Visiting a restaurant is one of the most popular outings for people of all ages. The excitement of trying new food (or the comfort of relishing in your favorite dish), the social atmosphere, and more can all make this experience one to remember.
However, for restaurants as a business, making sure that customers remember you for the right reasons is paramount. Did you know that privacy screens can be a secret weapon to level up your restaurant’s comfort and function?
A space that is comfortable and easy to navigate is just as important as the quality of the food you serve; in fact, studies show that an uncomfortable restaurant, such as one that is too loud, can lower visitors’ ratings of the taste or appeal of their food. To promote a positive interaction, restaurants can utilize privacy screens to create a sense of comfort and flow.
Here’s how.
Increase Diner Privacy
As their name might suggest, privacy screens are good at, and primarily used for, privacy. Your diners may feel exposed if they have to eat in a wide open space in view of dozens of other tables. This exposure reduces feelings of intimacy and care, which may make them less willing to engage with others at their table for fear of being overheard.
Consider using privacy screens to give guests some solitude. This does not mean they need to be fully enclosed, vanishing from sight entirely. Instead, small, partitioned areas can be used to break a section of seats away from the main room, making their table feel protected, well taken care of, and comfortable.
Decrease Noise Exposure
Another important factor to consider when evaluating the guest experience is noise. Restaurants can be noisy places by nature. The clanking of utensils, pots and pans banging in the kitchen, the hum of guests’ conversations, music, and sound from outside the restaurant can all combine to make the dining experience rather uncomfortable.
Privacy screens can go a long way toward decreasing this noise. They interrupt the paths of sound waves by blocking customers entirely, preventing more of them from reaching guests’ ears. They can also alter the quality of the sound, making a space feel less “tinny” or shrill by reducing echoes.
Define Sectors
Some restaurants may offer multiple types of service or designated areas for specific purposes. Rather than marking these areas with different tablecloths or table markers, consider defining the sectors of your restaurant using privacy screens.
Do you want one portion of your seating to be reserved for people coming in for a quick bite or the daily special, while your larger area is dedicated to those who plan to stay for a more substantial meal? Rather than forcing these two groups to mingle, consider a partition to keep each of them in the atmosphere that suits their visit.
Streamline the Layout
For restaurants, layout can be a significant challenge. The space needs to be easy to navigate, yet still feel organic and visually pleasing. Placing tables in straight lines can leave large swaths of wasted square footage, but spreading them for more efficient spacing may leave customers forced to weave through tables (and around other guests) to get anywhere.
Privacy screens can create clearly delineated walking paths for both employees and guests without compromising on effective space usage. Now, your guests do not need to get lost on the way out the door or struggle to return to their table, either because they are lost or because they cannot see a clear path.
Improve Aesthetics
While privacy screens deliver many practical advantages, they can also serve as a powerful aesthetic element in your restaurant. These tall installations offer significant square footage for additional decoration, affording your business the opportunity to embrace its visual identity. Colors, patterns, logos, and more can all be printed directly on a privacy screen to unify the space.
Additionally, consider how to blend a beautiful aesthetic with your restaurant’s distinctive identity. What would happen if you printed your regular menu in a graceful font or chic letters directly on your screens? This may contribute a sense of refinement, that you are committed to what you offer.
Try Privacy Screens to See the Difference They Can Make
Privacy screens are a valuable tool for creating comfort and flow in restaurant spaces. They are accessible, both in terms of budget and installation, as they do not require you to knock down walls or expand doorways.
They can be moved at any time, so if you change your restaurant layout, you can use your privacy screens again with no issue. Contact Tree Towns to explore how privacy screens can enhance your restaurant space, or to get started on a customized order!