Natwerk Designs

Questions about restaurant interior design?

I would like to start my own coffee restaurant one day and I had a few questions. How important is the interior to the customer. What are customers more receptive to in terms of appearance. Is there a science to how a restaurant should look? Are flat screen TVs a bad idea in coffee restaurants? I notice places like Starbucks and Caribou do not have these in them. Gordon Ramsey criticized one owner for having too many screens in his restaurant though he did not mention too much on why. Is there a difference between European and American restaurants when it comes to appearance and looks. I would be grateful if someone could recommend some books/ links to read and learn on this.

Public Comments

1. Well, people go to a coffee store or coffee restaurant to relax. Look at what people do when they go there. They read books. They work on their laptop. They read the newspaper. They talk to friends. They don't go there to watch the local sports game or to watch the news or watch some tv program. So big tv's aren't really needed in a coffee shop. If I were to put any in a coffee shop I'd put them in to show music videos that go along with the music playing in the coffee shop. And really you dont' want music in your coffee restaurant to be all that loud so people can think when they read or study for a class or hear their friend when they talk to them. There are several things I think about when I think about a coffee restaurant design. 1. It's comfy. To me that means plenty of booths and big comfy chairs. Think about it. Whenever you are asked at a restaurant if you want to sit at a booth or a table, which do you normally ask for? A booth! Why? They are more comfortable. You can seclude yourself from the rest of the crowd. And it's easier to talk to your friends without people overhearing. 2. It's unique. One reason why people love heading to Mom & Pop places are because they are unique. There is nowhere else like that place. Put your own stamp on your place and make it unique and stand out from the crowd. For example, one of the most memorable restaurants I ever went to they named each table. And each table had unique dinner sets. The owner went out and picked up tons of plates from yardsales and such so each plate setting was unique and different. When you went to that restaurant you even knew the name of YOUR table. I tend to prefer a contemporary type of coffee restaurant, but as long as it's unique and makes people say wow when they walk in the door and they feel comfortable sitting in their, that's what you want. Think about what people do in a restaurant. They talk. They read. They study. You want things in it that are conducive to that. TV's are normally anti-conducive to any of those things. The only place they work good are a sports related bar or restaurant where people want to keep track of the games. Or you might be able to make it work if you used them at the appropriate times. For example, have a Desperate Housewives night on Sunday where people can go there and watch the show and sip coffee. But even that you have to be careful with because sometimes the networks can charge you for showing their shows to mass audiences. Ooh, there is one idea that might work good though with the TV's. A bar some of my friends go to in Ohio does this and people love it. Have it so that people can write notes and post them on the TV's. Granted, the notes would have to either run through a computer and be censored or something, but it can be fun to post a note up on the screens from your table or something like that. This keeps with the quiet and not interfering with people's thoughts but allows them to be comfy and express themselves.