It can be daunting to open a restaurant, but did you know that there are a few factors that play a part in whether your restaurant is a success or a failure? It doesn’t matter how attentive the staff are to the needs of the customers if the food and drinks that you are serving do not meet the expectations of the customers. In this case, you are going to be under pressure every day because there is no telling who might walk in. A restaurant’s most valuable secret weapon to bring in happy customers is interior design. How the aesthetic of a restaurant is communicating to the visitors should be a critical part of the brand image. If your customers are loving the vibes, then they are going to share their experience with others which will bring in more customers over time.
Word of Mouth Power
The word of mouth marketing is more visual now and just one Instagram post from a respected source is more convincing than these paid ads are. Don’t forget that Instagram has over 850 million active users a month and 80 percent of those are following businesses and 50 percent discovering businesses for the first time using Instagram. Having even a photo from an influential account can attract new customers so you need to consider how viable the restaurant’s aesthetic is for visual marketing channels like on social media.
Consumers are discovering businesses through social media and believing the feedback from their peers rather than the ads, so you need to enable some influential customers to take pictures and write good feedback about visiting your restaurant.
Aesthetics in Line With Your Brand
When you start theorising your desired aesthetics with architects and designers you must be basing your decisions around the different values of your restaurant and the customers that you are wanting to attract in. Some architects and designers also work in brand strategy which helps to connect your brand with the space. A good interior design that is paired with great customer service and delicious meals leads to being able to gain a strong social media following, one that expands from different locations and will establish itself as the go-to place.
The Accessories Will Speak Volumes
The accessories you choose for your restaurant are not just there for decoration. They are showing status and personality. The furniture and accessories that you choose will identify the space, such as its cultural and social purpose, as well as transmitting your identity to the audience. Sydney restaurant The Boatshed underwent a complete restoration of the building and interior fit-out with inspiration taken from the original use of the building. To do this, architects worked closely with designers to ensure the entire space had a seamless design aesthetic and customer experience. You want to be investing in your restaurant’s details so they can reflect the desired persona of the restaurant whether it be fancy, casual, hybrid or fast.
The Lighting
The lighting that you choose will depend on what theme you are choosing for your restaurant and what emotions you are hoping to achieve. Natural lighting is the best way as it offers psychological benefits and the studies have shown that people who are exposed to the natural lighting will show off signs of improved acuity and mood, whereas artificial lights will show higher levels of metabolic and stress activity.
Neon signs are a great way to add flair to your interior design and allow the guests to share something with their friends and family. It is a great way to showcase the personality of your restaurant and encourage patrons to post pictures on social media.
Knowing Your Target Consumer
Restaurants are social spaces that can bring people together. It doesn’t matter if they are using your area to meet friends, have a business meeting or even just unwinding after a busy day at work. Your space needs to communicate the customers’ behaviours and be neutral to the happy customers, the upset or down customers and the ones who are tired and just want to unwind.
It is most important to invest in interior design that is right for your restaurant but ensure you research what is best for your theme and what you are wanting to gain from it.
