Themed restaurants have to walk a fairly tight line to remain immersive, without falling into the realm of overt kitschiness. People want to experience something focused and entertaining, without necessarily feeling as if they’re participating in a tacky gimmick. Owners and operators can charge a premium for a great night out, as long as they create a coherent narrative that makes sense, rather than feeling distracting.
The best themed restaurants London and the rest of the country have to offer are based around sensible concepts, authentic materials, bespoke furniture and more. This article will explain the basics of how a theme can work to an eatery’s advantage.
Define your narrative
Your theme restaurant should tell some sort of story. You can go for something more comprehensive, complete with a distinct, fictionalised story. Or, you can go for something looser and ingrained in a more personal or family history.
- Consider why the place exists and explore it in your design
- Sensory elements like smells, sounds and textural feelings
- Do not creep between themes that seem similar (e.g. Italian and Greek decorations)
It doesn’t matter if you’re going for something simpler or more ambitious; the theme has to feel consistent and make sense.
Prioritise authentic materials
The best themed venues bring in bespoke contract restaurant furniture and decorations that utilise relevant materials to their narratives. It’s important to choose pieces with details that guests will notice and enjoy throughout their visit. Elements such as real leather, heavy brass and cold stone table tops will help to ground the escapist experience in reality, especially in tactile areas.
- Fixed banquette seating can help to increase the sense of immersion
- Bespoke detailing is a great way to enhance the efficacy of furniture
- Custom pieces can achieve period style with modern performance materials
Investing in these detailed elements will help to make your space more memorable than the competition.
How to use lighting effectively as a narrative tool
The themes of restaurants need to be lit effectively, or all the other elements can’t be truly seen as the best possible representation of themselves.
- Lighting should be layered with task, ambient and accent lighting to ensure every aspect of the venue shines for what it is.
- Certain themes, such as Noir or Nautical, benefit from shadow play, with less-lit areas having impressive effects.
- Smart LED lighting can be used to shift mood throughout the night, perfect if there’s a musical or performance element to the restaurant.
Don’t subjugate lighting as a utilitarian tool; make it an integral part of the storytelling.
Making storytelling comprehensive in themed restaurants
Whatever the direction that you’ve chosen for your themed restaurant, it’s essential for the experience to feel consistent from the minute your guests walk in until the second they walk out the door. If they get a peek behind the curtain, the theme falls apart.
- Make modern infrastructure, such as POS terminals, fire extinguishers and speakers, discreet.
- Design the menu in line with the rest of the branding, and keep that typeface across various elements.
- Keep the interior design elements in mind across the bathroom design, as this is where a lot of ‘Instagramming’ gets done.
- Ensure that the service staff stay on theme, with elements like costumes, customer interactions and any tableside theatrical dishes/drinks.
Investing in details like these will ensure your guests feel more thoroughly immersed in the theme that you’ve curated for them. Whatever direction you choose to go in across the different types of themed dining experiences, a consistent narrative, authentic materials and furniture as well as smart lighting features will result in a quality time for your guests.
