With all of the demands on a restaurateur’s time, the design of your restaurant may not be your top priority. But for guests coming into your business to dine and enjoy cocktails, modern decor and trendy design can really impact their experience. And in this Instagram-obsessed social media age, the lighting, furniture, and overall aesthetic of your restaurant matters more than ever before.

So what restaurant design trends to you need to know to stay current in the cut-through restaurant industry? Keep reading to keep up with the year’s hottest restaurant design trends.

Say Goodbye to White Walls
This year, it’s all about strong colors and bold prints. Especially inside East Coast restaurants, bold color schemes like forest green and gold are popping up in a variety of establishments. Imagine the kind of colors you would see in someone’s home during the 1960’s. Those are the types of shades you should be incorporating into your restaurant this year.

In addition, wallpaper is making a major comeback in the interior design world. In the same way that bold prints are taking over the fashion world, eye-catching wallpapers are having a moment of their own. While these prints won’t be appropriate for every space, they can be the perfect backdrop for lounges and more intimate areas of your restaurant.

Get Rid of Your Industrial Pieces
Take this year as an opportunity to get rid of your restaurant’s industrial look. Yes, the era of exposed ducts and concrete everything is coming to a close. Replace your metal furniture with wooden and colorful pieces. Incorporate some solid wood table tops or wood table finishes rather than the marble we’ve all grown to love. We’re so used to using exposed brick and bare light bulbs, which can make a space appear very monotone. High quality, modern wood furniture can make a space feel warm and welcoming, just as long as your pair it with some color. Consumers expect wood furniture to last 15 years longer than other furniture. Because of this, you know the pieces will last you a long time.

Bring in the Plants
Different landscape elements are all the rage right now. In fact, there’s a good chance you are within eyesight of a succulent right now. But there is actually so much more you can do to incorporate plants while standing out from every other restaurant on the scene. Consider devoting an entire wall to different living green pieces or get a little crazy and design your own indoor greenhouse. If your food is all-natural, you might even want to display a mini-garden where you will pick different herbs, fruits, and vegetables for the meals you make.

When your guests come through your restaurant doors, you can expect them to pay attention to a lot more than just the food and drink menu. Maintaining your restaurant’s decor and aesthetic is extremely important. This year, get rid of your white walls, cut back on the industrial look, and bring in some plants.

Looking for modern restaurant furniture, commercial table tops, barstool chairs, and more? Contact GAR Products to review our most recent commercial furniture catalog.