The essentials of restaurant
space planning

Restaurant space planning: what to consider

Customer experience

The placement of digital ordering kiosks plays a crucial role in customer experience.

Your tech partner should assess your space to determine the optimal number of kiosks needed and where they should be located. This strategic placement helps create an intuitive flow for customers, reducing confusion and wait times. Balancing kiosk queuing with POS queuing is essential if both options are available, ensuring that neither system overwhelms the other.

Additionally, Click & Collect orders need a designated area that is easily accessible yet separate from other customer traffic. A well-planned layout will clearly signal where customers should go to pick up their orders, preventing bottlenecks and frustration.

Waiting area

Another important aspect is planning where customers will wait for their food once they’ve ordered, and how they’ll know when it’s ready. Incorporating collection screens that display order statuses can help manage this space effectively, letting customers know the status of their item and signposting when to come to the counter.

The human touch

And don’t forget the human touch. “We’re a digital-first business, but we’ve kept human interaction at the heart of everything,” says Neil Sebba, managing director at Tossed.  “We’ve created a ‘host’ role who is responsible for greeting customers, offering people extra support on kiosks and ensuring delivery drivers collect orders without disrupting the rest of the flow.”

Properly implemented space planning leads to a smoother, more enjoyable customer experience, ultimately reflecting positively on your brand.

The efficiency of your kitchen

Kitchen Display Screens and kitchen stations

Effective restaurant space planning extends beyond the customer-facing areas into the kitchen. Understanding the workflow of your kitchen is critical for determining the number and placement of Kitchen Display Screens (KDS).

For example, each kitchen station may require specific screens that display relevant parts of orders, such as a drinks station only seeing beverage orders.

A tech partner will evaluate your kitchen’s layout and workflow to recommend the most efficient tech setup. This can include strategically placed screens that streamline the preparation process, reducing errors and speeding up service.

An optimised kitchen flow ensures that your team can fulfil orders quickly and accurately, supporting a high standard of service.

Getting your kitchen layout and technology working for you, not against you, is transformational. “Our new kitchen layout,” says HOP Vietnamese founder Paul Hopper, “where everything comes down the same line, through one system, has made things much cleaner and easier for the team to manage.”

The impact of restaurant space planning on growth

Neglecting space planning in your tech partnership can hinder your restaurant’s growth potential.

Without a carefully considered layout, your kitchen may struggle to handle an increase in orders, leading to delays and mistakes. The customer-facing areas might become chaotic, with long queues and unclear directions, deterring repeat business.

Conversely, a well-planned space can accommodate growth. Efficient kitchen operations and smooth customer flow mean you can serve more customers quickly and accurately.

This growth ability is crucial for expanding your business and maintaining a competitive edge, As Paul Hopper, Founder of  HOP Vietnamese illustrates.