If you’re opening a new restaurant or planning to redesign an existing food space, it’s essential to get the design right to attract your ideal customers. But designing your dream food business while working on a tight budget is no easy feat.
When your finances don’t stretch as far as you’d like and you’re working with a small space, your restaurant layout can be limited, preventing you from setting up the dining room of your dreams. If you’re looking for low-budget small restaurant design ideas, you’ve come to the right place.
With our handy design tips and suggestions, we’ll help you make the most of your restaurant space and keep spending to a minimum. We’ll provide restaurant decor ideas and low-cost design tips that will help you improve the customer experience and create a restaurant look you can be proud of.
Keep reading for our top 10 low-budget small restaurant design tips.
One of the best restaurant interior design ideas is to focus your restaurant decor on a specific theme. Opting for minimalism is excellent if you’re low on funds and space. The simple design elements of minimalism mean it’s an inexpensive way to decorate your eatery.
Paint the walls in a neutral color — keep it light so your interior doesn’t feel dark or gloomy. Opt for an open-plan dining room to ensure your restaurant interior feels airy and spacious, even if it’s not.
Essential furniture made from inexpensive materials can also help you create a minimalist vibe. Look for pine tables and chairs (it’s usually cheaper than oak), and keep them free from clutter. Save money by opting out of tablecloths — simply wipe tables clean between customers.
Minimalism can be excellent for high-end restaurants, as its clean, fresh aesthetic lends itself well to luxury. However, if you run a more relaxed business like a cozy bistro or fast-food restaurant, it’s probably not the best option.
If you want to create a trendy space with a more homey atmosphere, you don’t have to spend big bucks. Search your local thrift stores and look on secondhand marketplaces to find everything you need. You can decorate your food business with a mishmash of chairs, tables, crockery, and cutlery to create an eclectic, maximalist look without spending too much. Buying secondhand is also an easy way to boost your sustainability credentials — it’s a win-win!
Bringing in more greenery is an easy way to create ambiance in your restaurant. Indoor plants can add to a small restaurant’s atmosphere without taking up much room.
Install shelves up high and purchase climbing houseplants that hang nicely — something like a philodendron or a pothos works well here. You can also add large ferns to any spare floor space. Indoor plants like these will add a pop of color without taking up too much room. They can even help purify your air.
You can also add a vase of fresh flowers to each table. Talk to your local florist to see if you can set up a regular purchase discount or deal.
Ambient lighting can greatly improve the dining experience for your customers. Bright lights can be too harsh — and can be more expensive to run. However, you don’t want your dining area to be too dark either, as this makes it difficult for customers to see their food and can make the place feel a bit gloomy. Try to strike the right balance.
Natural light is best — and it’s free! — but don’t worry if you don’t have large windows to let the light in. Search secondhand furniture stores for pendant lights, vintage chandeliers, or other lighting fixtures. Find something that works with your theme and install it.
You can also add candles to tables for extra ambiance.
Another great low-budget small restaurant design idea is to look at the work of local artists for your wall art and decorations. You can set up a small gallery space in your restaurant to showcase the artists’ work and offer them for sale. By doing this, you’ll be able to decorate your dining room free of charge, as you’re acting as an intermediary for the sale of the artists’ work.
Reach out to artists through their social media platforms and see what deal you can strike up.
Alternatively, you can add some color to your interior by making your own accent wall. This can be as simple as a different paint color, but you can also go more crafty with your DIY project.
Look online for accent wall inspiration. Templates and stencils are available to let you add complex designs to an otherwise dull wall.
While we’re on the topic of DIY, another inexpensive restaurant design idea is to create your own signage. Hiring a graphic designer can be pricey — they’re the experts, after all. So, if you’re really looking to cut costs, you can design your own sign for the front of your restaurant. Plenty of online tools exist that can help you find the best typography and style.
Another excellent space-saving tip is to run a self-service restaurant. With KioskBuddy, you can easily set up a self-ordering kiosk to let customers place and pay for their own orders. This means you don’t need a full checkout station. By mounting a tablet with a Square Kiosk mount, you’ll have more space to squeeze in an extra table or a couple of chairs.
KioskBuddy works with POS systems and synchronizes with various kitchen display screens (KDSs). Once customers place their orders, it appears immediately on the KDS. This is another convenient solution for smaller restaurants, as it means your front-of-house team doesn’t have to meander their way through a crowded dining room to take the order to the kitchen.
Mirrors can be an excellent way to make a space look bigger.
Large mirrors are best — though these can be prohibitively expensive. If you can’t afford a big mirror, you could hang several smaller mirrors on the same wall to create a gallery effect. Not only will this work as an accent wall and add intrigue to your interior design, but you’ll also be able to force perspective and make your dining room feel bigger than it is.
Another low-budget small restaurant design tip is to work on your bar design. If your floor plan allows, you can add a seating area at the bar itself. You’ll be able to seat extra diners in every service run, and you might also find that bar stools are more affordable than dining chairs, meaning you can add extra seating without breaking the bank.
There are several ways for restaurant owners to maximize space and save money when designing their restaurant space. It can be challenging, but with proper planning, you can create a small restaurant to be proud of, even if you’re on a tight budget.
Choose KioskBuddy to set up a self-ordering station in your restaurant. It’s easy to install and takes up very little space in your dining room, meaning you’ll have more room for other things. Prices start at just $50 per month.
Sign up for KioskBuddy today and enjoy 30 days free.