Is The Perfect Restaurant A 3-Legged Barstool?

Is The Perfect Restaurant
A 3-Legged Barstool?

By Mark Bithrey
March 2020

These are strange, unprecedented times, and unchartered territory for all of us. The hospitality and its related industries face a big hurdle, but I am certain we will all emerge from this stronger and more resilient than ever. This morning I found myself thinking – I’ve been working nonstop for nearly 30 years. Every so often I hit a wall and wish the world would stop, so I could stop, just for a little bit. Take a breather, gather my thoughts, find uninterrupted time to objectively think about my business and team.

In a time when uncertainty is high, it is important to hold onto perspective and glimmers of light at the end of this tunnel – this tunnel does have an end and it is not too far away. This is perhaps an opportunity to take a step back, re-evaluate your F&B business, and use the time to streamline it.

Food for Thought

I was at the GRIF event in Amsterdam in February 2020, where stalwarts of the hospitality industry came together to talk about the ever-evolving industry, trends, challenges, and investment. Tuning into the conversations was an insightful experience – the discussions revolved around emerging tech, automation in the food and beverage industry, brand positioning, sustainability, packaging, and staff training.

Jeremy King, Co-Founder and CEO, Corbyn & King, talked about going after your heart, embracing failures, and the importance of love and empathy over AI and technology.

Kurt Zdesar, Founder, NZR Group, has embraced technology to make food prep more efficient, and reduce food waste. But he firmly believes that technology will not replace the need for human interaction.

The Ultimate Goal

Through the various points of view and opinions, all of the F&B leaders agreed on their single most important goal – creating incredible experiences for guests. In our work with restaurateurs and hoteliers over the past 17 years at B3 Designers, we’ve come to see that the most successful restaurants are like an equilateral triangle.

Or a three-legged barstool.
Of all the clients we’ve worked with, the most successful restaurants have a formula:
Food + Service + Design = Experience.

Think of each of these elements as a leg of a barstool, holding up the “experience” seat for your derriere. Pay less attention to any one leg making it shorter, and the experience goes wonky. Pay most attention to one and ignore the other two, you have a rather uncomfortable experience that you will probably not return to.

However, a three legged chair did not work in my favour when I took my mum out for a riverside lunch and she leaned back to fetch her bag. The chair toppled sending her flying across the floor! More on chair and table heights later.

Three-Legged Love

I’m quite fond of three-legged barstools and tables. These stools we used complemented the decor we put together for Hoppi Dorri, a Japanese and SE Asian restaurant in Stamford.

What Do You See First?

When you walk into a restaurant, the first thing your senses take in is the atmosphere. The seats, the lighting, the smells, the music, the staff – it’s all of the sensual elements (not taste, just yet).

Despite being a food critic, food isn’t the first thing Grace Dent is looking at, it’s the atmosphere. During her session she told the crowd that when she turns up to a restaurant, her eyes search for a table that she might be able to invite friends to for a gathering and meal – even before the food has arrived. She only comes back if the immediate experience of the restaurant impresses her.

Jeremy King told of what he considers small victories – when a group of customers are deeply engaged in conversation, because the restaurant has created a space where they are able to comfortably chat. When he hears them mention in passing how good the food is, he knows that they have created a memorable experience that offers the whole package.

Jack de Wet, Director of Development at the Big Mamma Group spoke of their focus on crafting experience. “Experience starts with the environment. We want people to feel like they have been to Italy for four hours, we want to give them a good experience.”

Closing Thoughts

The world-wide spread of the coronavirus and the current lockdown in the UK really has put things into perspective. When this is all over and we come out the other side, we should all do what we love, and go places we will remember.

Most importantly, we must all return to create the amazing experiences we do – chefs, restaurateurs, hoteliers, service staff, designers, suppliers.

Until then, stay well, stay resilient.