Turning the Tables: The Psychology of Design for High-volume Restaurants

Environmental psychology can be applied to create restaurant settings that encourage and support high customer volume. That is, a restaurant's physical environment can be designed to encourage both fast table turns and high customer satisfaction using basic psychological principles. For example, high-traffic restaurants need to be arousing (i.e., affecting several senses at once) and should allow guests to control at least some aspects of their environment, such as with movable seating, while striking a balance between overand understimulation. Environmental elements that make the dining area seem busy and active can encourage high volume. Such elements include music (fast tempo and moderate loudness), lighting (bright; subtle spot lights; colored or flashing lights), table placement (easy to see other diners, always a busy appearance), and furnishings and finishes (interesting yet not-quite-comfortable seating, easy to clean between table turns). The use of color and scent (both indoors and out) can also both attract patrons and enhance the dining experience.