Few businesses face the kind of competition as a restaurant. Unlike a movie, a book, or an event, people look for reasons not to come back to a restaurant. You face an uphill battle to gain trust and loyalty.
Couple this with the average opening cost breakdown (and an upper window of 12 months to becoming profitable) and you have an even tougher job.
Getting the right cafe fitouts goes a long way to keeping customers interested. With so much competition, you can’t start designing without knowing the trends
Read on for a rundown of modern cafe design wins.
Hot Cafe Fitouts
These cafe ideas represent the creme of the restaurant decor trends. Everything suggested exists in popular, and thriving, businesses.
1. Seating Alternatives
The days of two tops, four tops, and the bar are gone. Seating needs to be welcoming to odd numbers of people of different frames and needs.
Modular chair placement, sturdy but adjustable tables, and staggered placement all help in this effort. Couches and benches make for excellent alternative real estate for customers.
2. Lived In
Increasingly, people want their restaurant experience to feel cozy. The days of stark, sterile minimalism have faded.
Open ceilings, unfinished (looking) electrical and lights, wrapped in distressed timbres make a place look older and lived-in.
Warm lighting and recycled materials make even an opening day feel like a comfortable memory.
3. Mash-Ups
Speaking of a taste of home, offer the best of both worlds with your restaurant fitouts. At home, you probably have a dining room and a kitchen table. The ambience of both has an appeal.
With a mash-up, you bring the refined and the casual into close proximity. This appeals to multiple types and gives your business an opportunity to be both a weekly stop and a special occasion stop.
4. Themed
Much like in comedy, the further into the bit you go, the better. Themed restaurants work well when they double down on the premise.
A veneer of a tiki lounge comes across as comical and cringe-inducing. A full commitment makes for a fun, exotic destination.
Classic themes come with a tried and true but emerging themes can make you a pioneer. Research into the theme is key to making excellent restaurant fitouts.
5. Photogenic
You don’t need to chase Instagram influencers specifically. Photos and stories posted by friends and family matter. Research shows 53% of restaurant choices get made by word of mouth recommendations.
An open kitchen, great sightlines, and interesting visuals all give people extra incentive to snap a shot. Going out to eat isn’t just about food, but a whole break from the routine.
Provide an opportunity and an incentive to catalogue the memory and people will spread the idea of your business far and wide.
Get the Best
Don’t worry about how difficult your cafe fitouts may be to realize. We’ve done this kind of work before. If you can imagine it, we can find a way to design it for your budget.
Contact us for more information and consider us ready to find a seat at your table.
