Opening up a restaurant is quite exciting but it also requires a lot of hard work. Finding the proper place, coming up with the name, the menu, hiring the right people, passing all the health and safety regulations…There are many things that have to be taken care of. In this particular article we would like to focus on something very creative – designing your own restaurant’s interior. We know that starting your business consumes not only time but also money. Not everyone can afford to hire a sophisticated interior designer. We have some good news! You can create a restaurant floor plan thanks to numerous restaurant design software!
Wake up the Artist in You and Design Your Own Restaurant!
Let us focus on some basic matters here. You can create a kitchen layout with almost any restaurant design program, but you must remember about few rules: keep things simple and organized. Remember that you are about to create a working area for your employees. Make sure to make everything as convenient as possible. It all depends on the size of your restaurant kitchen. If it is spacious, then you can create many working stations, so that your staff will not stumble on one another. But if we are dealing here with a rather tiny little kitchen, then we need to compromise it somehow. Try to avoid any unnecessary things. Search for special kitchen equipment that was designed for small areas. Small commercial kitchen space definitely requires a lot of planning.
If possible, arrange work stations that share the same menu components next to each other. It will simplify your staff’s work for sure.
Find a Free Online Restaurant Design Software
Kitchen layout is not the only thing that has to be wisely planned. You can design your own restaurant floor plan using one of the design software that are available online. There are many things to be taken into consideration – the entrance and waiting area, the bar, dining room, restroom, staff rooms. Kitchen layout is just a tip of an iceberg.
You can look for an online restaurant floor plan creator and start your planning from there. Make sure to view different samples. Even though each restaurant space is different, you can still search for inspirations and cool ideas. You might be surprised how people use up all of their space, so that nothing is wasted.
How Important is the Floor Plan?
Floor plan is actually very important. You want to utilize the entire dining area space and get the most seats possible, but at the same time you ought to remember that customers do not like it when it is too tight. You need to leave some room and space. Especially now with all the post-pandemic restrictions and regulations. No idea how to make it all work? No worries! You can create a restaurant floor plan online for free! Apps like RoomSketcher can help you with your floor plan. You can either make your own restaurant floor plan or order them from the app.
Restaurant Planning Software That Will Solve all Your Problems
The internet is full of apps and systems that will let you design a restaurant layout online for free. You might also want to take a closer look at a restaurant table plan app. Just like we have mentioned before – it is crucial to put the tables in safe distances but also to arrange them in the way that will use up all the space but will not give that “sitting like sardines” vibe.
Is There a Free Restaurant Layout Design Software?
SmartDraw might be something worth checking out. They offer a free trial, but their pricing starts at $5.95 per feature. Most of restaurant layout software offer free trials, but not the full access to all of their features. SmartDraw is a very popular design software, so if you need some help with planning your restaurant’s kitchen layout or floor plan – check out SmartDraw and start planning your dream restaurant!
Check Out These Restaurant Floor Plan Design Software
CAD Pro – will help you build any type of design. A definite money-saving solution. You do not need to be an architect to create your dream restaurant floor plan or a kitchen layout.
NCH Software – the software allows you to visualize your own restaurant 3D design plans, so that you can have the idea if the counters or appliances you chose are right for the kitchen. NCH Software offers many other cool features. Check their website for pricing and more details.
Boost Your Revenue with a Proper Restaurant Floor Plan
Are you aware of the importance of restaurant floor planning? What is more, lighting is also crucial in a layout. Good lighting may create that cool funky vibe and can also make your food look quite delicious. Since it is not so easy to design a restaurant floor plan online for free, you might need to pay a small fee in order to get the access to most software. You can try FloorPlanner, and if you are looking for something more sophisticated and advanced, then try ConceptDraw. It is quite pricey, but people tend to recommend this one as well.
Outdoor Dining Options
If your restaurant has an outdoor dining area, then you are lucky! A good restaurant floor plan generator will help you with an outdoor seating arrangement. That means some extra space for tables and chairs, so your restaurant can serve more people at the same time. Installing an awning might be helpful as well. In case of rain, your guests will be protected from raindrops and their meal will not be interrupted. Imagine you have just started eating your burger, and then rain starts falling so you have to move inside – quite annoying, right?
What to Include in your Staff’s Room?
We know that restaurant life is quite hectic. Your staff are constantly on their feet. It would be ideal to let them have some comfy armchairs in their locker room, but they might not even have the chance to sit on them for too long. Make sure to designate some area for your employees, so they can change into their uniforms, leave their personal belongings in a safe place and have that little break if needed.
Restrooms
Almost every restaurant design software can help you with the restroom layout as well. It would be perfect if you create more than just one restroom for your customers. To avoid long lines or in case one breaks down. We know that any additional renovations will cost a fortune, but it would be really good if the restrooms were located far from the dining area. Small restaurants can combine restrooms for customers and employees. If you are about to open a bigger food establishment, then you must provide separate restrooms.
Open Kitchen?
Some restaurants like to open up their kitchen area to their guests, so that customers can watch how their food is being made. Let the people watch those spectacular flames or pizza dough twirling in the air. They want to show off that cool looking brick oven. While some customers like that idea, there is a great deal of guests that actually avoid those restaurants, because of the penetrating smell. And do not get us wrong here – we know that sizzling onion smells nice – but not on our clothes. And some people do not want to leave a restaurant smelling like a fried potato. If you really wish to show off your cool looking kitchen, try finding another solution – like a glass wall. Trust us, some of the restaurant planning software have some really cool ideas!
Waiting Area
When you want to design your own restaurant, you need to remember about many different aspects. One of them is your eatery’s waiting area. Place where a hostess can greet your guests and offer them a seat, in case there is a slight waiting period. There should be some room for people to sit, while the hostess’ desk stays visible and easily accessible. Any restaurant design software will help you with that. The entrance and waiting areas are usually small, so you might need to compromise a bit. Do not worry, there is always a way to make it work! If there is not too much room for armchairs, try putting some stylish chairs – they will take up way less space!
What About a Bar?
Not every restaurant has a bar, but if you happen to have that extra space for a bar – then it should be located closer to the entrance. When someone made a reservation but still needs to wait to be seated – offer them a complimentary drink at the bar. Or if someone came in for just a beer and some fries – let them also sit at the bar. Some restaurant design software can show you some cool bar/restaurant combinations. Even a small bar will do the work – you get that extra seating and an additional source of income.
You may find many different restaurant design software, which can help you with creating your eatery’s interior. Everything depends on the measurements of the venue, but even a small restaurant space can fit everything that is needed in order to run a successful business. It is time to get creative! Remember that a proper floor plan not only makes your restaurant look good but it also enhances the workflow of your business.
Perhaps you already run a restaurant, but your eatery might use a little upgrade? Check out some of the most popular software and re-design your restaurant! Sometimes, even a change of seating arrangements or colors can make your restaurant look totally new! You can create an amazing space for your guests and give them that cool vibe, which will make them want to come back for more!
