Designing Restaurants

Restaurant design isn’t what it used to be.

Shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic, evolving consumer preferences, technological advances and the rising costs of materials and labor, new design trends continue taking shape to elevate customer service, boost efficiency and deliver a more contemporary experience to guests.

To wit, Papa John’s Epic Dough store, making its way across the system throughout the past year, features a crisp white look punctuated by rich red and green hues, oversized images of fresh ingredients, an open kitchen providing guests transparency into the pizza-making process and straightforward purchasing and pick-up experiences, including a drive-thru lane, to accommodate digital transactions and off-premise dining occasions.

“Since Covid-19, restaurants across the budgetary spectrum have realized they need something that sets them apart to lure customers in and bring them back – and it can’t just be product alone, which is why design is taking on added importance,” says David Shove-Brown, partner and co-founder of //3877, an architecture and design firm with offices in Washington, D.C. and Brooklyn, New York.

The biggest restaurant design trend: A defined takeout space.

Pre-pandemic, discussions about clearly defined takeout spaces were largely limited to the corporate office and café markets. The idea hadn’t fully made its way into mainstream restaurant spaces, and certainly not full-service operations.

As off-premise dining has soared, however, operators and designers alike are thinking more intentionally about the carryout customer. This rings especially true in pizza where carryout is ubiquitous, whether customers are picking up for themselves or relying on a third-party delivery player like Grubhub, DoorDash or Uber Eats.

Today, a defined takeout space is becoming a necessary ingredient in restaurant design, particularly something separate from the dining room to minimize any conflict between dine-in and takeout customers. In many instances, carryout customers are being funneled one way to have their own convenient in-and-out experience; if not an entirely distinct pickup area, then a bar might act as a buffer from the dining room.

“Considering the pickup area is virtually standard in today’s design, which isn’t something you would’ve said years ago,” confirms Joshua Zinder, head of Princeton, New Jersey-based Joshua Zinder Architecture.

4 more emerging restaurant design trends

While a defined takeout area might be the day’s dominant trend – and one moving toward table stakes in today’s restaurant environment – it is far from the only notable development. Four additional trends continue capturing momentum:

#1: Smaller footprints focused on efficiency

With more consumption moving off premise and many operators expecting labor shortages to be a long-term issue, there’s a move toward smaller footprints, more efficient design and equipment capable of pulling double duty. Space utilization and layout is not the sexiest part of design, but it is critical to a pizzeria’s operations and, quite often, its bottom line.

“Everyone is counting out every square inch,” says Rick Conrath of GTM Architects based in Bethesda, Maryland.

#2: Bringing the outside in

More and more, Zinder is “dissolving” the front of a restaurant, as operators are eager to boost their exposure and street presence. Whether rolling up garage-style doors or opening oversized windows, there’s heightened interest in unveiling the restaurant’s interior to the street or sidewalk to stimulate interest, showcase accessibility and create a more seamless feeling between the restaurant and its
surroundings.

The desire for an inside-outside connection also includes a rise in biophilia. Increasingly, restaurants are incorporating plants, green walls or even images of greenery.

“During Covid-19, restaurants got a bad rap as a potential setting for risk or exposure and something speaking to nature helps combat that,” Zinder says.

#3: Instagrammable touches

Instagram and food go hand in hand and restaurants continue looking for ways to generate attention in the social media world. Pizzerias are leveraging lighting and materials as well as art, including sculpture, murals and 3D installations, to create compelling, dramatic or whimsical design touches inviting photos and social sharing.

In its new store prototype, Pizza Inn created a “say cheese” accent wall. Jumping off a sky-blue background peppered with clouds, two half-eaten pizza slices replicate an angel’s wings on the in-store mural. And at one of //3877’s projects, Nighthawk Brewery & Pizza in Arlington, Virginia, a multi-colored, tiled mosaic of two hawks opposing one another creates a striking visual.

“Design becomes a part of the story to drive marketing and give guests a unique perspective,” Shove-Brown says.

#4: A twist on seating

Guests might visit a pizzeria for various occasions – a date night, a beer with buddies or a quick lunch. To entice regular visits for distinct purposes, restaurants are creating different seating areas and departing from the formulaic lines of booths and tables. Instead, restaurants are mixing picnic tables, couches, bar seating, pub-height tables, booths and more to offer seating diversity.

“This way, the guest experience isn’t the same every time they visit,” Shove-Brown says. “They can have a different experience and be inspired to come back for a different occasion.”

Before You Design

Whether remodeling an existing eatery or entering an entirely new space, savvy pizzeria owners address these three questions before diving into design:

What’s my budget?

An eatery’s available capital will surely inform design choices. Leveraging the experience of a seasoned restaurant architect and contractor early in the process will help minimize costly
errors and facilitate a more thoughtful, calculated approach, such as pursuing a second-generation restaurant space to curtail electrical, mechanical and plumbing costs.

What’s my restaurant’s service model?

Are you creating a full-service pizzeria where people savor their meal or a volume production churning out pie after pie? Clarity on the service model and projected sales mix will set the stage for a space’s general layout, such as how space is allocated to the kitchen and dining room.

What’s my restaurant’s theme and its menu?

A pizzeria’s concept and menu will guide design choices – the colors, materials, furniture and the like. For instance, Joshua Zinder Architecture leaned into a light and bright aesthetic at Jules Thin Crust in Princeton, New Jersey, a look befitting the family-friendly fast casual specializing in thin crust pies featuring organic ingredients.

Daniel P. Smith  Chicago-based writer has covered business issues and best practices for a variety of trade publications, newspapers, and magazines.