30/01/2023
Good interior wayfinding signage is essential for any restaurant to ensure customers can find their way around your venue quickly and easily. Restaurant interior signs should be easy to read, clearly visible and provide helpful direction – while also being discreet and subtle so as not to detract from the ambience of the venue.
From general directional signage to the toilets, cloakroom, bar, and other areas, to ‘daily specials’ menu boards, accessibility information, and safety indicators, interior wayfinding signs help customers feel welcome in your restaurant and improve the quality of their visit.
Your Signage Can Make The Difference Between A Good And A Poor Impression Of Your Restaurant.
High-quality wayfinding signage creates a positive and memorable customer experience, while inadequate or confusing signage can leave a poor impression on visitors. It’s important not to understate the importance of this. For example, when visiting a restaurant, no one wants to be seen wandering around looking for your wash facilities or be forced to make unnecessary enquiries about your service staff. Equally, visitors want to know where to go when they want to request their bill, visit the bar, or retrieve something from their coat from the cloakroom or coat rack.
Providing adequate signage shows that you actively care about your customers and want to go the extra mile to give them a positive experience – and this will be reflected in the reviews you receive on social media and TripAdvisor, as well as informal word-of-mouth recommendations. So, it’s worth considering working with an experienced wayfinding signage consultant to ensure you have the right signage assets in place to meet the needs of your customers.
How Wayfinding Signage Influences Your Customer Experience
Having clear interior wayfinding signage in place at strategic areas helps customers immediately locate all the different areas of a restaurant, such as toilets, waiting areas, children’s play area, beer garden, seating areas, and other amenities – without having to spend too much time acclimatising themselves to the environment.
People just want to enjoy their food and the company of their family and friends when visiting your restaurant.
Good, well-thought-out signage assets give customers the knowledge and freedom to do this, while poor signage can actually spoil the customer experience by creating an unnecessary sense of confusion and anxiety about how to find the services they need.
Reduced Congestion And Fewer Accidents
Restaurants can be busy places at peak times, with serving staff moving back and forth between the kitchens and bar and seating area, and customers being shown to their tables. Having people milling about unnecessarily can increase the risk of accidents, as well as contribute to a chaotic and disordered atmosphere.
Good, visible signage helps customers make informed decisions when navigating your space – including the best route to take from A to B without getting in people’s way. This has benefits for your staff, too, as clearly marked routes for customers will reduce congestion in busy serving areas and avoid potential accidents and delays while serving food.
How Restaurant Wayfinding Signage Contributes To Health And Safety
Your interior wayfinding signage also communicates important information such as health and safety notices and emergency exit routes, to help customers make a fast and orderly exit in case of an emergency. Your restaurant interior signs can also be used to display health and hygiene notices, such as ‘No Smoking’ or ‘Please wash your hands’ messages. This gives guests access to important information at all times, helping them remain safe while they enjoy their visit.
What To Consider When Designing Wayfinding Signage For Restaurants
For interior wayfinding signage to be effective, it needs to be designed in a way that is easy for customers to understand. Signs should be clear and concise, with font sizes that are easily visible from a distance. It's also important to use vibrant colours and brand-sensitive design elements to ensure signs stand out and attract attention without being intrusive.
Image Technique – Wayfinding Signage Consultants
Image Technique can support you in the design of your wayfinding signage to ensure that it is effective, safe, and compliant, and is in full alignment with your brand identity.
More information about the issues raised in this article can be found in this case study from a project we completed in 2021 for Grand Central – the iconic shopping centre connected to Birmingham New Street train station.
To find out more about interior wayfinding signage and how our team can help, please call 01527 578533 today.
Image Source: Canva
