Tagged Articles
research
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Which Acoustical Solution has the Best ROI?
Creating a dining space that offers an appropriate amount of background noise while allowing diners to hear each other is always a challenge for designers. When asked which acoustical solution provides the best return on investment, 30% of restaurant development + design readers said they haven’t identified a clear solution yet!
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Which Tech Has the Greatest Impact on Restaurant Design Decisions?
Mobile ordering (and the attendant pickup) is the restaurant technology that has had the greatest impact on restaurant design decisions, according to 33% of restaurant development + design readers.
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Age is Just a Number, Baby!
Restaurant designers are not catering designs to a specific age group, according to the latest survey of restaurant development + design readers. Demographic influence is a careful balance, according to 46% of readers.
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Digital and Off-Premises Dining Still Dominating Operator Decisions
Digital ordering and, more broadly, off-premises dining, are having the greatest impact on restaurant development strategies, according to a restaurant development + design reader survey.
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Restroom Designs Trending Toward Privacy, Luxury
Restaurant restrooms are going to get finer, at least according to readers recently surveyed by restaurant development + design magazine. A whopping 41% of readers surveyed said that they expect restaurant restrooms to have luxury residential-inspired vibes with an emphasis on individual privacy over the next five years.
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What’s the First Thing Cut When Value Engineering?
When faced with budget constraints, 54% of restaurant development + design readers said that brand-defining design elements are the first things on the chopping block.
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Which Costs are Creating the Greatest Pressures in Restaurant Design in 2026?
In a survey fielded in June, 46% of readers of restaurant development + design said construction and material costs are the areas experiencing the greatest budget pressure in 2026 in restaurant design projects.
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Readers Weigh in on Project Budgets in 2026
Restaurant project budgets are moderately higher than they were two years ago, according to 45% of restaurant development + design readers surveyed in June.
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The Biggest Bar Design Trend of 2026? It’s Not Alcohol!
In a survey fielded in June, 35% of readers of restaurant development + design said expanding and designing for larger nonalcoholic beverage offerings is the top bar design trend of 2026.
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Rising Construction Costs Plague Restaurateurs
In a survey fielded in June, 45% of readers of restaurant development + design said rising construction costs was the biggest challenge affecting their restaurant design projects today.
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Which Design Element Undermines First Impressions in Restaurants?
In a survey fielded in May, 40% of readers of restaurant development + design said a space that is unpleasantly loud or noisy undermines a good first impression when entering a restaurant. Noise is a perennial complaint of diners.
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Readers' Name Top Restaurant Dining Room Trend for 2026
In a survey fielded in May, 33% of readers of restaurant development + design said that zoned restaurants — those with variations in dining areas to create new experiences during repeat visits — were the top dining room trend today. That means providing a mix of seating areas or nooks makes for a modern and comfortable dining room.
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Which Interior Restaurant Design Feature Attracts Repeat Guests?
While curb appeal may attract first-time guests, creating repeat customers appears to depend on something deeper: how a restaurant makes people feel — and whether it can deliver that experience consistently.
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What’s the Best way to Combat “Sameness” in Restaurant Designs?
Complaints of “sameness” in restaurant designs have circulated on social media and the broader culture for several years now.
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Restaurant Designers Name Exterior Elements Most Likely to Drive Traffic
In a reader survey fielded in May, 27% of respondents said overall architectural character are the exterior features most likely to influence whether a guest walks into a restaurant. That narrowly edged out “signage and branding,” which ranked second with 25% of respondents.
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Readers Expect Design Costs to Remain Steady in 2026
Most readers expect per-project design spend to stay the same (28%) or increase modestly (42%) in 2026 compared to 2025, according to a restaurant development + design reader survey fielded in March.
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Readers Look Ahead with Trepidation
In a survey fielded in March, 39% of restaurant development + design readers say they are “somewhat optimistic” about the industry’s outlook for 2026. Another 28% claim to be “neutral” about the industry’s 2026 outlook.
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2026 Operator Investment Priorities Center on the Back of House
As restaurant operators map out capital allocation for 2026, investment skews heavily toward operational performance, particularly in the back of the house, per a restaurant development + design reader survey fielded in March.
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Restaurant Development Plans Measured for Most in 2026
It appears as if 2026 will be a moderate year for restaurant development. That’s according to 52% of restaurant development + design readers participating in a March survey.
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Cautious Optimism: Readers Weigh in on Q1 2026
Readers of restaurant development + design are taking a careful posture in 2026.
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Identifying Sources of Inspiration
Restaurant designers are always looking for creative sparks, and 33% find inspiration in their client’s brand and story, per a restaurant development + design reader survey fielded in December 2025.
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Identifying the Most Creative Part of the Restaurant Design Process
Early concept development is the part of the design process that sparks the most creativity from 53% of restaurant development + design readers, according to a survey fielded in December 2025.
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Restaurant Designers Reveal Top Influences in Material Selection
In a survey fielded in December, readers of restaurant development + design magazine detailed what most influences their material and finish selections.
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How to Get Unstuck — Creatively
When asked what they do when they’re stuck, creatively speaking, 34% of readers of restaurant development + design magazine said they go visit restaurants and other hospitality spaces for inspiration.
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Nostalgia Named Top Design Driver for 2026
Nostalgia-driven aesthetics will be the most influential restaurant design style for 2026, according to 36% of restaurant development + design readers participating in a December 2025 survey.
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Readers Predict Moderate Growth for 2026
When asked what their company’s growth outlook is for 2026, 49% of restaurant development + design readers predict “moderate growth,” per a survey fielded in October.
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Which Design Trend Had the Greatest Impact on Restaurant Projects in 2025?
In a reader survey fielded in October, restaurant development + design magazine asked readers what design trend had the greatest impact on restaurant projects in 2025. The open-ended responses ranged from cheeky to sincere. Here's what they said.
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Costs of Construction Tops Concerns for 2026
The cost of construction and materials will be the most important factor in how operators allocate their budgets in 2026, according to 51% of restaurant development + design readers.
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Readers Report Stable to Moderate Growth in 2025
In a survey fielded in October, 36% of readers of restaurant development + design magazine reported moderate growth in their companies in 2025.
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Rising Costs Named Biggest Challenge of 2025
Rising construction and materials costs were the biggest challenge in 2025 for 30% of readers of restaurant development + design magazine, according to a survey fielded in October.