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If we look at the history of humans, we will find that there were a few things that would always unite us. Music, dance, and storytelling were one of those means where people would gather around elders to hear their stories and wisdom. One other thing that appears to unite us all is food. The act of hunting, gathering, and then sitting down and eating a meal together was one of the first few things that helped to unite us and eventually settle down and create civilizations. Now in the 21t century, you will find us living differently, but food still happens to remain one of the constants that brings us together, be it at the dinner table, at a barbecue, or just a restaurant.
Restaurants were once very scarce and would not be as common, and it would be reserved for just the rich at first, now the food sector is considered to be a profitable venture for most people. The restaurant and service industry alone pulls in billions in profit every year overall. This of course has led to a lot of people thinking that they can open a restaurant, café, or bar of their own. Now one mistake a lot of people make here is that they do not anticipate just how competitive the restaurant industry can be. Yes, there was once a time when there wasn’t a lot of variety in terms of food, and different people coming in from different parts of the world would open restaurants of their own, and this was how people started experiencing different kinds of cultures.
Of course, times have changed now and the restaurant market has now become saturated and competition has only gotten worse. A lot of food businesses that open up end up having to go bankrupt after the first year and more. Now if you are looking to create a name for yourself in the food world, then you should mentally prepare yourself for the hardship that will ensue. It is not an easy job, and it can get very difficult to handle and micromanage different things like inventory, restaurant furniture, and setup, fresh produce, management, marketing, customer service, and of course making sure that the food itself tastes consistently good every time.
If you want to get started on building your restaurant from the ground up, you first need to think about your restaurant’s concept. You want to ask yourself what exactly you plan on serving, and how do you want that to be shown in your restaurant design and setup. For example, if you want to open a deli or diner-style restaurant then your setup will be remarkably different from a grab and go or even a fine dining restaurant. For instance, some people only rent a small space for their restaurant and have no more than 4-5 tables at a time, which in turn helps to manage a smaller crowd, and also encourages people to get takeaway.
For the sake of this article, we will be focusing mostly on your restaurant’s furniture and design so that you can be sure to get the look and feel right and work on your menu development yourself. The next thing you want to consider when you are at the beginning of planning your restaurant is the theme and target customers. Now, this is where you will have to do a little extra research. Each age demographic has a different effect on a restaurant’s profit, so you will have to look into how different age demographics can work for your restaurant. Your restaurant’s theme will also play into your customer’s age demographic, for instance very picturesque and “aesthetic” cafes and restaurants usually attract teenagers and young adults, whereas restaurants that seem more homely will attract families and older people and so on. So your restaurant’s theme should complement the color, décor, and overall design for your restaurant. A clash between any of these three with your theme will end up creating a bad look, so consistency is key, plus it adds for a neater look overall.
When we move on to the actual furniture for your restaurant then you need to once again consult your restaurant’s concept and theme. So if you are going for a coffee shop then you can opt for small sofas or simple chairs and tables, and if you are going for a diner-style restaurant then you will want to make sure that you have padded family sofas and tables along with barstools and so on. In case we have not been clear enough already, you want every aspect of your restaurant setup to look consistent and there should be continuity.
When we are talking about restaurant furniture then you need to make sure that your furniture is both durable and comfortable. Do not opt for furniture, colors, and fabrics or materials that you know will wear out quickly because it will end up costing you double to replace everything sooner than you expected. For instance, if you have a family-style restaurant, avoid going for light-colored fabrics and furniture since you will most like have lots of children coming in as well and it can get messy really fast. So you want your furniture to be able to withstand a multitude of people of all shapes and sizes coming in and using them throughout the entire day, and you want to be able to clean quickly or else you will end up wasting both time and money getting rid of stains.
Comfortable furniture is also necessary because you can end up losing a lot of potential customers that want to come but find the furniture uncomfortable or painful even. So if you want to make sure that you are having all kinds of people coming in, making your furniture a little more comfortable and ergonomically friendly can make a world of a difference. You should hire a designer or consultant to assist you throughout different phases of your planning and setup since they can give you valuable advice and show you where you can find the things you need.
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