Renovating a restaurant is a costly affair and requires a great deal of thought. Most restaurants go on for decades without giving their establishment’s decor and functioning a second thought, not realizing the impact it can have on their business.
If you are looking for ideas to boost your sales, start with renovating your restaurant. Diners can go to any restaurant they fancy. They prefer eating at a restaurant that offers an unforgettable dining experience with an unparalleled ambiance.
If you want to up your restaurant’s charm, here are a few tips to help you with your restaurant renovation.
How to go about Restaurant Remodeling
How your restaurant looks can very well determine how it will run. The first impression your establishment can also extend to the kind of food they would expect as well as the service. So, here’s a guide to start working on your restaurant’s renovation:
1. Start With A Plan
Before you start any renovation, draw a plan of action. Start with the things that are indispensable for your restaurant revamp. Then, find the things that are negotiable for the remodeling. Step out for a market survey, consider your target audience, analyze your competitors, and draft a plan to enhance your brand image.
2. Know Your Budget
Once your plan is ready, move to the finances. Fix a budget that matches your remodelling plan. As the actual expense always oversteps the planned budget, keep a buffer amount ready. Start with the changes you outlined as indispensable before moving to the others. This way, even if you overstep the budget, the critical areas would be covered.
3. Set Up A Goal
A restaurant renovation can have several impacts, some of which you could do without. Setting a goal, therefore, is crucial. Identify your reason for renovating the restaurant, ask yourself if the reason is a valid one, and if it is, plan the remodeling keeping the reason in focus.
4. Take Feedback From The Diners
The entire restaurant remodeling idea is to bring more diners. Talk to them, take their opinion, and know their choices. Getting their preference would help you in planning the renovation in a better way. You’ll know which wall colour would be appreciated by your diners and what kind of upholstery they would like. You could even make changes in the layout to match their likings.
5. Highlight the Key Areas
In the remodeling plan, you would have included a feature wall, new upholstery, changing the landscape, and deep cleaning. Among all these changes, make sure to undertake the renovations that are essential for the restaurant functioning. For instance, if there is a pipe leakage, cramped seating arrangement, limited parking space, or a faulty smoke outlet, note it down. These issues must be attended on priority and not overshadowed by the aesthetics.
6. Identify The Target Audience
Knowing your target audience is essential to plan a remodel based on their preferences. If your restaurant caters to families’ eatery options, go for a casual, warm interior. If your restaurant audience comprises young students and professionals, opt for a savvy contemporary look. Studying the surrounding area would give you additional input regarding the target audience.
7. Keep Track Of The Trends
Trends keep changing every single day. For a restaurant that hasn’t been renovated for quite some time, revamping is a necessity. Check out the latest trends in restaurant decor and themes. Make a list and analyze what sits well with your location, audience, and competition. Add the necessary technology and implement trends that are suited to your restaurant theme and target audience.
8. Hire the Best Person for the Job
Once the groundwork is done, hire the best person for the renovation. You would need to consider factors such as lighting, air conditioning, wiring, ventilation system, wall painting, furniture, parking, etc. Check for reviews and visit the places of previous work. You could even take references to pick the best professional to do your restaurant renovation.
9. Share your New Look
Renovations are all part of your goal to increase sales. Once your restaurant is ready with its new look, don’t miss sharing the look with your audience. You could use your social media handles to share the look and see the rise in sales. Highlight the decor that is sure to catch the eye of patrons and focus on these aspects to get them intrigued.
Key Considerations to Remodel your Restaurant
While we have given you a list of things to focus on to start with the restaurant renovations, here are some key considerations you must keep in mind:
- Decide on the right time to renovate. It is best to consider renovations when your restaurant is at the peak of popularity.
- Make additions that are sure to bring the right returns. Avoid investing in a plan that is trendy but offers no benefit to you or the patrons favouring your establishment.
- Allow yourself to focus on areas that are more in demand or are more used by the customers. If your dining area serves more customers than the in-house bar, attend to the dining area remodeling first.
- Check the efficiency of every segment within the restaurant and note down possible areas of progress that can be helped through the renovations.
- Use the renovation as an opportunity to win more customers through improved technology, aesthetics, and service.
- Reset the prices on your menu to fit with the renewed look, if the location and your audience permit.
- Choose decor that is classy and can charm patrons through the years that come.
All of these steps and considerations can help you move in the right direction when it comes to revamping your restaurant. Make sure the renovations are impactful, in line with the end-goal, and helpful in boosting your business significantly.
