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Café & Restaurant

We know that casual dining is a diverse, dynamic sector where attracting customers takes energy and originality.

From artisan start-ups and independent coffee shops to emerging brands and high-street bistros – café culture and casual dining is an increasingly vibrant part of our communities.

As owners, you’re always pushing creative boundaries to win customers and keep them coming back. By applying the principles of good interior design, we can help you create a space that wows your customers and grows your business.

How we can help you

Looking at things from both a commercial and customer perspective to make your space that’s as efficient as it is inspiring – we can help you function to your maximum potential without compromising on design.

Applying our imagination and understanding of commercial interiors to create memorable restaurant and café experiences that people enjoy being a part of.

Working collaboratively – by understanding your brand, your creative influences and your business goals, we can make the most of your space  and your budget.

Achieving operational efficiency with good design

Achieving operational efficiency requires meticulous planning and well-informed insights. We always collaborate closely to understand your process from a customer perspective and identify the most effective workflow for staff. Our design for Meli, a new coffee shop and patisserie located in the McCarther Glen Designer outlet, is a great example. 

During peak shopping times, the café predicted very high volume, potentially resulting in queues. To manage this, we thought carefully about the location, size, design and functionality of the counter. Our solution? A bespoke counter, designed to allow customers access to explore the product range and positioned to influence their navigation of the space, encouraging a natural flow through the café.

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Maximising comfort and capacity with a strong seating strategy 

Whether you’re refurbishing or designing from scratch, seating is a big strategic decision; it shapes the aesthetic and impacts service efficiency. We’ll work with you to strike the right balance between customer comfort and potential profit. In our experience, maximising revenue isn’t about squeezing more people in – if customers are relaxed and comfortable, they’re more likely to spend. 

For dessert café Holmes Sweet Homes, our seating strategy started by examining the needs, wants and habits of a diverse customer group. We included high-level bar seating by the window for customers popping in for a quiet coffee or to work. For families and groups, looking for a full dessert experience, we created booth seating with a 1950s American diner twist.

Customer seating areas at Holmes Sweet Home
Booths and customer seating areas at Holmes Sweet Home

Creating Instagram-worthy interiors

Brand-new dessert café Holmes Sweet Homes knew that getting shares on social media would initiate conversations about their experience and inspire others to visit. So, as well as creating a relaxed feel for a diverse customer base, our interior design needed to be contemporary with a hint of playfulness – we wanted the space to be a visual backdrop to showcase the café’s amazing desserts, ice-creams and coffees. 

As designers, we love exploring creative options to bring your brand to life in your interior design aesthetic. That could be lighting, colours, materials, flooring and fittings. Or we might introduce bespoke furniture, backdrops, murals, neon graphics or installations – a unique area or interesting feature can make your space infinitely more Instagramable.

Seating area in the Holmes Sweet Homes coffee shop, designed by Retail Experience Design
Bar style seating area in Holmes Sweet Homes Cafe interior

Ready to start your own redesign?

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Need some inspiration? Take a look at some of our work.

There are no boundaries to what good design can achieve for your space and your business. Take a look at some of our work.

Close up of a coffee on a table in a beautiful cafe interior

Holmes Sweet Home

Café & Restaurant

Meli (McArthurGlen)

Café & Restaurant

ITJL

Café & Restaurant

Other sectors

Design for every space. Our experience is as broad as it is deep.