Next-Gen 4, Understanding Places
Having in mind Understanding People section, aside from our homes as the first place, and our workplace as the second place, it becomes clear why the third place such as our cafes, parks, community centres, places of worship, barbershops, libraries, and of course diners, is essential for our personal and societal wellbeing.
Looking back to our formula…
Restaurant is the stage,
Staff is the cast,
Brand is the show,
Guest is the creator.
… we need to analyze it from the physical places angle, but also from the extension of the physical to online places. Non-profit organization Project for Public Spaces has set few great standards for successful public spaces - places people love to be in and to return to on regular basis, so it is very easy to see how this applies to hospitality and restaurants since they are perfect candidates for the third place. The main features needed to be considered for a successful public place are: access & linkages, comfort & image, activities, and sociability.
“The human experience must be the driving force behind every element of a space—from the design of physical space to the qualities of interaction, expectation, and intention. ”
Access & Linkages
Restaurants are easy to get to, navigate around and interact with whether in their physical location or online. It’s no wonder that people have always talked about 3 factors for the success of a business: location, location, location. Even now when lots of our interactions have moved online, those factors certainly matter a lot. What also matters is that they are situated in a cluster of businesses or activities that complement restaurant offerings, like pubs, clubs, hairstylists, theatres, parks, sports venues, etc. providing a variety of options for any visitor of the area. Similarly, how does a brand stay on top of mind once the guest has left the location, in their social media feeds? What is the hook for getting them back on regular basis? One thing for sure, a great memorable experience that they or their close friends have had in this location.
Comfort and Image
Restaurants have a unique brand, story, or feel. They are well designed, immersive, full of people and ‘Instagram-able’. A well-designed restaurant has a story that has a continuum from their website, paper ads, exteriors, interior, staff behaviour and back again to their online presence. This sort of consistency serves as the already mentioned priming mechanism and fully engages guests’ intuitive System 1.
Activities
There’s more than one thing to do in the venue, so it's not only about eating the food and leaving. It’s about socializing, people watching, enjoying the weather on the patios or inside, following a game with friends, sometimes even playing games like darts or pool. However, the simple truth is that it’s primarily about conversations and connecting. Conversations with your own peers, conversation with staff and interaction with other guests on the premises. More activities the place affords, more engagement it will create and therefore better experience and better business results.
Sociability
Even though some of the restaurants work with high throughputs, fast turn arounds and don't want their customers to stay and socialize for too long, restaurants are by definition already social places. Shared meals with family, friends or colleagues are the best opportunities to share stories and bond. To support that, full-service restaurants will try their best to create an environment where these interactions can be enjoyable, memorable, and shareable since this could create free advertising for the brand and repeated visits. Staff are also a very important part of the overall impression - especially when the interactions or the timing are a bit off or the meal ends on a negative note. Furthermore, the brand resonates better with guests if it shows that it belongs to and celebrates the local community, hosts events and/or displays local artifacts. This kind of venue finds their regulars easily.
So, opposite to commodifications of restaurants’ menus through 3rd party delivery, the on-premise full restaurant experience has the potential to deliver some of the most memorable life experiences and the factors above can help with understanding how to set that stage.
