Let's be honest, starting a small hospitality business takes a lot of hard work, determination, persistence, money and patience. Companies often rush to get their business to the public that they forgo essential elements during their design phase. Missing these crucial elements means customers walk into a space and feel that something is missing. What usually is missing is that feeling of CONNECTION. No longer will a great meal with poor service or a great fit-out with bad food be accepted by diners. Why? Because we crave connection to our environments, and now more than ever, your customers want to feel like they belong in your world. So, how do we connect our customers within a hospitality space? Here are five interior design elements that should always be considered when planning out your future space. ACOUSTICS - Noise reverberation needs to be considered in each space. The placement of greenery, the addition of soft furnishings, acoustic paneling or the flow of internal traffic around furniture can all assist in lowering noise reverberation. Is your music too loud, or is kitchen noise affecting the main seating area? We generally dine out to catch up with friends and family. If the acoustics are not quite right it can create discomfort amongst your diners and ultimately lose you future business. BRANDING - Is your branding consistent throughout your space? Does your branding reflect who and what your business does? Your branding is an extension of your business name, and your physical space is an opportunity to show your customers who you are and what you are all about. Your branding includes your colours, logo, fonts, music played, and even the scents we experience when in your space. Branding can be reflected through the curvature of a sofa, the type of timber joinery installed and the artwork on your walls. Branding is your opportunity to connect with your clients and often the reason they will come back again and again as repeat clients. SPATIAL PLANNING - As an Interior Designer, we understand you may want to seat as many diners as possible in your venue; however, taking the time to consider the movement of both your staff and clients within the space will allow for a more productive and comfortable environment. How many staff will be moving within the space at one time? What are they serving, and how much room do they need between tables to do their job effectively? Are the tables too close that your customers feel they can't have a private moment to themselves, or is the Bar too close to the bathroom amenities, causing an influx of people in one area? Designing the spatial planning correctly will ensure both your staff and your diners will connect to your space for longer. BE INCLUSIVE - Put simply, we are not all the same, both physically and mentally. It's easy to forget we are not designing for ourselves and can get carried away with the exact details we wanted when we first had our business vision. We need to always be considerate of the way people will use our space, and that means making it accessible for everyone. Whether it is people with disabilities, the elderly or parents with prams as just a few examples, designing for all means being considerate of other peoples needs. Have you considered multiple furniture choices? Are those stools convenient for the elderly? Is there enough room at the table for wheelchairs? Where can a parent place a pram? Connecting all people in your environment is not only good design practice but is also a step towards a stronger community. LIGHTING - Lighting is one of the most overlooked elements in interior design and yet can have the most significant impact. While the style of lighting you choose is essential, it is the level of light emission that will make or break a space. No one wants to dine at 7-Eleven, right? I think we all know what it feels like to enter a 7-Eleven store at night! Consideration of how natural light is entering the space during the day and how you control the level of light at night will ensure the comfort of your diners. Did you know that a simple sun study that shows the sun's direction on your property at various times can help design an optimal lighting plan for your space? Not only will this assist in determining the best layout for your lighting, the amount of light required both functionally and aesthetically, but it may also assist in reducing your energy bills.
These five points are just a snippet of what it takes to design a genuinely successful hospitality space.
Is there a space you are drawn to over and over again? Apart from the good food, a spectacular view or excellent service, it is more than likely a combination of these elements that have helped you and other diners feel connected to the environment.
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