You have decided to set up a restaurant, but are as yet undecided on its layout. You may well be thinking that you have been setting up your home dining furniture all along, so what’s so tough about setting up that of a restaurant as well. Well, the very basic fact is that while the former has just one table and a limited number of diners, the latter has numerous dining tables to cater for as well as it has to cater to the tastes and sensibilities of a much larger group of people. It is a challenge you can well take on, however, if you have done your homework well.



The space needs to be well utilized to seat maximum guests at one time. Though you would love the waiting queues to build up outside your joint as you start getting popular, what you certainly would not want is people moving away to another restaurant while space in your eatery is lying underutilized.

The paradox starts with the placing of the dining tables. You have to draw a delicate balance between the requirements of seating maximum people and avoid giving a crowded look. They should be adequately spaced apart to allow movement to flow unrestrained. Waiters and guests alike should have plenty of room to move around without crashing into each other. While you would like to utilize your space to the utmost, do not neglect this important aspect. If necessary, go around and do a mock exercise to check out the problem areas.

Who are you catering to? Are you targeting students interested in a quick snack and coffee, or are you planning something for the family man who wants a good time with his family in a cozy environment? You also must have a fair idea of the paying capabilities of your clientele, for that will decide your budget for setting up as well as for later actions like menu prices. You could well be catering to a purely working class clientele, in which case your settings will need to be very different from that of a family restaurant.

Other aspects that need attention are the selection of the dining chairs, placing of the cash counter and decorative facets. Make sure the dining room chairs are matching with the tables. The counter in most restaurants is mostly placed closed to the kitchen door (as opposed to the exit in the case of most stores), enabling the counter manager to easily keep a tag of the orders. If you are opening an outdoor joint, the view will be the predominant attraction, and you need not spend too much on the interiors except for the basic neatness aspects.

Use Amish furniture to give a class to your restaurant that is unparalleled. Elegant enough to attract attention, yet sturdy and strong to withstand long and rough use. The beauty of Amish handcrafted furniture lies in its unique style and the special ambience that it brings to your room.

Hiring an interior designer is easy. But then, so are the costs associated with his work. While it may look intimidating at first, setting up your restaurant is not so difficult after all. You are the one who came up with the business proposal. Now keep working at keeping the costs low and the quality high.