Bad Design

You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig.

Yes, there is always more than one solution to a design dilemma. But there are some basic considerations that need to be thought out before you start designing.

Too often, the overall building footprint and schematic layout of the space are established by the architect or designer to “get a sense of how the space will work”, before the design program is clearly defined.  Then schedules and time constraints prevent meaningful rethinking and changes to this plan.  The result is a missed opportunity to create a business that can function well and maximize revenue.

Example #1: A new on-mountain restaurant opened at a local ski resort. It has a great location, high traffic and varied terrain attracting a broad market. Perfect for that late morning coffee or Irish coffee break, mid-day cocktails and lunch or end of day snacks and drinks with friends before heading down to the base lodge.  You would expect this lodge to have a great bar, ample seating, easy circulation for socializing, and be well equipped and for the expected high volume.  Unfortunately, you would be disappointed. There is a small bar tucked in a corner, dead ends limiting social cruising and limited seating.  The space allocated to the café works, although it doesn’t allow for any specialty cooking stations which may have added to check averages. You can see from how the customers move around that the circulation is awkward and uncomfortable.  Clearly a missed opportunity.

Example #2: A hotel was renovating a meeting room off a large patio and pool deck into a bar and grill. A great idea to create another revenue source in this area. The grill was supported by the main kitchen, so it was essentially a small finishing kitchen. The bar was open to the patio and pool deck. The designer immediately went to work drawing in a bar and kitchen without the benefit of a clearly defined program or operating requirements.  The equipment dealer then fitted out the kitchen with basic stuff – cook line, dish area, beverage station – with the understanding that the main kitchen would handle all the prep and general storage. The designer presented the schematic plan to the management team. What could possibly go wrong with this small grill space?  Once the concept was fleshed out by the operational team, it was clear that the bar should have been the main feature, larger and centralized.  The circulation within the kitchen was awkward with unnecessary cross traffic and the beverage station was split into two areas. Another missed opportunity.

So the questions that come to mind are, “Who developed the design program? Did they understand their market? Was the building footprint or space limited by site conditions and who established the priorities?”

Why did the designer even attempt a schematic design without asking these essential questions?

When the operator raised these issues, the design team stressed that they could make refinements but that time was tight and they needed to get engineering drawings and into the permit process quickly to meet the construction schedule.

The lesson here is to take the time to clearly define your design program and operating requirements. Be sure the design team knows and understands these documents and what your priorities are.

Restaurants must work – front and back of house.  Consider how guests move through a space – their first reaction as they enter the restaurant, interact with the host, get to the bar, move to their table, and how servers get from the kitchen to the bar and to tables.  Understand the flow of products from receiving through storage, prep, bulk cooking, holding, finishing, plating, service and the return of soiled ware. Think through the support activities that must occur – employee areas, utilities, management, etc.

The guest’s experience and their interaction with the space, other guests and staff is a big topic of conversation in today’s digital, hands-free world. Understand their needs and priorities so you can design a functional space.

If the overall flow of the space does not work, no interior design magic can correct that.

While your Design Program identifies all the needed spaces and ideal sizes (an essential first step), how this puzzle is put together will determine how well it functions.