Restaurant Design

Restaurants are a vital part of a city’s community. They bring people together, support local business owners, and offer tourists both a destination and a new experience. Beyond serving food, restaurants create an atmosphere that encourages social interaction and adds life and culture to a city. Lighting design, booth design, and space planning play a key role in creating a positive restaurant experience.

Lighting Design

Lighting has a significant impact on how a space is perceived and used. Both the brightness and color temperature of light help define a space and influence occupant behavior. Brighter, cooler lighting increases alertness and energy, encouraging faster decision-making and higher table turnover. Daytime lunch restaurants and coffee shops often use this type of lighting to support quick visits and efficient circulation. In contrast, darker, warmer lighting creates a sense of emotional comfort and intimacy, signaling guests to slow down and linger. Restaurants and bars frequently rely on lower light levels to enhance ambiance and create a more immersive experience. Clockwork has successfully applied both strategies, using lighting intentionally to achieve the desired behavioral and atmospheric effects.

In this example, Clockwork used bright lighting to clearly define the ordering and pickup areas. The casual seating reinforces this strategy, supporting quicker table turnover and shorter stays.

In this restaurant and bar example, Clockwork used darker, warmer lighting as a primary design element. This approach creates a moodier, more intimate atmosphere that encourages guests to linger longer.

Booth Design

Booths are often the most sought-after seating option in a restaurant. They create a cozy, semi-private space that feels personal for the duration of a meal. Booth design offers a wide range of possibilities, allowing designers to explore different shapes and configurations that can introduce a playful or dynamic element to the layout. The style of booth backs also have a significant impact on a restaurant’s atmosphere. Plain seat backs tend to read as more casual, while tufted backs convey a higher-end, more formal feel. Vertical or horizontal channel-back booths add texture and visual interest, contributing an additional layer of design to a restaurant. This variety gives designers flexibility and endless options to achieve the desired look.

In this past Clockwork project, tufted and taller booths backs were selected to create a more luxurious and formal feel. The booths also curved in a U-shape, playing off the arched design elements used throughout the restaurant.

Space Planning

The layout of a restaurant or bar plays a significant role in defining its character. Tables and chairs placed closer together create a livelier, louder environment that feels busy and energetic. This approach is ideal for bars that encourage standing room and social interaction among guests. In contrast, more widely spaced tables support a formal dining experience by providing ample room for service and circulation. This spacing also allows guests to focus on conversation within their own table, creating a more private dining atmosphere. 

The bar location can also be a large, grounding element in a restaurant. It can be a focal point in the room with room for customers to stand and converse, or it can be smaller and more subtle, mainly functioning to support the dining area. Both approaches can be successful, depending on the desired function and overall spatial strategy of the restaurant.

All of these elements shape how a restaurant looks and feels; using them successfully creates a great customer experience that encourages guests to return. Clockwork has used many of these strategies in restaurants, helping business owners reach their goals and envisioned space.