Restaurant Design FAQ

In the first meeting we focus not on architectural details but on the restaurant's hospitality concept and goals. We outline the project together through questions about the product, the target audience and the intended location. Most of our clients reach us after researching our completed projects or through the recommendation of clients we have worked with. Related page: Contact.

The first thing we look at is not the drawing, but how the space will work. When product, target audience, service flow and surroundings come together, spatial decisions begin to take shape on their own. The drawing is the last step, where we put these decisions on paper. Related page: Designing a Restaurant.

No. We are not tied to a particular movement or a single style. Each brand's own identity, target audience and surroundings set the direction of the design, which is why the spaces we have designed look very different from one another. Our signature is not a style but a method. Related pages: From Shelter to Home: Architectural Design, About Us.

Of the more than 400 projects we have completed since 1993, around 300 are hospitality venues such as restaurants, cafés, bars and pubs. You can explore a selection of these on our restaurant and café projects page.

No, we are not limited to restaurants. Restaurant design is one of our strongest specialisms, but alongside architectural projects we design all kinds of commercial spaces: hotels, villas, offices, retail stores, homes, wedding venues, gyms and concert halls, for example. And we are with you not only in design but also in construction, from project and site coordination to turnkey delivery. We advise on matters beyond architecture, such as menu planning and operating systems, and provide consultancy by attending meetings with other project and engineering teams, such as mechanical and electrical, on our client's behalf. Related pages: Interior Architecture Service, Architecture Service.

Yes. Café projects are, together with restaurant design, one of the areas we work in most. For example, for OT Kafe we have designed 28 projects to date, and the brand's first concept was ours too. In a café, the process starts with the same analysis as in a restaurant: we read the business strategy, how the space will operate and what guests expect, all together. The difference is that a café has a life that spans the whole day. The morning coffee and the late-night conversation happen in the same space, so the concept has to build a shared language for feelings that change throughout the day, not just for a single moment. Once that language is built correctly, we reinterpret it with the same identity in every new branch as the brand grows. Related page: restaurant and café projects.

Yes. Our studio is in Moda, Kadıköy, but our projects are spread across Türkiye and Europe. In Ankara alone, for example, we have designed more than 50 restaurants, cafés and commercial spaces since 1999. In Europe, we have completed 22 projects, mainly in the Netherlands and Germany. Related page: International Projects.

Both. Most clients come to us wanting a new, contemporary concept, but we also often take on the renovation and redesign of projects we designed 5–10 years ago. Related page: OT Kafe Çanakkale.

We set the fee per project; floor area alone is not the measure. The size of the space, the scope of the concept and the extent of the service we take on shape the fee. The project's location matters too: whether it is in the city or outside it, in Türkiye or abroad, directly affects the scope of the process. Our site surveys within Istanbul are free of charge. Related page: Interior Architecture Service.

We complete the preliminary design in about 5–7 days on average; within 3–5 days of approval, rough works (walls, any demolition, etc.) can begin on site. From then on the process runs in parallel: under our project manager, two architects/interior architects work at the same time, one drawing technical details such as plumbing and electrics while the other prepares the 3D design and presentation. The design takes 30–40 days in total, by which time the site is already well under way. Including design, the total time from start to opening is usually 90–150 days. Related page: Restaurant Design.

Not always. With two façades, a corner unit is more visible and gets more natural light. But the rent is usually higher, and the more glazing there is, the less wall is left for the kitchen, storage and fixed furniture. It is a strong advantage for a business that relies on passing foot traffic, but much less decisive for a restaurant that guests seek out deliberately. Related page: Choosing a Location for a Restaurant.

You need to see the area not in a single visit but at every hour the restaurant will be open. Morning, noon and evening, weekdays and weekends bring different people there for different reasons. A street that is busy during the day may empty out in the evening, while a quiet-looking street sometimes comes alive at night. The right decision comes after seeing the area's real rhythm of use. Related page: Choosing a Location for a Restaurant.

It depends on the business model. For a restaurant whose guests mostly come by car, especially for dinner, parking or valet service is a real advantage. For a quick-service café on a street with heavy foot traffic, it matters much less. When deciding, consider how the target guest will get to the restaurant. Related page: Choosing a Location for a Restaurant.

First, how the unit is registered in the title deed. Under Turkish condominium law, opening a restaurant in a unit registered as residential requires the unanimous consent of all owners in the building; a single objection can stop the whole investment. The building's management plan may also restrict restaurant use. The lease term should also be long enough for the investment to pay back. Related page: Choosing a Location for a Restaurant.

Usually not. Although it depends on the menu, the kitchen equipment in particular, along with refrigeration, ventilation and air-conditioning systems, creates a significant electrical load. Increasing the contracted capacity requires the distribution company's approval, which means time and cost. That is why you should ask about electrical capacity, the flue route and wastewater infrastructure before signing the lease. Related page: Restaurant Technical Infrastructure.

Sometimes, but not always. If the existing kitchen, ventilation and services suit the new business's menu and capacity, the savings can be significant. If not, the cost of rebuilding the infrastructure comes on top of the takeover fee. So before taking over, always inspect the condition of the equipment and whether the technical infrastructure suits the new business. Related page: Cost of Opening a Restaurant.

Without compromising the language of the concept, it is possible to find budget alternatives for some joinery and material items. But you should not cut corners on ventilation, electrics, water and wastewater, or on the kitchen layout. Fixing these systems later means breaking walls, opening ceilings and closing the business, so it ends up costing far more than the initial saving. Related pages: Cost of Opening a Restaurant, Restaurant Technical Infrastructure.

In the first meeting, only a rough framework is possible. The cost becomes clearer step by step as the site analysis, concept, capacity, kitchen plan and technical infrastructure are defined. Once the construction drawings are complete, a realistic budget emerges from the material and work items. So figures given at an early stage should be seen not as a final budget but as an initial estimate. Related page: Cost of Opening a Restaurant.

In our experience with restaurant projects, technical infrastructure accounts for roughly 10 to 20 percent of the total investment. We see 10 percent as reasonable, 15 percent as optimal and 20 percent as the upper limit. Kitchens with heavy hot production, or buildings whose infrastructure needs to be renewed from scratch, can fall outside this range. Related pages: Cost of Opening a Restaurant, Restaurant Technical Infrastructure.

In an average restaurant, rent is about 10 percent of turnover, produce 35–38 percent, labour 25–27 percent and energy 3–5 percent. Excluding taxes and commissions, costs reach 75–85 percent of turnover. For details, see our article on restaurant operating costs in our journal.

The exhaust outlet should be planned where the air will not be directed at neighbouring windows and living spaces, usually at roof level. Cleaning the hood filters regularly and, where necessary, using additional odour and grease filtration systems also matter. Because complaints from neighbours make both operations and the licensing process harder, the flue route should be assessed as early as the location selection stage. Related page: Restaurant Technical Infrastructure.

A grease trap is a pre-treatment device that slows down the flow of wastewater so that, thanks to the difference in density, grease and fats collect on the surface and solids settle at the bottom. Grease can solidify as it cools, so the accumulated grease and sludge must be cleaned out regularly for the system to work efficiently. Because grease clogs drains and the municipal network over time, water and sewerage authorities usually require a grease trap for businesses that prepare food. Its size depends on the kitchen's production volume. Related page: Restaurant Technical Infrastructure.

No. When the kitchen is visible, fire, movement and preparation can become a stage for guests to watch. In return, the kitchen's noise, smells, equipment and staff movement are also carried into the dining room. That is why, when deciding where the kitchen goes, we first read how the business will work; in some spaces the kitchen should come forward, in others it should stay in the background. Choosing an open kitchen also changes the technical set-up: the hood and fresh-air system are designed to keep the air balance between dining room and kitchen, exposed ducts become part of the design, and acoustics and lighting are considered together with the dining room. The decision should be made by the concept itself. Related page: Restaurant Technical Infrastructure.

We see furniture not as a shopping list but as the instruments of a composition. First we write the concept, the feeling the space will describe; this is the lyrics and score of the composition. We also set out the seating layout at this stage, and it has two layers. Its form, meaning the number, type and arrangement of tables, comes from the product itself, the service model and what the target guest expects. A long meal of shared plates and a dinner where dishes arrive one by one do not call for the same table. Its style, the language in which the layout is built, carries the feeling the concept describes. Form determines how the space will work, style how it will feel; in good design we resolve both within the same decision. Lighting takes shape together with this layout, in the same drawing. When the composition is complete, every design element, from table to chair and from light fitting to the wood on the wall, becomes an instrument. We only order the furniture, joinery and details once each one's place in the whole is clear. Related pages: Restaurant Design, Restaurant and Café Lighting.

Capacity is not a number but a balance. For the business, the number of tables determines turnover; for the space, the gaps between tables set its rhythm. Tightly packed tables create energy and movement; generous spacing promises privacy and a long evening. We find the right density by reading the feeling the concept describes together with the flow of service, because the space between tables is a designed space too. Related page: Choosing a Location for a Restaurant.

The chair is the guest's most direct contact with the space. It carries the body and shapes how people sit, and therefore how long they stay. That is why we choose the chair first by the language of the concept: through its form, proportions, material and relationship with light, it should join the rhythm of the room. An upright, light chair tells of a quick rhythm; a soft chair that wraps around the back tells of a long evening. Durability is a precondition of this decision, but the concept is what makes it. For example, at Düveroğlu and Balıkçıköy Fahri, even when the chair fabrics wore out, no one had the heart to change their colours, because those colours now belonged to the memory of the space. Related page: Emotion and Belonging in Interior Architecture.

A space's own proportions often call for its own details, which is why we design most of the furniture specifically for each project. Banquettes, bar counters, service stations and fixed furniture are an extension of the architecture; they come from the proportions of the space and the language of the concept. For some tables and chairs, we choose proven design pieces that respond to the concept. The criterion is the same in both cases: each piece has to join the voice of the whole. Our custom designs are produced by our manufacturers in Türkiye, and abroad we manage installation on site. Related page: International Projects.

We choose materials not as surface finishes but as instruments that carry the feeling the concept describes. The warmth of wood, the weight of stone, the coolness of metal: each produces a different feeling when it meets light. That is why we think about materials together with light, shadow, sound and touch: a surface the hand touches, a detail at eye level, a shadow falling on the table. A guest's sense of belonging often comes from these quiet decisions. A well-chosen material ages over time but does not lose its identity; with use, it becomes part of the memory of the space. How it stands up to heavy service, cleaning and fire safety is the technical basis of this choice; we address the fire rating of materials at the design stage. Related page: Emotion and Belonging in Interior Architecture.

Yes. We share the design through a 3D presentation together with photos of the materials we will use. After approval, we can also prepare a material board or samples on request. Seeing a texture on screen is not the same as holding it in your hand. Related page: Emotion and Belonging in Interior Architecture.

Yes. The menu shows what the restaurant offers, how it prepares the product and how it serves it. Many decisions, such as the kitchen–dining room relationship, storage and seating layout, are shaped directly by it. Related page: Designing a Restaurant.

The target audience directly affects the seating layout, lighting, acoustics and table spacing. Someone coming in for a quick morning coffee does not expect the same from a space as someone coming for a long evening conversation. Related page: Choosing a Location for a Restaurant.

We strike this balance by resolving aesthetics and operations within the same design decision. For us, beauty and efficiency are not alternatives to each other, and over the years we have seen again and again in our restaurants how important this is. The dining room the guest sees and the areas used by the kitchen, service and staff are in fact parts of the same system. In OT Kafe and 6:45 Standart Coffee projects, we looked not only at how the seating area looks, but also at how people move from the moment they enter until they sit down, how service travels from kitchen to table, and how staff move in the meantime. Because once a restaurant opens, the real test of the design begins. Table spacing that looks right on paper may not be enough on a busy evening, and a service point that looks good can needlessly lengthen staff movement. Related page: Designing a Restaurant.

Yes, and we account for this from the start. In the morning natural light takes the lead, while in the evening artificial light and sound create a different atmosphere. We make lighting and acoustic decisions with this daily change in mind. Related page: Restaurant and Café Lighting.

Acoustics directly affect how music, conversation, kitchen and service sounds mix once the space fills up, so it is something we need to address from the very start of restaurant design. We feel this especially in busy restaurants: as the number of tables grows, hard surfaces multiply, or sound absorption in ceilings and walls is not considered, people can find it hard to hear each other. That is why we don't see acoustics as something to fix later. Material choices, ceilings, walls, furniture and table layout all affect it from the outset. For example, at Dorock XL, in Beşiktaş, the stage, bar and social areas shared the same volume, so we addressed the acoustics from the very beginning. Design is not only about how a space looks but also about how people feel inside it. When a project requires it, we also work with external consultants in specialist fields such as acoustics. In the end, a good restaurant should not just look good; it should be a place where people can talk comfortably, hear each other and carry their own voice.

Whether it is a coffee bar or a service counter, the bar is the centre of light and movement in the room. We plan the length of the counter, the service flow and the lighting of the shelves behind it together; the way guests approach the counter is part of this plan too. In live music venues, we resolve the stage and the bar within the same plan and address acoustics from the start. Related page: restaurant, café and bar projects.

No. What makes a space strong is not how much is put into it, but that everything works to the same rhythm. When details from different stories sit side by side, the space loses its own voice; so a detail that does not belong to the concept does not enter the space, however beautiful it is. For us, every detail is a note; its place is decided by what the composition needs. Sometimes not using a material, leaving a wall empty or choosing a simpler light makes a space stronger, because silence is part of the rhythm too. In OT Kafe and 6:45 Standart Coffee, too, we did not collect individually eye-catching elements; we wanted the whole to build its own language. What matters is not the amount of detail but why it is there. Related page: Emotion and Belonging in Interior Architecture.

There is no ready-made formula; every restaurant has its own guests, habits and life. Across OT Kafe branches, 6:45 Kaybedenler Kulübü's bars and live music venues, the 6:45 Standart Coffee shops, the BeyMen branches in the Netherlands and Germany and other restaurant projects, we see the same thing again and again: the same table, chair or light does not resonate with every guest in the same way. In one place, people want to eat quickly and move on; in another, they want to spend a long evening, talk and be together. That is why, before we start designing, we don't just ask "how should it look?"; we look for the answer to "what kind of life will be lived in this space?" Decisions such as table spacing, seating, light, materials, colour, sound and circulation then take shape around that life. In good restaurant design, what we want guests to say in the end is not just "this place is beautiful" but "I feel good here". Related page: Emotion and Belonging in Interior Architecture.

Yes. The outdoor area is the continuation of the interior, opening onto the street or the view, and we design it with the same concept. At Florya, in Amsterdam, we designed the canal-side terrace; at Kampüs, on Beşiktaş Meydan, we designed the open-air dining area.

From the entrance to the table, and from circulation to the washrooms, we plan for accessible use from the start, according to the needs of the project. Feeling that you belong somewhere starts with being able to get in comfortably. BeyMen Restaurant in Dortmund is one example.

Brand identity is a defining element that should be felt in the materials, light, furniture, colours and details of the space. But it doesn't need to "shout" in the same way everywhere. We have never believed a brand can be conveyed in a space just by putting up its logo. In our BeyMen projects too, we had to preserve the brand's identity across different locations while respecting each venue's own conditions and surroundings. A brand looking the same everywhere is not the same as building the same space everywhere. For us, the better approach is to create an atmosphere where guests can say "this belongs to that brand" without seeing the logo. Sometimes you feel a brand identity in a colour, sometimes only in the language of the materials, the light and the space.

Yes. On request, we develop the brand identity in the same process as the space. The logo, menu, packaging and the entire graphic language of the space evolve together with the architectural decisions. This way we design the brand and the space not separately but as a single language, and the brand speaks with one voice in the space from day one. Related pages: Restaurant Design, About Us.

Yes. The façade is the restaurant's first sentence on the street. We plan the position of the entrance, the glazing, the signage and how much of the interior is visible from outside together with the concept. Some venues gain character with an open, inviting façade, others with a more controlled entrance that sparks curiosity. Related page: Choosing a Location for a Restaurant.

Not with a copied template, but with an architectural language. This language has defined materials, proportions, light and details, but in every branch it is reinterpreted for its neighbourhood, building and guests. That way, whichever branch you walk into, you feel you are inside the same brand. We have tested this approach longest with OT and 6:45: OT Kafe has 28 projects by us, and 6:45 Kaybedenler Kulübü 21 venues under its umbrella brand. We carry a brand with the same identity from a 40 m² café to an 800 m² restaurant. Related page: Designing a Restaurant.

On behalf of the franchisor, we inspect the candidate premises on site, assessing the location, the proportions of the space and the technical infrastructure (electrical capacity, flue route, wastewater, kitchen area). Where we find a site unsuitable, we state our reasons clearly, and the franchisor asks the candidate to investigate whether these issues can be resolved. This puts the decision on a technical footing before the contract is signed. We were at the table in this role in the franchise negotiations of OT, 6:45 and 6:45 Standart Coffee. Related pages: Cüneyt Onur on Restaurants and Franchising, Restaurant Technical Infrastructure.

Yes. Depending on the project's needs, we work with three models: project and site coordination, partial turnkey and full turnkey. With full turnkey, the whole team, including the site manager, and all the works are our responsibility; we take the space we designed from its raw state and hand it over complete and ready to use. We describe the models in detail on our restaurant design page in the service models section.

In our international projects, once the design is approved, we manage not just purchasing but the entire manufacturing process: we place the orders, inspect production, export and arrange installation on site. Furniture, custom lighting and custom metalwork are produced by manufacturers in Türkiye. At times we also run window, awning and pergola works under our own coordination and control. During the process we make 2–3 site visits for interim checks. Once all the manufactured items have been delivered abroad, we travel to the project for site and installation coordination, manage the process on site and hand it over. Related pages: International Projects, Restaurant Design.

Lighting directly affects the colours of the materials, how the food looks and how time at the table feels. That is why we don't see it as fittings chosen at the end of the design. Using the intensity, colour, direction and shadow of light, we design how the space will make guests feel. Light is part of the restaurant's atmosphere, of how the food is perceived and of the guest's relationship with the space. Related page: Restaurant and Café Lighting.

Because light is not the last layer of a space but one of its first decisions. When we design light, we design shadow too: which surface will glow, which will recede, and how light will fall on the guest's face and plate build the feeling the concept describes. This plan takes shape together with the seating layout. Once electrical installation has begun, a light point in the wrong place spoils both light and shadow, and fixing it means opening the ceiling again. That is why we complete the lighting design in the same drawing as the furniture layout, before the services go in. Related pages: Restaurant and Café Lighting, Restaurant Technical Infrastructure.

The right Kelvin value depends on the type of venue and the atmosphere we want to create. Reference values: quick-service restaurant 3000–3500K, casual dining 2700–3000K, fine dining 2200–2700K, café 2700–3200K, bar area 2200–2700K, kitchen 4000–5000K. But these are starting references for the design, not a recipe. Different materials, colours, furniture and daylight conditions can make the same Kelvin value look different. 2700K light, for example, creates one feeling in a warm, wood-dominated space and quite another in a space dominated by stone, metal and dark colours. Warm light creates a more intimate atmosphere in many concepts, but it is not always the right choice; the right value depends on the space's materials, wall colours, furniture and daylight. Related page: Restaurant and Café Lighting.

Lux expresses the amount of light reaching a surface and is an important reference for assessing lighting levels. But in spaces where atmosphere matters, such as restaurants and cafés, looking only at the overall lux value is not enough. How light is distributed in the space, which surfaces it highlights and where it leaves shadow are also important parts of the design. Distribution needs to be designed as much as intensity. Lighting every surface evenly removes depth; when light and shadow work together, materials, surfaces and volumes look quite different. Related page: Restaurant and Café Lighting.

CRI is the colour rendering index, used to assess how accurately a light source shows colours. This matters especially in restaurants, because light illuminates not only the architecture but also the food arriving at the table. The properties of the light we use can make the colour, texture and freshness of food look different. That is why, especially in restaurants where presentation is an important part of the experience, we consider a CRI of 90 or above a good reference. Related page: Restaurant and Café Lighting.

Dimmable light matters because it lets a restaurant create different atmospheres at different times, such as lunch and dinner service. We don't use restaurants in the same way throughout the day, and the bar, dining area or private areas don't have to work with the same lighting scenario. That is why, where possible, we prefer dimmable fittings and zoned control systems. Related page: Restaurant and Café Lighting.

No. A restaurant's dining area, bar, entrance, circulation areas and kitchen can have different needs. We decide which of general, local, functional and indirect lighting to emphasise according to the concept of the space, its purpose and the atmosphere we want to create. Related page: Restaurant and Café Lighting.

Not on its own. How a fitting gives light matters as much as how it looks: we need to assess the direction, distribution, intensity, colour temperature and controllability of the light together. Sometimes a small table lamp defines the character of a space; in another project, an invisible indirect light can create a stronger atmosphere. Related page: Restaurant and Café Lighting.