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Last edited 26 Jan 2022

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Structuring a restaurant floor plan

1 Introduction
2 Essential space planning
3 Seating arrangement
4 A few rules
5 Furniture arrangement
6 Related articles on Designing Buildings

[edit] Introduction

Deciding on the seating arrangement for a restaurant can be a tough assignment, regardless of whether a new-build or refurbishment.

A few issues to consider include:

The size of the restaurant.
The type of restaurant.
The desired aesthetic.
Safety and hygiene.
The organisation of functions.

[edit] Essential space planning

In space arranging, the dining area should involve a large portion of the all-out zone, kitchen and stockpiling and the preparation area should occupy the rest of the space. These should be balanced if a waiting area or a bar is planned, yet the approximate percentages for the total area should be:

Lounge area: 60% of total area
Kitchen, cooking, storage, preparation: 40% of total area

Planning the seating will depend upon what kind of restaurant is intended. For example, banquet seating may require as little as 10 square feet for every individual, while high-end dining may require double that amount.

It is normal for most restaurants or bistros that have a general menu to average around 15 square feet for each individual. This includes space required for traffic paths, hold-up stations, clerk, and so on.

In a hypothetical restaurant, for example:

The floor plan area = 5,000 square feet
There are 200 seats
‏ 60% dining area = 3,000 square feet
‏ 40% kitchen = 2,000 square feet.

[edit] Seating arrangement

If the structure has 2,800 square feet accessible, the dining zone ought to be roughly 1,680 square feet, which would hold 112 seats. The kitchen and storage zone ought to be 1,120 square feet. The subtleties of the floor plan and area in square feet to be allotted to the kitchen and dining area rely upon the proprietor's thoughts and how they can be applied to the floor plan.

The area allocated to every patron depends upon the kind of dining establishment that is required - whether it is a fine dining establishment, full-service restaurant, counter service, fast food restaurant, a lodging/club or a banquet hall.

[edit] A few rules

High-end dining: 18 – 20 square ft
Full-Service Restaurant Dining: 11 – 14 square ft
Counter Service: 17 – 19 square ft
Fast Food Minimum: 12 – 15 square ft
Table Service, Hotel/Club: 16 – 20 square ft
‏Banquet, Minimum: 10 – 11 Ssquare ft

For safety reasons and to account for the free flow of traffic of diners and servers, the route between seats ought to be in any event 18 inches wide and 4 – 5 feet for every table, including seat space. This takes into consideration the free movement of servers between stations and kitchen and gives enough space for the visitors to move around.

It is important for security reasons that there is sufficient space for the guests and staff to move around and that the walkways are clear, particularly in the event of fire.

Deciding the zone for wait stations should also be considered when designing floor plans. One small station should take up 6 – 10 square feet, adequate for 20 diners. One large focal station ought to be somewhere in the range of 25 – 40 square feet. This would be adequate for 60 diners.

If the restaurant is to have a bar, 500mm to 550mm length of standing room for each individual should be provided. If the bar is to have seating, there should be 600mm between bar stools.

[edit] Furniture arrangement

Some broad, furniture design guidelines include:

Table Height: 735mm – 760mm
Bar Height 760mm – 915mm – 1065mm
Seat Height 432mm – 457mm
Bar Stool Height 735mm – 760mm.

Once the restaurant floor plan has been designed, the restaurant's style and furniture can be decided. This depends generally on the type of dining establishment and what sort of customers are expected. Depending on the size of the restaurant, there are numerous alternatives to consider, including the use of restaurant corners, tables, and seats.