Designers' Take on Restaurant Design

A restaurant’s popularity does not just depend on the food served; it is the ambience that makes people love your restaurant. Talking about the importance of design in a restaurant, Mr. Sanjeev Malhan, Principal Designer, Office for International Architecture, says, “The consumers have become very trendy these days; they know the world and have become global. Nowadays designing is all about redefining the norms. If you want to get somebody inside the door, your design should be very attractive because the first impression, which is the designing part, is always visual.”

Mr. Malhan mentions that, for a restauranteur, finding the right interior designer is mostly through the word of mouth. “About 80% of my clients come to me after seeing my work and projects, while the rest 20% come from online advertisements, “ adds Mr. Malhan.

Mr. Bhupendra Kumar, architect, opines, “Client’s choice is very important while designing a restaurant. Designing is done according to the type of restaurant – whether it is a cafeteria or a self-service restaurant. Finally, it is your experience and contacts that make a restaurateur ask you to design his restaurant.”

Mr. Kumar further adds, “Customers need their own ‘private space’ in the restaurant, so their seating arrangement should also be kept in mind. Lighting contributes to the ambience of the restaurant design. When customers visit your restaurant, try to put light music during day time; however lowering the ceilings, bringing soft ambience and mood lighting works during night. A good design should deliver profitable solutions for your restaurant.”

Talking about the budget required for designing a restaurant, Mr. Kumar, adds, “The budget for a chain is generally Rs 50 per sqft.; for a single restaurant it is 100-150 per sqft. Challenges are usual at a site. For example, the Connaught place area in Delhi has lower ceiling. This was originally designed in British style, so redesigning a restaurant in that area creates problems.”