Which do you prefer in a restaurants decor; Traditional/Contemporary? :)?

Question

Im currently designing a restaurant and needed to gather some research for the development of my final product. If anyone could help it would be greatly appreciated :)

Answer 1

AS long as the food is good
who cares what the decor looks like

Answer 2

I think comfort is an important factor. I quite like contemporary decor but I don't like hard chairs and glass tables and hard flooring, it makes you feel like you can't relax and sit comfortably. It's also quite boring just having rows and rows of identical tables

I would suggest having booths round the edges for people who like some privacy and comfort while they eat, then the usual tables in the middle for people who are happy to sit in the middle of a restaurant

I dont like the decor too "chintzy" if its traditional, but the more modern designs can be very stark and minimalist and make you feel like you're conspicuous. They can also be a bit uniform and boring, it would be nice to have some kind of feature or theme to make it more interesting - maybe a fountain or lots of greenery.

Sorry, I've got an idea in my head of what I mean but I'm not explaining it very well. What I mean is, a modern design but not the kind of minimalist-ness associated with contemporary design, still plenty of comfort and homeliness

Answer 3

I don't think this can really be answered just as you are asking it. There is definitely an appeal to both styles of design in restaurants. It's going to really depend on what type of restaurant it is and whether it has some sort of "theme" and style to it. Some restaurants just give you a sort of feeling going into them, such as ... Claim Jumper's (I don't remember offhand if it's one word or not) which just exudes that feeling of kind of outback rustic sort of an environment. Ruby Tuesday has that feeling of a 50's diner that pairs with the food well. I dine more often at Pho places around my area and they typically are more akin to high school cafeterias in style, but deliver excellent food and cheap. I also go to some nicer Vietnamese restaurants that just have beautiful cutlery, bamboo designs and artwork on the walls and I am even impressed with the dishes and cups that are served in some of these places.

For your project/product, it's going to depend on what you are envisioning or what you are planning on creating. Is it going to be a high-scale restaurant, what type of food, etc.? More traditional foods seem to pair well with traditional design but a lot of contemporary "fusion" menus pair well with contemporary designs. There can be a lot to look at...

Answer 4

Personally I prefer traditional. Contemporary restaurants seem kind of abstract and cold, and I don't feel so much like a guest.

Answer 5

My first concern is cleanliness . Then, functional design which provides some privacy and quiet. Whether traditional or contemporary, as long as it is tasteful( no pun intended) , I love both. I have been to the most elegant and had bad service in which case it doesnt matter. The fact that you are asking means you are going to do a fantastic job and it will be a huge success.

Answer 6

I love it when the theme of a restaurant's food goes along with the decorations. For example, eithnic Thai, Indian, Mexican, Spanish, Vietnamese, Japanese, Italian, French, etc. We have a diner called Lucky's with 1950's diner music and settings along with the jute boxes in Stamford with really good food too! What really matters however, is the food taste, cleanliness and service as long as atmosphere is fairly comfortable, warm and inviting.

Answer 7

I'm not quite sure of the difference, mine was "rustic". But any restaurant I go to, I want warm colors, good traffic flow, and just enough lighting to be able to read the menu. I hate dark restaurants where I have to squint or can't even see the decor because it's so dim.

Answer 8

I prefer traditional, contemporary always seem to feel uncomfortable

Answer 9

Actually it depends on the food, if I am having traditional British food then I like traditional but otherwise modern

Answer 10

depends what market your aiming for. i've just sold a very successful restaurant business - kept it traditional so appealed to all markets and put on a menu to reflect all tastes.