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ASID Design Perspectives February 2005

Is it Restaurant Psychology or A Basic Design Premise?

By, Jennifer P. Striepling, WRID, ASID of Organize By Design, LLC

The “big thing” with restaurant design right now is the theory of Environmental Psychology. This is the basic theory of the interrelationship between environments and human behavior. People tend to seek out places where they feel competent and confident, places where they can make sense of the environment while also being engaged with it. Personally, I think this is a basic design premise for anything you do not just restaurants. Never the less, lets apply the latest theory to Restaurant Design….

When you walk into a restaurant for the first time, what do you notice? What do you look for? The average person would say I look to see if there is a wait, or if it is clean. If you have a favorite restaurant that you visit often, why do you go there? Typically it’s the food and the service. The design and layout of the restaurant are usually looked at as secondary factors. (Unless you are a designer)

As a restaurant designer, I can assure you it is important not only for the guests, but for the employees and the operator as well. In my opinion, a successful restaurant design is not just the paint and pictures on the wall. It is an overall look and feel of the space, from the hostess at the front door, to the space plan of the dining room, to the sights and sounds of the kitchen.

Can you move through the space with out bumping into seated guests? (The space plan) Can you see what you are eating? (Lighting) Can you have a conversation without yelling across the table? (Music should not exceed 120 beats per minute) Are you comfortable in the booth or in the chair in which you are seated? (You want the operators to turn tables, but you want the guests to be comfortable.)

Successful operators want to create a memorable dining experience by combining the right lighting, fabrics, furniture, finishes, music and food. By combining all those ingredients, they create (when done successfully) the ideal atmosphere that allows all who enter the space to feel competent and confident.

If all of these factors are achieved you will then have a successful restaurant design and the food can speak for itself.