Dining out is more than just about the food. Part of the enjoyment in eating at a restaurant is the overall experience that a customer gets. The company, the ambiance, and the memories that a person takes home with them greatly affect a customer’s chances of coming back for another meal.

Opening a restaurant requires a tremendous amount of work and partnering with a restaurant contracting company to design a layout that will ensure a good flow is a wise investment.

Here are nine tips on how to design your restaurant to ensure good flow.

1. Customer entrance - A diner’s first impression on a restaurant is primarily affected by the customer entrance. Talk to your restaurant contractor on how you can place the entrance where it’s accessible to more people, and make it big enough so people won’t have to squeeze past each other when entering or exiting the place.

2. Designate a waiting area - A line of customers obviously indicates a high demand for your product, but you should also keep in mind that this can turn away potential customers. Ask your restaurant contractor to create an area where people can wait comfortably. Make sure it has a roof to protect it from rain and heat.

3. Plan your kitchen well - Expect your kitchen to take up at least 40 percent of your total floor space. When talking to your restaurant contracting company, include the head chef in the meetings to account for all the cooking and preparation stations. Don’t forget that you also need to allocate a cleaning area inside the kitchen. Having an organized kitchen means the cooks are not scrambling to get the dishes out on time.

4. Test the dining hall - Calculate the seating capacity of your room and do not go overboard lest you want to be fined for breaking fire and building codes. Test the layout with your restaurant contractor and see if you’re able to move around with ease.

5. His and hers restrooms - Make sure you ask the restaurant contracting company to build restrooms with enough space and are strategically placed inside the restaurant. Having separate restrooms for men and women can also lessen the chances of longer lines, especially on a busy night.

6. Storage space - Having ample storage space at your restaurant is also key to a good flow. This prevents staff from having to pile boxes of equipment or ingredients in hallways or other areas that are meant to be used by diners and staff.

7. Staff and supply entrance - Designate a separate entrance for your staff so they can go in and out of the premises without disturbing the customers out front. Here, you can receive large shipments of food and supplies without disturbing the front of the house.

8. Access for differently-abled persons - Creating space and installing tools to make it accessible for differently-abled persons ensures a good flow for both customers and staff. Diners can come and go independently and feel welcome like any other guest in the room.

9. Decorate wisely - There’s no need to put large decorative items in your restaurant if people have to duck everytime they pass it. You can also choose items that hang on the wall instead of taking up space on the counter.