A painting in a Mexican restaurant
The interior design of a restaurant is largely dependent upon its clientele and type of cuisine. Some designs are simply better suited for certain types of food, as food typically reflects a specific culture. No matter what type of restaurant you have, when choosing the décor, keep in mind the type of atmosphere you want your customers to feel.
Mexican and Latin Restaurants
To give your Mexican or Latin restaurant an atmosphere that feels authentic, use a bold, warm color palette. Ideal colors include terra-cotta, mocha, sunny yellow, teal, turquoise, coral, emerald green, cherry red, and orange.
Instead of using table linens, consider purchasing tables with a mosaic inlay that reflect the Latin culture. If you have outdoor seating, you can use antiqued wrought iron tables with colorful umbrellas and candles as a centerpiece.
For restaurants that only serve Mexican or Tex-Mex cuisine, consider hanging a few sombreros around, or using decorations with a cactus motif. Margarita glasses are a must in Mexican and Latin restaurants, but you don't have to use them only for serving drinks. You can also use them to hold tea light candles (just make sure that the glass can withstand heat) or guest mints and toothpicks.
Sports Bars
Unless the location of your sports bar is full of die hard fans of a particular team, it is best to use the colors and emblems of a variety of teams from many different types of sports for your interior decoration. When choosing which teams to use, pick those that are either popular with your clientele or popular period within their league. For example, if you want an NFL team decor, the Green Bay Packers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and St. Louis Rams would be good choices because all these teams have loyal fan bases throughout the country.
In addition to putting up officially licensed signs, pennants, and jerseys of specific players and teams, don't forget to put up sports memorabilia and equipment such as hockey masks and baseball gloves. You don't have to use table linens in a sports bar, and in fact they would seem out of place. Wooden or acrylic coasters and contemporary wire baskets for condiments and paper napkins will work well.
Asian Restaurants
Selecting the interior design for Asian restaurants can be fun, as there are many different types of Asian cuisine, such as Korean, Mandarin, Japanese, Vietnamese and Thai, all coming from distinct cultures. If you have a Chinese restaurant, you can use themes such as Chinese dragons, the colors red and gold, or Chinese paper lanterns.
For Japanese restaurants, your décor can incorporate a feng shui style, using silk room dividers, floor settings in addition to table seating, and tatami mats. Bamboo plants and small bonsai plants placed throughout the restaurant will add an authentic touch and a bit of greenery.
Family Restaurants
When designing a family-style restaurant, you will need to achieve a balance between appealing to adults and appealing to children. Go for a homey, welcoming atmosphere. You want your restaurant to look attractive, but still be comfortable for children and young adults. When choosing table linens, consider fabrics that are stain-resistant and easy to care for instead of more expensive table linens, since there are bound to be many children in your restaurant.
For your decorations, avoid candles, breakable glass items, and table centerpieces, and stick to wall hangings. A color palette of neutrals accented with bold, bright colors would work well for a family restaurant.
Tags: table linens, Mexican Latin, atmosphere want, atmosphere want your, color palette, different types
