10 Restaurant Design Trends to Look Out for in 2023
In 2023, the biggest restaurant trends play a role in how the industry is redefining the ways it caters to the guest experience. As a whole, modern restaurant design embodies big concepts and meticulous attention to the details.
Unsurprisingly so, this year’s biggest trends work to do just that.
The theme of 2023 is to offer patrons an unrivaled sense of place by establishing a highly personal brand identity. Restaurateurs seek to share their origin story and their patrons want to feel like they are a part of it.
From the front of the house to the back of the house—and the rooftop too—here are your top restaurant design trends for 2023.
Restaurant Design Trends Are Driven By The Dining Experience
Just as multi-use tools are coveted essentials in the kitchen, the same can be said for the front of the house. Dining room decor elements that double as marketing tools, tops the list of upcoming trends.
In 2023, the biggest restaurant trends play a role in how the industry is redefining the ways it caters to the guest experience.
Outdoor Dining Areas & Rooftop Dining Rooms
Revamp your restaurant’s outdoor space by bringing the dining experience outside. Designers are transitioning unused outdoor areas into parklets with intimate seating for couples and solo diners.
Installing sun screens or dome igloos coupled with quiet fans or portable heaters keep guests comfortable in a variety of weather patterns.
As guests are seeking out more immersive dining experiences, restaurant designers are elevating their designs by transforming rooftops into ideal dining spaces.
After all, who doesn’t love a seat with a view?
Rooftop dining overlooking a tranquil sea of city lights provides the perfect scenery for your guests’ photos and sets the tone for a memorable experience.
Bring The Outdoors In
Botanical decor continues to be a design trend patrons can’t get enough of as we move into the new year.
Greenery is known to enhance an individual’s perception of a place and the trend of filling dining halls with plants and greenery is only expected to grow.
Savvy restaurant consulting firms know that living green walls woo patrons by giving them a lush botanical texture that make for Instagram-worthy backdrops. Add custom signage to the wall with your restaurant’s name or custom hashtag and watch your patrons become your brand advocates on social media.
Dotting tables with small planters and hanging potted plants from the wall and ceilings contribute to the cohesiveness of pulling off a botanical vibe.
Harness a Retro Vibe With Warmer Colors & Plenty of Texture
Color theory is one of the most important aspects of dining room design and should not be overlooked. Aside from aesthetic appeal, expertly chosen palettes wield the power to stimulate patrons’ excitement and increase appetites, translating to larger orders and increased revenue.
Warm color palettes continue to reign supreme in dining room experiences across the nation this year. Expect to see an abundance of burnt oranges, emerald greens, mustard yellows, and other earthy tones, all of which invoke a sense of comfort and tranquility.
Designers use warm colors to establish a sense of place and textures serve as the perfect complement.
We like to introduce multiple layers of organic textures to drive home a feeling of coziness and homeyness that make guests feel welcome.
Textural elements such as leather menus, exposed brick walls, handmade wood furniture, linens, and cork flooring are all going to see their place in the restaurant design trend spotlight this year.
Hospitality Consulting Playbooks Are Adding Design Elements In Unexpected Places
The ceiling in your space can serve as an integral part of your dining room’s design aesthetic. Maximize this often overlooked space by opening up those drop ceilings and bringing in a light and airy vibe.
Alternatively, designers are also taking a more show stopping route by commissioning a custom ceiling installation that weaves in additional design trends such as botanical decor and natural textures.
To make the most of an artistic ceiling installation, take care to work with a designer who understands your restaurant’s concept and will incorporate its themes into their design. Such design elements are the perfect way to enhance your customer’s experience with unexpected moments.
Kitchen Design Trends That Will Delight Your Restaurant’s Staff
Back of house and kitchen design trends this year are indicative of how the industry overcame the impossible situation that was the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a word: adaptability.
It’s no coincidence that’s precisely how we would describe the biggest trends in hospitality and restaurant design for 2023. As we’ve said before, operational space planning is a critical first step in venue design.
Storage
With delivery and take-out orders still dominating many sectors of the hospitality industry, restaurant owners are continuing to optimize their kitchen spaces by incorporating well designed storage areas to stash growing supplies of to-go boxes and other disposable products.
On top of that, experts are seeing many restaurants adapting to ongoing supply chain issues by incorporating additional dried and non-perishable items into food prep.
All of which takes up a precious kitchen commodity: space.
Redesigning and upgrading the layout of your restaurant’s storage solutions lends itself to a higher functioning and efficient staff, which directly impacts the customer experience.
Future Proofed Floor Plans with a Modular Kitchen Design
Taking a note from home kitchen design, modular designs are beginning to replace the open kitchen concepts we saw pre-pandemic.
One of the largest appeals of a modular kitchen is how it helps future proof kitchens.
Modular designs make for a more dynamic floor plan that easily and quickly accommodate seasonal or even last minute menu changes, evolving culinary techniques, and potential changes to service such as hiring a new chef or changing to a new concept entirely.
The versatility of modular kitchen designs allow kitchens to operate in more dynamic and agile ways.
One of the ways our designers are translating this into their kitchen designs is by incorporating kitchen stations, prep tables, and even cold storage solutions with wheels that allow the BOH team to rearrange layouts on a moment’s notice and allows for some stations to be used for multiple tasks.
Modular kitchen appliances, such as wheeled freezers and deep fryers can easily be replaced to accommodate the needs of an ever-evolving kitchen.
General Trends Our Restaurant & Hospitality Consultants Are Predicting
While color palettes and textural decor create a calming environment, the trends we’re seeing in regards to cuisine and concepts are becoming more vibrant than ever.
All the more, diners seek to step outside of their culinary comfort zones and try cuisines that are new to them. In 2023, we will see the industry evolve into a more welcoming and inclusive space for restaurant concepts that tap into culturally rich local diasporas.
This trend is coupled with the growing trend of menus being designed around what produce and proteins are grown and available at a local level.
Additionally, diners are becoming more environmentally conscious and take preference to establishments that are doing their part.
This trend is resulting in more emphasis being placed on sustainable and ethically sourced goods including both food and food service supplies from takeaway containers to seating fabrics.
Restaurant Design Trends In A Nutshell: Create Big Concepts with Small Details
Patrons are seeking a one-of-kind experience they are proud to have been a part of and that’s reflected in the latest restaurant design trends.
Building a customized dining experience that sets your restaurant apart from the competition is key.
At RMD, we’re not just restaurant design consultants, we’re industry trendsetters making life better, one guest at a time. Contact us today to discuss your upcoming project and learn how we can craft an expertly designed dining experience for your bar, restaurant, or nightclub.