4 Commercial Construction Trends for Restaurant and Food Service Projects
The restaurant and food service industries are undergoing a renaissance of sorts to meet the changing tastes of today’s diner. You can say it’s out with the old and in with the new. And to avoid being a relic of the past, restaurants from fast-casual to fine dining are renovating, and in some cases reinventing themselves, to attract the next generation of restaurant consumers.
Diners spent nearly $800B dining out in restaurants in 2017, an increase of over 4% from the previous year, according to the National Restaurant Association. But it’s Millennials, those aged between 22 and 37 years old, that are calling the shots. This lucrative consumer group spends 44% of their monthly food budget eating out. That’s more than any other generation in history. But generation Xers are not far behind spending 35% of their food budget dining in restaurants.
Restauranteurs that want to be the next trendy dining spot can capitalize on these four commercial construction trends in the restaurant and food service industry to stay ahead of the game:
1. Modern Design – Diners prefer a clean, modern restaurant design using eco-friendly wood, stone and brickwork accents throughout where they can enjoy a great meal and socialize with their dining party. The interior should be clean, warm, and inviting with modern décor. An open floor plan with natural wood tables and chairs is the soup d’jour. Gone are the days of cluttered tables and chairs. A great example is our Herb ‘N Kitchen renovation for the Hilton Manhattan East Hotel in New York City, NY.
2. Ambient Lighting – Lighting is one of the most important features in a restaurant as it sets the mood for the guest. And lighting can either add to the ambience or detract from it. The key is to use ambient lighting to highlight the restaurant features like the bar, décor and tables to create a complete gastronomic experience for the guest. Check out the interior renovation we did for Emack & Bolio’s Restaurant in Orlando, FL.
3. Retro Finishes – A modern twist on retro finishes are taking restaurants back to the future. Depending on the theme of your restaurant, retro finishes like chrome and brass finishes on tables, chairs and countertops can give a modern, industrial appeal to your restaurant. Or take a mid-century approach with solid wood tabletops and furnishings for a rustic appeal. See how a modern design blended with wood finishes made our complete construction build-out of the Starbucks Portofino Resort stand out from the crowd.
4. Instagram-Friendly – Diners today are more social than ever having grown up with Facebook and Instagram. The most appealing restaurants are carefully crafting the design, décor, lighting and even food plating to be Instagram-friendly so patrons will want to snap and post their photos online. When patrons share their trendy dining experience with their friends online it can bring a flurry of new guests that want to whet their appetite in the same trendy hotspot. You will find this trendy theme in many of the restaurant and food service construction and renovation projects that we do.
The restaurant business is extremely competitive. And most diners today don’t go to restaurants just to eat and leave like they did in the past. In addition to innovative tasty dishes using fresh, locally sourced ingredients, diners want an inviting dining experience they can share with their friends and family.
