed of service
Another thing that will improve the customer experience at your restaurant is how fast you serve customers. Serving more customers faster is also beneficial to you, because it will boost daily profits.
You can speed up service by using technology such as a restaurant POS system that can enable you to quickly accept orders and payment without missing a beat.
