Whether you’re opening a restaurant or just having some work done to freshen up the place, there are some important things to take into consideration. For example, do you know what questions to ask when having your chairs and banquettes constructed? If you don’t the people on the banquette could look like tiny little people sitting behind the table, and the people in the chairs could look like giants! It’s funny, but only for the staff… =) You want your guests to be comfortable, focusing on the dining experience—not the fact that they can barely see over the table to spear a piece of chicken paillard.
Here are five things you ought to know regarding design tips for your restaurant:
Flame proofing
Did you know it’s against fire code to have window treatments that aren’t flame proof? You need a signed certificate of flame resistance, otherwise you could be fined thousands of dollars!! The good news is you don’t have to sacrifice style to follow code. Ask us about on-site flame proofing, and about our collection of the latest and greatest commercial restaurant fabrics.
Chair seats in relation to banquette height
In other words, you don’t want some of your guests developing scoliosis as they lean over and down to reach their plates, and you don’t want the other guests at the same table feeling like they’ve developed osteoporosis and now they’re six inches shorter all of the sudden. Instead, everyone should be at a comfortable height, and everyone should be at the same height. It seems like common sense, but if it’s not taken into consideration at the onset of the project, it’ll be a problem upon completion.
Spiked heels and the damage they do
Your new restaurant is open and you’re expecting a big night. The bar scene is going to be bumping, and your best buddy has promised to bring a group of “woo girls.” The night goes as planned and you wake up on top of the bar the next morning, next to a bowl of white clam sauce you had the chef make before he escaped for the night. You look over at the banquettes and they are destroyed. Little holes and dents litter the surface, and there are scrape marks underneath the tables. A long blink brings back blurred images of the “woo girls” dancing on the seats, and scraping their heels on the floors especially hard every time they slid out of the banquette for another group instagram photo. The money you’ve spent… But this can be avoided, and not by being a party pooper and constantly patrolling. We know how to do it. Or if it’s too late, ask us how to repair your tattered banquettes.
How to subdivide your space with drapes for more private parties
Private parties are a great way to cater to a crowd that desires intimacy. And it’s also a great way to entice large groups of people to dine in your restaurant on nights that are relatively slow. You can offer a private dining experience for a per person charge and provide a hand-picked menu that the guest of honor chooses! But how do you do it if you don’t have separate rooms for private parties? You do it with drapes! Done right, this technique is not only functionally smart, but it’s beautiful and mysterious. Ask us how to do it.
How to keep the cold air out every time the door is opened
In the winter, many restaurants install a makeshift entrance with plastic doors and canvas to the outside of their establishments. They work for keeping gusts of cold air out of the dining area, but there’s a problem with them: they’re UGLY. Plus, they have to be taken down at the end of the season, and put back up when it gets cold. If you plan to put it up next week, but it’s already cold out, that’s an entire week of guests complaining about getting frostbitten every time your door opens, guests requesting to sit away from the door, and basically a huge inconvenience to the hosts and managers. With gorgeous front door drapes that are optimized for insulation, you don’t have to worry about the logistics of constructing and deconstructing an ugly entryway outside of your restaurant. You might also want to keep the cold air in in the summer. Curtains are a great way to accomplish that, and they add an aura of mystique!
At Beckenstein Fabrics, we know the little tips and secrets to making your business venture a success. Get in touch with us to talk about how we can help you open a gorgeous, functionally brilliant restaurant. We have the latest commercial restaurant fabrics, and a wonderful team of experienced salespeople to help you every step of the way.
