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Five Features of Kids Friendly Restaurants

Feb 28
Posted by Daniel in Booths, restaurant seating, restaurant tips and advice

Dining out with kids can be a fun experience for the whole family – or a total nightmare.  For restaurants, catering to families with children can be tricky.  However, there are a few features that make a big difference between a kid-friendly eatery and a horror story waiting to be told.

Whether you are a parent looking to find a great place to eat with your kids or a restaurant owner trying to appeal to families, the following are the five most important features in a kid-friendly eatery.

In a previous post we wrote about some aspects of a kids friendly restaurant. Now it’s time to expand on that post and elaborate a little on some of the most important points:

  1. A Real Kids Menu – We have all been to places whose kids menu consists of a choice between a hamburger and chicken nuggets.  However, truly family friendly restaurants offer a real kids menu which includes numerous entrée choices, kid-centric drink options, and even a few desserts.  The best restaurants go out of their way to make the kids menu healthy too, including options like fresh fruit and veggies and healthier dessert items to tempt kids and satisfy parents.  To satisfy customers of all ages, ensure that your menu has multiple choices for little ones, and don’t forget that children are often more sophisticated in their tastes than you may realize, so smaller portions of adult fare may go over well with your young clientele.
  2. Fast Service – While we all know that food in a busy restaurant takes a little longer to come out, many eateries miss the mark when it comes to getting food out quickly.  This doesn’t mean that you should serve families with kids before other customers, but look for ways to keep the kids happy while the food cooks.  In many cases, children are often hungry as soon as they get into their seats, so try to come up with ways to keep hungry tummies satisfied.  You may want to offer kid-friendly appetizers with kids meals (think veggies for dipping, fries, or some other finger-food).  This can keep kids busy and satisfied, preventing parents from becoming agitated and keeping kids calm and happy.  Not only is this great for preserving the atmosphere in your restaurant, it also creates a more pleasant experience for parents who are likely to come back.
  3. Kid Friendly Seating – The best seating for kids can be summed up in one word- booths.  Booth style seating is more comfortable and safer for kids.  Chairs, particularly taller “bar stool” types mean the danger of falling, can lead to tripping, and are more difficult for parents to manage.  Instead, dining booths mean that kids are able to sit comfortably, parents have room for coats and diaper bags, and children are unlikely to fall or to get in the way of other patrons or wait staff.  Parents, particularly those who dine out regularly, tend to choose restaurants that offer booth seating. (more…)
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Restaurant Safety Tips – Fire

Feb 24
Posted by Daniel in restaurant layout, restaurant tips and advice

No ire image - by Kriss Szkurlatowski

In previous posts we discussed the importance of design on the success of the restaurant. But there is another aspect that many people don’t think about too often: Safety.

We all want to think nothing bad will ever happen but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be prepared for it in case it does. And we do hope it doesn’t.

So here is an important post about an unpleasant subject that we all need to keep in mind at all times, and even more so when restaurants are involved.

Restaurants are some of the most fire hazardous places in the world, especially in the kitchen. The fact that a restaurant is usually a busy place with many costumers makes it even more dangerous.  That’s why it’s very important to install fire extinguishing systems in all restaurants.

The importance of the restaurant seating layout in a case of a fire

If you’re a restaurant owner you must realize that the way you design your restaurant seating layout, as well as the placement of the other restaurant furniture, could be a matter of life and death. First of all, to ensure a safe way out if a fire starts, make absolutely sure that the path to the restaurant’s main door isn’t blocked by anything! You must realize that when a fire breaks loose and the fire alarm starts ringing, people usually panic and seek the way out of the burning structure. Therefore you must ensure a clear, safe path for them to do so!

Wood and Fire don’t mix (more…)

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Get your customers to come back

Feb 22
Posted by Daniel in Commercial Seating, Restaurant Furniture, restaurant tips and advice

The recession is hurting many businesses, including restaurants. Losing customers can severely hurt any restaurant, but with a few changes, you can draw them back and keep them coming for more. Customers want a place that has a comfortable atmosphere and friendly staff. The two things a restaurant must offer are great food and great service at great prices. Before you start cutting staff, try these tips.

  1. Offer coupons. Coupons can really pull some people into your restaurant. Ruby Tuesday sent BOGO coupons in the mail and had people come in just to use the coupon. This was effective because it allowed customers to dine with someone and save money. If you’re near a campus, offer student discounts. If you don’t already, advertise new military or senior citizen discounts. You can also partner with another business in the area and allow them to offer coupons to your restaurant if they use that business’s services. (more…)
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Feng Shui and Restaurant Furniture

Feb 17
Posted by Daniel in Restaurant, Restaurant Furniture, restaurant layout, restaurant seating, Restaurant Seating Design, restaurant tips and advice

This is the last part of our Feng Shui Tips (for now) and this time the main focus is on the restaurant furniture and their placement.

Basically, using Feng Shui can make your restaurant more inviting, welcoming, and pleasant for customers to dine in useing both the laws of Heaven and Earth to help improve life and atmosphere by receiving positive Qi which means “life energy”. Furniture are an integral part of Feng Shui. Colors, materials, and furniture are all going to change the dining experience in your restaurant.

The entrance to your restaurant is considered the Mouth of Qi. What you have near the restaurant entrance and what is visible by the entrance will affect your Feng Shui. The entrance should be vibrant and easy to find and access. The style of your restaurant needs to match the energy of your cuisine and the dining experience you’re offering. The signage and menus should use colors and styles that convey that to your customers.

Tables should not be near doorways or between access routes to the restrooms, kitchen, or back areas. This makes moving about difficult and dampens the experience. Toilets and restrooms should not be visible from the entrance way. You must think of the visual clues customers expect when they first walk into your restaurant. The restrooms are not one of them.

For your restaurant seating layouts, find a way to maximize comfort, mobility, and capacity. Your restaurant seating should mix different items like booths, bar stools, and tables to create an atmosphere of versatility and comfort. When placing chairs and tables, take care to notice the distance between a chair and the next table. There should be enough room for two people to pass by without bumping into furniture. A person should also be able to sit without being grazed by other customers walking past. (more…)

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Restaurant Opening Checklist

Jan 31
Posted by Daniel in Restaurant, Restaurant Furniture, restaurant seating, restaurant tips and advice

Before you open a restaurant it’s important to have everything in order. When those doors open, it’ll be too late and you’ll get stuck on “putting out fires” instead of moving your business forward. For a smooth restaurant opening menus need to be set, ordered, the seating needs to be arranged, staff needs to be hired and prepped, etc.

To help you get a good start here’s a quick checklist of things to do before the grand opening:

  1. Create a menu. Before opening, the restaurant should offer certain types of food or cuisine. Some restaurants allow people to offer menu names on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. This is an easy way to outsource the task of naming items on the menu and a great way to publicize a grand opening. The menu should have, depending on your type of cuisine, appetizers, drinks, specials, main dishes, side items, desserts, and other courses if necessary. Depending on when you will be open, you should include breakfast and lunch sections. In one of our next posts we will discuss tips and ideas for creating successful menus.
  2. Arrange seating. The seating will depend on the size of the restaurant and the ambiance required. If it’s a laidback bar style, dining booths, bar stools and high-top tables are appropriate. If you have a patio, choose outdoor patio furniture that fits the desired atmosphere. For example, a country-style restaurant would have picnic tables instead of bistro tables for two. The walkways need to be wide enough for trays of food and people to pass by. You want to make seating comfortable, not cramped, so have tables and seats a set distance apart to allow people to get up and sit without disturbing one another. The tables should also be large enough for the plates, drinks, and flatware. Seating should be arranged in linear rows or a pattern which will make it easier for staff to work with, and more comfortable for customers as well. (more…)
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11 Tips for Finding Quality Cheap Restaurant Furniture

Dec 20
Posted by Daniel in cheap restaurant furniture, Commercial Seating, Restaurant Barstools, Restaurant Chairs, Restaurant Furniture, restaurant seating, Table Bases, Table Tops

Restaurant FurnitureThe holidays are a great time for most of us because we get to spend more time with our family, but they can also be hard on the wallet, especially in these times.

However, even today new restaurants and venues are opening and old ones need to keep up with the competition. As any business owner knows, in order to survive and succeed we need to be very smart with our money.

This is why we’ve made this list of tips to help you find new, cheap restaurant furniture without having to compromise on the quality.

1. Take your time – If possible start your furniture “hunt” at least a month before you need them. It takes time to find the right furniture for your venue and you need to allow enough time for shipping. Don’t forget, express shipping is available but it costs more.

2. Shop online – When you shop online you can easily compare prices from different stores. Buying from a local store has its benefits but sometimes an online store that is not local might have cheaper prices, sales or discounts on shipping which can bring down the overall cost of your order.

3. Go metal– For the most part, metal restaurant chairs are cheaper than wood ones. However, if you have your heart set on wood restaurant chairs then look for items that are on sale.

4. Keep it simple – the more features a chair has the higher its price will be. A standard black frame finish is usually the cheapest option and will match almost any décor. Go for a standard wood or vinyl seat and, if you have time to do it yourself, look for chairs that come with the seat detached.

5. Buy in-stock items – By not ordering custom made restaurant furniture you save a lot of money and time. Commercial furniture stores usually have a stock of ready-made furniture that is ready to ship at a days’ notice. This means that the quick-ship or in-stock items are not only cheaper than custom made ones but they ship faster too.

(more…)

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