Excerpt from HBG’s article, ‘A Place to Dine: Food and Beverage Design’
Inside the most celebrated resort food and beverage venues, it is the innovation and creativity of the design—not merely the savory culinary selections—that elevate the dining experience to amazing heights of epicurean delight.
Restaurant design trends are shifting to consider not only the visual presentation of the space but also the emotional reactions and special interests of the guests—and one size (or theme) does not fit all. Staying abreast of restaurant design trends means staying abreast of retail trends, influences in fashion and entertainment, F&B operations, consumer behavior and market competition. At HBG, our interior designers are researchers and market surveyors. They are keeping an eye on where popular culture is headed, which often informs how hospitality and F&B design will evolve to meet new demographics.
New market segments, i.e. millennials, are shifting the emphasis in entertainment design to include special events and unique experiential dining opportunities which also bring in the local crowd. Sports bars, specialty cigar bars, farm-to-table-inspired restaurants, and even food-as-theater dining venues are popular with the younger, often more design-minded population seeking unique or artistic design “moments” to share with their social media networks, specifically via Instagram and Twitter.
Restaurant design trends typically vary greatly depending on the target market. With a strong knowledge of national F&B design trends, our team approaches each design project holistically to create an end product that delivers an all-encompassing culinary experience for each market with the goal of providing an unsurpassable dining experience that maximizes operational efficiency for the Owner. Each space must work for the guest, while providing flexibility and effectiveness for staff and servers.
Every aspect of the food & beverage process is considered, beginning with understanding the venue’s overall food concepts and the F&B manager’s operational ideals. HBG interior designers develop an overall design plan including dining room interior solutions, kitchen design solutions, lighting and acoustics. To meet technology needs, many F&B outlets are now using iPads to showcase menu options. This translates into thoughtfully designed furniture with charging stations, and an audio-visual package that offers streaming from personal handheld devices.
An immersive F&B design experience often transcends physical space to inform branding as an intrinsic part of the experience – logo design, menu graphics, tabletop selections, artwork, marketing collateral, and staff uniforms – all contributing to the customer’s total dining experience. With a variety of options at their fingertips, today’s guest has HIGH expectations.