Most Popular Restaurant Themes
Decorating a restaurant properly takes thought and planning. It’s not something you can just throw together. Your restaurant’s theme plays a major role in your ambiance. With that in mind, here are five of the most popular restaurant themes for you to consider.
Ultra Modern
An ultra-modern theme can be fun. Such a theme will use a lot of steel and glass throughout the restaurant. There will not be a lot of clutter and everything will look clean. When you choose such a theme, it’s a good idea to hold onto a color as well. Otherwise, you run the risk of the restaurant looking too cold and sterile.
Antique
The antique theme works well for diners and mom and pop restaurants. Think of old and refurbished wood tables, various relics hanging around, and walls decorated with memorabilia. Newspaper articles — especially about the restaurant or the people behind it — can be framed and used as artwork.
Western
A western theme can be a lot of fun, especially if you are in the West or a steakhouse. This theme can be accomplished with a lot of wood — from tables to shelves. You may want to hang a few horseshoes around the restaurant and even use branding techniques within the wood to spell out the name of the restaurant.
Pub
A pub theme can also be a lot of fun, especially if you are going to focus more on what’s at the bar than from the kitchen. For seating, use wooden tables, both high-top and low, with bar stools at the bar and high tables. Finally, get plenty of neon liquor signs from your liquor rep.
Food-Specific
Your theme could also be based on the primary kind of food you are serving. This means that if you are serving Italian food, you could decorate with photos of Italy. If you are serving Irish food, then you may want to have the Irish flag on the wall. Using the various items people associate with the type of food you are serving can help people feel at home. How you choose to decorate using the theme is up to you. For example, with an Italian theme, you can use very old photos and make it look like old world Italy. Making choices such as this will help to show how modern your cooking is as well.
Whatever you ultimately choose for your theme, you want to make sure you use quality materials and don’t go overboard with any of the decorations. The emphasis should be on the food, but how you decorate can help determine whether people walk in and give your restaurant a try.
