INSIDE THE RESTAURANT OF THE FUTURE

Understanding how people consume and the way in which they interact with each other has forced hospitality design firms to adapt to meet the ever-changing needs and expectations of guests. Design practice, cultural awareness and the proper use of technology are the building blocks that form the restaurant of the future.

Harnessing the power of information

The virtual and physical worlds are colliding, and today technology is an accepted part of life. People consume and disseminate information within seconds. Information technology is creeping into everyday objects like cars, lamps and fridges, turning them into devices that generate data on our habits and communicate with each other across platforms.

As this happens, designers must think beyond the physical and harness the power of social networks and the rich guest-centric data that derives from the use of technology. This data is at the core of the synergies between design, culture and technology. A close look at data can tell a vivid story about the trends, lifestyle and preferences with a given location, demographic and moment in time. Today, we find ourselves in a co-creation pattern, with our guests being active participants of our brand messaging. We can find ways to fuel consumer-generated content in a way that falls in line with this. As designers, we must then translate this into an experience for our guests that’s worth sharing.

The design of a restaurant is far more than its color palette and choice of furnishings. Design is embedded in how we interact with the spaces around us and how we feel within them. Charlotte Mindus, B2B and marketing leader at Livit, a leading design firm, guides us through the restaurant of the future.

Consumer generated content should be at the top of your list when it comes to restaurant marketing and design. We’ve seen great success in our restaurants, where touchpoints as simple as our pizza boxes garnered an unprecedented amount of social media attention. The packaging gave guests a surprising and elevated experience compared to normal pizza boxes. The result? More pizza sales at higher price points and a new marketing strategy that focused on guest participation.

Adding another layer, designers must also consider that the speed of technology has led to shorter attention spans and has made internet searches bountiful and more varied. Designers must create with the intention of grabbing end-users’ attention and keeping it.

Grabbing and maintaining attention

Consistency is key when it comes to offering elevated quality, service and efficiency in a restaurant. But don’t be fooled; guests don’t want the same thing each and every time. Creating unique experiences for your brand will excite customers, so long as quality and service standards remain high. Our challenge is how to help brands create different experiences while maintaining a consistent brand message. As designers, a brand design guide can only take a restaurant so far. Designers can no longer create a standard “look and feel” to roll out at new locations. So how do we “unchain the chain” without creating an entirely new identity? It's critical to identify a brand essence, the image, persona, feeling your brand wants to evoke and highlight the different touchpoints in your establishment to reinforce that feeling.

Tools for designing a brand culture

Design has evolved from a classical approach of form and function to include a sense of community. This changes the role of the designer and landscape in which design practice is implemented.

Designers must look beyond the physical assets and pay greater attention to the essence of a space: be it physical or virtual. Creating a culture of efficiency, quality service and brand attitude ranges from the hiring strategy to designing the right workflows, delivery packaging and everything in between. By simplifying operations, restaurants can invest in equipment and automation that require less demanding skill sets from team members. Thus, restaurants can make recruitment choices based on personality, selecting candidates who are aligned with the brand’s values and support the brand culture, allowing them to focus on crosstraining between front- and back-ofhouse operations and provide the best possible service to guests.

Personalization, which is in high demand, is a time-consuming service if it’s not properly integrated into the operations of a hospitality venue. Designing for more personalized experiences can go from micro to macro, gravitating toward an individual’s specific preferences to catching the next wave of trends in a subculture or region. Anticipating the next cultural shift can be achieved by referring to data and reaching sensible conclusions. It is then a case of taking action, implementing the right technology and designing a scalable concept that is flexible over time. livit.design