8 tips for fast-food restaurant design

The classic red and yellow arches may be iconic, but the landscape of fast-food design is undergoing a transformation. While efficiency remains key, restaurants are increasingly prioritizing aesthetics and creating a more inviting atmosphere to keep customers coming back.

Fast-food restaurants are embracing clean lines, natural light and pops of color to create a more comfortable dining experience. Think open floor plans with booths and high-top tables for socializing, alongside dedicated areas for mobile workers with easy access to outlets.

“Quality is so important these days and people notice it right away when you come into a restaurant,” said Dan Wilson, a licensed architect and restaurant division lead of architectural design firm Tessere. He added that since the COVID-19 pandemic, fast-food restaurants have been geared toward people on the go who don’t want to dine-in.

“Everything that’s happening in a restaurant gives you an impression of the place (and) whether or not you’re going to come back,” he added.

Technology is also taking center stage. Interactive digital menu boards allow for easy customization and upselling, while self-order kiosks streamline the ordering process, reducing wait times. These features cater to a tech-savvy generation and free up staff to focus on customer service.

“Automation is really important,” said Beau Jarvis, an architect and project manager for Tessere. “Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers has a stand in which they put carryout orders and customers can grab them without needing to interact with an employee. “It’s creating options for customers.”

The drive-thru, a mainstay of fast food, is also evolving. Dual lanes and designated pick-up areas for mobile orders are becoming commonplace to handle the growing volume of takeout traffic. Some chains are even experimenting with express lanes for specific items, like coffee or fries.

Here are eight tips for creating a fast-food restaurant landscape that will please guests and employees alike.

Brand identity in your fast-food restaurant design

Your franchise will most likely have several designs to choose from, but you want to design your space to reflect your brand identity. Use colors, textures and furniture that creates the feeling you want to evoke (fun, family-friendly, modern or stately). You’ll want to choose the layout that best suits your site and your neighborhood.

Wilson said earth tones are becoming dated as new designs focus on grays, black and white for a clean, sophisticated look. Taco Bell, a Tessere client, used to do earth tones but chooses a clean look today.

Every brand is different. Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers uses its signature hue, red, as pops of color with white throughout its restaurants, giving them a vibrant, consistent look, Jarvis said. Freddy’s has a stainless steel countertop that offers a clean and linear ambience.

Efficiency is key

Fast food is about speed, efficiency and convenience. Design a clear traffic flow for customers to order, pay, receive food and dispose of waste. If possible, try to leave a separate area for customers to pick up their food. In-N-Out has a long counter with registers for customers to order and then a section of the counter as they call out numbers for orders.

Menu boards

Make your menu boards easy to read with clear fonts, high-quality images and enticing descriptions. Consider digital menu boards for flexibility. You’re also going to want to maintain your menu boards, so if a light goes out it is repaired quickly so customers can easily read them.

Fast-food restaurant design seating

Offer a variety of seating options to cater to different needs, Wilson said. Include booths for families, highchairs for children and comfortable individual chairs. Comfort is the key here, as is cleanliness. You want seating to be easily cleanable after ketchup spills and greasy fingerprints. Be sure to replace broken or ripped furniture to avoid your restaurant looking shabby and unkempt.

“It needs to be easy to keep clean so when you come in, you feel like you’re in an environment that somebody is taking care of,” Wilson said. “Quality is so important these days and everyone notices right away when you go to a restaurant.”

Lighting matters

When designing your fast-food restaurant, use bright lighting in ordering and dining areas to create an energetic atmosphere. Task lighting can be used to highlight specific areas. Again, maintenance is key in lighting areas. Burnt out lightbulbs can create dark spots in your restaurant and gives a feeling of neglect.

Embrace technology

Here’s where self-ordering kiosks, digital menu boards and mobile ordering options come into play. These can streamline the process and enhance the customer experience. For mobile ordering, you’ll likely need to create parking spaces in the parking lot designed for mobile pick-up. You’ll need at least three to four designated parking spaces with signs denoting that those spaces are for mobile pick-up only.

Wilson said of all the brands Tessere works with, Taco Bell has been in front of using kiosks for ordering, starting small with one or two kiosks in a stores. Today, kiosks are becoming a standard in Taco Bell restaurant design. “They’re really encouraging that quick kiosk and even mobile ordering,” he added.

Accessibility for all

When you’re building your restaurant, make sure you are ADA compliant with seating, ramps outside, handicapped parking spaces and accessible bathrooms.

Ensure your restaurant has at least one entrance with a clear path, at least 36-inches wide, to accommodate wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Automatic doors or doors with easy-to-operate handles are ideal.

Designate a portion of your ordering counter to be wheelchair accessible, either with a lower height or a pass-through window for easy interaction.

Provide a designated wheelchair-accessible table in your dining area, with ample space for maneuvering. Consider providing booster seats for children.

Fast-food restaurant design extras

Don’t forget small details that enhance the experience and make customers want to frequent your restaurant repeatedly. This includes phone charging stations, extra plugs for computers, condiment bars and even a play area for children.

Conclusion

While your franchise will most likely dictate what fast-food restaurant designs you’re able to choose, there’s a lot of consideration that goes into building.

“I always like to encourage that a franchisee get the site civil engineer involved,” Wilson said. “I like to see the site worked out first with the civil engineer and the planning department and the engineering department – all those different branches of jurisdiction. A lot of times when (the architectural firm and the civil engineer) are both kicked off at the same time, we can produce the building drawings fairly quickly and we’re ready for permit. Some jurisdictions won’t allow you to permit the building until the site’s approved. The site approval takes a lot longer than building.”