Setting a restaurant theme is one of the more important tasks for setting up a new dining establishment. The thematic choices can incorporate food type, decorations, staffing and equipment needed. Proper market research must be conducted in order to ensure that there is a pool of people who will be interested in the themes that you select. Here are some tips from ReservationBooks.com to help ensure that the tone of your establishment is effective in reaching your customer pool.
It is important to understand that a selected theme of your restaurant is far more than just picking a type of food. A theme certainly incorporates the cuisine, but it also describes the type of service offered and the customers you plan to attract to your business. For example, a family restaurant may be one theme, while a dinner club will be a different theme. Both of these examples could serve the same type of cuisine.
Determining the customer pool will often help to determine the theme of the facility. If you want to attract senior citizens who have time to sit at a table and discuss grandchildren while drinking a cup of coffee or two, the type of service you will offer and the facility set up will be different than for an eating place that mainly serves the lunch crowd from a nearby office complex.
Although you may prefer to serve a specific ethnic cuisine or specialty, the theme is still the over-riding factor. You can easily use your cuisine choices offered to customers in a way that is true to the theme while still providing a variety of options to your dining public. The menu options should mesh smoothly with the theme and decor of the facility.
The decor can reflect the theme of the facility without being overwhelming. You don't have to have every item of equipment and decoration related to a Western theme in order to display a family friendly Western atmosphere. Wagon wheel light fixtures, table decorations and focus walls coupled with numerous items that appear to have come from a local junk dealer may result in a cluttered look, rather than a family theme.
Choose your restaurant theme carefully. The elements of choice can include the style of service, type of food and the decorations that provide visual interest. The theme that has become more of a gimmick than a philosophy of service may have a shorter lifespan than is desirable.
