Sunday, November 18, 2012

How critical are the Interiors for a Restaurant?


Most people would agree that it is reasonably important. My assessment is that it is actually very critical – much more critical than you can imagine. Again the exact look and feel would vary depending on your concept and your price-point. The trouble with interiors is that getting a great look is very difficult and is not really dependent on the amount of money you spend. 

As an analogy, I have seen several of my friends buying an apartment for 50-60 lakhs, paying about 5-8 lakhs additional towards VAT, Service Tax, Registration, Khata etc. But most of them spend as little as possible on the interiors (say 3-4 lakhs). I have a complete contra view on this. My recommendation would be that you spend a large amount of money on interiors, because that will determine your quality of life in the house you buy. If your overall budget is 60 lakhs, you should spend about 20% of the budget (about 12 lakhs) on the interiors.

On the same note, when you are starting a restaurant, be prepared to spend atleast a reasonable amount of money on the interiors. This is what your customers will see, use and end up making an assessment of your business on. Getting the right look, feel and ambience for a restaurant without spending a lot of money is not an easy task. You will need a good interior designer who can give you ideas after understanding your concept. A lot of times, I have noticed that interior designers opt for solutions that they are comfortable with and ones they have executed in the past. Eg. Most interior designers will push for a false ceiling with lights embedded into the false ceiling. While this gives a “No Nonsense” look to the restaurant, it reduces the height of your restaurant and may make the place look smaller. Creating a great look without doing false ceilings is tougher and the final outcome is a little bit of an unknown. Similarly, on the wall paneling. Most interior designers will push for a plywood based panel with laminate covering. It is possible to create a better effect with paint on the wall – again this is tougher, the final outcome may be an unknown and getting access to the right labour may be difficult for the interior designer. If you go and see a few places that the interior designer has done already, you will notice that most of them will follow a similar pattern. Eg. One interior designer may use glass extensively, another may use laminate based panelling extensively. In my experience, pushing a interior designer out of his/her comfort zone is not easy. Whatever ideas you talk about, the final design will boil down to something that they are comfortable doing.

So to find a good interior designer who will deliver what you are expecting, you will need to go and take a look at few of the interior works the designer has completed recently. If the theme fits what you have in mind, sign up the designer.  

There are several components that are part of the Restaurant Interiors. I will use the use the next several posts to detail out each of the components:

1) Furniture - Tables & Chairs
2) Lighting Works
3) Restaurant Entry Area
4) Walls & Ceilings
5) Flooring
6) Operations Related Stuff - Cash Counter, Hostess, Waiting Area, Side Stations etc.
7) Air Conditioning
8) Kitchen Entry Area
9) Blinds/Curtains
10) Painting Works
11) Rest Room & Wash Area



15 comments:

  1. Dear Jayanth, What a great blog and resourceful blog for me desperately looking for information online. I am Amandine, French married to an Indian and after 1 year in Bangalore, moving to Hyderabad. I am planning to open a european style coffeehouse over there and your blog has been quiet helpful in the redaction of my business plan. I Discover it recently and regret that I didn't get time to visit Mani's Dum Byriani and meet you. Hope for next time. Thanks again ! Amanda

    ReplyDelete
  2. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Its good to be here, very nice post, the content is amazing, keep posting friend it will be very helpful for everyone, Thanks for sharing. I really liked it.
    Thanks And RegardsList Your Business

    ReplyDelete
  4. Such a fantastic article, it's very helpful information. Before making an restaurant you must need a money to spend on the interiors. You will need a fantastic interior decorator who can give you concepts after knowing your idea. You can go and see a few locations that the interior decorator has done already, you will see that most of them will adhere to a identical design. Find a interior decorator who will provide what you are expecting. Market Research Report

    ReplyDelete
  5. What a great article.. Indeed interior decoration is an important part that attracts consumers and foodies to visit restaurants nowadays.. Visit Kolkata Restaurants Blog for complete reviews and detailed information about restaurants

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi,
    we have established ourselves as an MDF Supplier that is renowned for high quality MDF products .

    ReplyDelete
  7. Yes..it is very important and a tough job too..As it is the main point the customer look onto..You must pay a proper attention on this matter..

    ReplyDelete
  8. i gone thrw all your post simply superb, those who want's to start,run,grow in rest business absolutely very informatic and interesting
    keep doing this social service

    ReplyDelete
  9. very nice blog. More informative.I actually enjoyed reading through this posting.Thanks for sharing.Air Conditioning Sales and Services in Indiranagar

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thanks for sharing...
    here is one of the good Online Food Deals site in india: Online Deals in Delhi at Khaugalideals.com.
    Best Restaurants in Noida

    ReplyDelete
  11. Very interesting information and i really glad to getting this information.

    Please Visit Now: http://vantreesedesign.com

    ReplyDelete

  12. Dristi Kitchen Solution is one of the Renowned name of Commercial Kitchen Manufacturers in India. These Equipment are manufactured using best quality raw material with latest technology under the guidance of skilled professionals in compliance with International standards. . We offer Imported Hotel Equipment, Commercial Refrigeration & Cold Room, Food Service Equipment these products at market best price.

    ReplyDelete
  13. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Decorative laminate sheets deliver a desired personalized look for your space with their variety of colors and textures. High-quality best laminates in India with exclusive modern designs are economical at the same time.

    ReplyDelete