When diners book a meal out, they are seeking much more than just a delicious meal that they don’t have to cook for themselves.
The meal itself may be founded on the cuisine that is served and the dishes that are ordered, but as an overall experience, dining out is based on so much more than just what you eat.
The experience starts when you first enter the restaurant, with the best and most memorable experiences immersing diners in the setting throughout their meal. This draws on the different senses, integrating sound and smell with taste, and focussing on the design of the different restaurant elements to create a cohesive and enjoyable meal out.
But with so much to think about, and the mainstay of a unique and memorable dining experience based on so many different components and design factors, what should business owners be focussing on in terms of their restaurant design?
That’s what we aim to identify and outline in this blog post – looking at the importance of the senses when designing a restaurant, and how to integrate sensory design in your restaurant setting.
The role of the senses in creating a unique experience
Our senses invite us to experience things in a multitude of ways – considering the way things look, taste, sound, feel, and smell.
When creating an experiential setting, be it a restaurant or another hospitality venue, the way that all of these senses work together to support the design of a cohesive environment is key. In an Italian restaurant setting for example, checked tablecloths and the smell of pizza can be balanced by Italian music and authentic decorative accessories. Conversely, in an elegant restaurant, clean lines and neutral colours can be enhanced with a subtle and classic soundtrack, a fresh fragrance, and the promise of delicate flavours.
See how the way that you balance the design and ambience of a restaurant or venue impacts the experience that guests have? Well, here’s how to embrace your chosen cuisine and/or dining experience within your own restaurant.
How to integrate sensory design into your restaurant
When talking about sensory design for your restaurant, it’s easy to focus on the colour palettes used, the food served, and the sounds and smells that are filtered throughout the dining space.
But while these surface level sensory touch-points play their part in elevating the dining experience, in order to create a truly unique setting it’s important to dive deeper.
Consider the textures that are present in your dining space, and how these portray a luxurious, functional, or modern setting.
Look at the way that dishes are plated and how details like the colour of the plates and the intensity of the light throughout the restaurant impacts the taste and dining experience.
Focus on the relationship between the music played and the layout of the restaurant. Is the kitchen close enough to the dining space that food prep becomes a part of the experience, or do you want to keep the two separate with food preparation situated away from the dining space.
The benefits of sensory design when bringing a restaurant to life
Now that we’ve covered the role of the senses in creating an immersive environment, and have shared some tips and ideas on how to integrate sensory design into a modern restaurant setting, what exactly are the benefits that you can expect to see as your concept grows?
First and foremost, an immersive restaurant which draws on the different senses is one which envelops diners in an overarching concept. It literally allows diners to feel like they are somewhere else, experiencing not only a delicious plate of food but an ambience and setting that compliments the dish.
This in turn creates a more unique experience which diners will remember, discuss with their friends, and likely be willing to pay more for. Just as you expect to pay more in a restaurant than you do for a takeaway, so the value of the meal increases more when it presents as a well-thought out and carefully considered concept.
Finally, a restaurant which embraces and pinpoints the senses is one which embeds the food in the beauty of the overall experience. When dining is just a part of what you enjoy and experience in a restaurant setting, you are more likely to stay longer, spend more, and come away feeling more satisfied.
For ideas on how to bring your restaurant to life via a multi-sensory approach to design, let the Carroll Design team help.