Not sure where to start on your commercial hospitality fitout? We share tips, tricks and insights to help ensure that the experience is an enjoyable one.
A restaurant or venue fitout requires a lot of thought – think layout, flooring, furniture, lighting, tables, chairs and even artwork – and that’s before you even get to the food. Needless to say, undertaking thorough research to form a plan of attack is crucial, so what exactly does that involve?
How Do Hospitality Fitouts Work?
Like most renovations or constructions, you’re (ideally) going to work very closely with your selected builder – so make sure it’s a good one.
For those who have never ventured onto the fitout path before, the general step by step process resembles something like this:
- Design brief
- Quotation from designer
- Conceptual design (space, furniture, joinery)
- 3D design development (includes council documents and approvals)
- Tender issue and contract documentation
- Tender process (quotes from contractors)
- Construction and certification
The costs of undertaking a hospitality fitout can differ dramatically. Will you be importing materials, or shopping local? Do you have a site for the construction leased already, or are you still looking? Or our personal favourite – is your builder even going to turn up?
Hospitality Fitout Tips For A Seamless Project
That bright pink feature wall may work for certain industries, but for others it could spell disaster. It’s important to remember that you only have one chance to make a good impression, and since the competition is fierce – sadly, sometimes high quality food just isn’t enough.
The design of a venue is generally the first thing that catches a customer’s eye. It’s up to you to ensure that you’ve done everything possible to encourage them to stop what they’re doing, and ultimately walk into your restaurant. In saying that, what are some key hospitality fitout tips to consider when undertaking a construction project or facelift?
Layouts Are Crucial – Your layout design determines how much (or how little) your staff and customers interact. Is your kitchen or bar open plan, or will it be tucked away from sight? Your floor plan also needs to consider high traffic pathways for staff to scoot around, as well as factoring in enough breathing space for each table.
Inspiring Interiors – Your venue needs to reflect who you are and what your brand represents – a whisky bar isn’t necessarily a suitable match for a bright space full of greenery, is it? The venue should give consumers a clear indication to what kind of cuisine they can expect. If your menu has strong links to one ethnic group or country, this should be factored into the design.
Foot Traffic – If your venue is positioned with a street front view, then use it. The view that people see when strolling past is essentially free advertising, so ensuring that your window is displaying the right vibe is essential if you want to capitalise on that foot traffic. If it looks cluttered, messy or dark, then who’s going to want to come in?
The Right Decor – Don’t slap this together as an afterthought and leave it until last – trust us. Tables that look stylish can also be incredibly uncomfortable, and the random piece of artwork that you love might be turning off potential customers. Being aesthetically pleasing shouldn’t come at the price of comfort or quality, so if you need inspo – look to your menu first.
While everybody wants to make their venue feel “Insta-Worthy” – remember that most customers can see right through it. Don’t go overboard trying to appeal to everybody, and instead focus on the small stuff that can make or break the feel of your venue.
How To Find The Perfect Builder
When sourcing a reputable operator to see your hospitality fitout right through to the finish line, it’s important to do your research. Start collecting examples of previous renovations that you like – many construction companies can talk the talk, but can they walk the walk?
Another mark of a quality construction company is that they are happy to work with you. Ultimately, they’re getting paid to ensure your vision and goals are brought to life – so if you’re happy, they’re happy.
An example of a reputable operator for end to end hospitality fitouts is Brisbane based Kibo Constructions. Lee Bourke and the team offer a unique “concept to creation” approach, and have extensive experience in commercial and hospitality refits and fitouts. If you know that there’s an upcoming project coming up for you, your brand or your business, then the team at Kibo can happily provide a quote – and you might just be pleasantly surprised with the result.