The Top 10 Leading Restaurant & Cafe Upgrade Ideas

You own a restaurant and serve thousands of customers a year, and now realize it’s time to upgrade your restaurant with amazing new features. If that’s you, read this top 10 list of cheap and inexpensive upgrades ideas you can give your restaurant that will keep it looking modern and attractive for your patrons.

As the years pass, the interior design for eateries are becoming much more modern, so the best course of action any restaurant or cafe owner can take is to keep the interior of their establishments up to date so they can continue to attract new customers, including the massive millennial demographic.

Let’s get to the list. Below are the topics we’ll cover:

1. Power Wash The Outside of Your Restaurant
2. Buy A New Set of Patio Furniture
3. Upgrade Your Seating Areas
4. Upgrade Your Restroom Equipment
5. Install New Signage
6. Purchase New Tableware and Cutlery
7. Install New Flooring
8. Install New Carpeting
9. Purchase New Employee Uniforms
10. Add a Summer Patio

1. Power Wash The Outside of Your Restaurant

The very first thing your customers see is the outside of your restaurant and in many cases customers actually eat outside on the patio.

If the outside of your eatery appears messy, greasy and and grimy, who really is going to be exited about eating there?

Maybe your regulars won’t have a problem how your restaurant looks from the outside by potential customers will, and if the outside doesn’t appear to be clean, most people will assume that that’s how you maintain the inside of your establishment – especially in 2019.

The easiest and most affordable way to keep your external walls looking clean and up-kept is by giving it a good spray down at least once a month.

All you have to do is set up a regular power-washing schedule for yourself or your employees and have them take care of washing down the outside walls, windows, umbrellas and chairs at the specified times.

It’s best to do your power washing at night because that will give everything enough time to dry properly before the morning.

Make sure to give the outside of your restaurant a wash down after major storms and snow falls too. In the same way that a car looks messy after a storm, so does the outside of an eatery.

Cost: A reliable portable power spray unit can be purchased for less than $300.00.
Hire a contractor: the average local contractor will charge approximately less than $300.00.

2. Buy A New Set of Patio Furniture

Patio furniture does not have to be expensive. It has to be reliable, and when it comes to a restaurant or cafe, it should match the exterior and interior decor.

If your patio furniture is old, fading and outdated, consider contacting your restaurant patio furniture supply company for a quote on some products.

You can also save a little cash by purchasing the tables and the chair separately, or buy only upgrading one of them. In the first month you can start by getting new chairs, and then when you’ve saved up for money, you can buy the new tables go to along with them.

Customers will definitely take notice of the new furniture and better enjoy their time there.

Chair cost: Reliable and attractive chairs will run you approximately $100.00 to $200.00 per chair.
Table cost: A decent patio table will cost you between $80.00 to $160.00.

3. Upgrade Your Seating Areas

Whether you have booths or tables, new and upgraded sitting areas can really make a difference in the experience your customers have at your restaurant. Of course if you keep your tables and booths in good condition, your customers won’t have a problem eating at your restaurant, but one of the objectives of being in the restaurant business is to make your customers want to keep coming back.

You want them to think about your establishment when they’re looking for a place to eat, and a great way to get them to choose your restaurant time and again is by giving them an amazing experience while they’re there.

New seating areas and tables can easily take a restaurant to a whole new level; customers will notice the change in decor and furniture and appreciate the time and money you put into their experience, and people that regularly come there, will feel like they’re visiting a new restaurant.

Ask yourself: are your patrons crowded? Is there very little room between tables? Are your booths too small or in an awkward place? Do customers have a difficult time getting to and leaving their table to go to the bathroom? If you’ve answered yes to any of the above questions, you’ll want to consider a table upgrade and definitely a table or booth relocation.

Booth upgrade costs: The cost to upgrade your booths can be approximately $10,000 to $25,000.
Table upgrade costs: You can expect to pay approximately $600.00 and upwards for new table sets.
Combined costs: If you decide to upgrade all your tables and booths, expect costs to start at approximately $25,000 and upward.

4. Upgrade Your Restroom Equipment

Do you like going to the bathroom in a run down bathroom, or a bathroom that’s simply not pleasant to generally be in. Do your patrons avoid touching the walls in your rest rooms? Do you only offer them paper towels to dry their hands? There’s a whole bunch of areas in a restaurant bathroom that can be upgrade and optimized that will enhance your customers’ overall experience at your establishment.

You can start off by installing new fresh mirrors; you can purchase a set of brand new-tech hand dryers; you can add grab-bars to your existing handicap stall; you can add flowers and other floral arrangements to brighten up the area, and even add fresh-air sprays that will ensure the air smells nice and clean for every visitor.

Here’s a simple list of bathroom upgrades you can apply to your bathroom:

• install new flooring
• install new bathroom stalls
• install new accessories like hand dryers and faucets
• install air fresheners
• install grab bars for disable patrons
• install new mirrors
• install new soap dispensers

There is a whole slew of commercial washroom accessories and equipment you could purchase to easily upgrade your bathrooms and all at affordable prices.

Upgrade costs: The cost to upgrade your bathroom and its accessories could substantially vary.
Hand-dryers: average cost: $400 to $600.
New toilets: average cost: $600 to $800.
New faucets: average cost: $300 to $500.
New flooring: average cost: $1800 to $2300.

5. Install New Signage

How long have you had your restaurant front sign up? It is outdated? Does it have your current logo? Is it too faded? Does it stand out from the rest of the businesses on your commercial block? These are good questions you should ask yourself especially if you’re a restaurant owner.

These days sign companies can create almost any kind of sign, and if your restaurant signage is outdate, it would be wise to upgrade to something new and more modern. Its a fact that businesses that invest in new signage see an uptick in customer satisfaction and business traffic to their store or establishment.

Read this article about the 7 reasons your business should invest in quality signage to see the benefits of new signage and to get a glimpse of what new signage can do for your restaurant store-front.

• If you’re looking for information as to what kind of sign to purchase, see The Top 10 Outdoor Signage To Advertise Your Business

Signage costs: the costs for signage can range from $250 to $2300. The most expensive custom business signs would be awnings or street advertising signs, and the low end cost of signage would be window decals and entrance signs.

6. Purchase New Tableware & Flatware

If you wash your tableware and cutlery and keep them in generally good condition, you don’t actually need to purchase a new set. Plus tableware and cutlery are quite expensive, especially for a restaurant. The average restaurant has at least 300 plates on hand and and a large number of cutlery.

However that doesn’t mean purchasing new dishes and cutlery won’t boost the appearance of your restaurant – it actually will.

For starters your current patrons will notice the new change in their dinnerware, spoons, etc., and that alone will send the message that you’re willing to invest in making their dining experience pleasurable. And everyone likes using a new plate every now and then. If you’ve been in business for a long time, your loyal customers will probably pay you a compliment on your new dinnerware which overall adds to their having a positive experience at your establishment.

Your new customers will notice too. They may not say anything directly to you, but if you’ve spent a few extra bucks and purchase top quality tableware, that type of investment will stand out. There’s a definite difference between the tableware and cutlery you’ll find at your local breakfast eatery and a fine-dining restaurant, and customers can tell the difference right away.

New flatware (cutlery) will also make a great first and second impression. Your patrons will feel like they’re eating with brand new forks and spoons. They’ll look cleaner and shinier for a long time. Ask yourself, who doesn’t like eating a nice dinner with brand new utensils?

You can also go over the top and purchase new glasses, serveware, tabletop displays (for salt, pepper, sugar, ketchup), appetizer dishes, and coffee cups.

The general rule when purchasing table and flatware is to buy from the same company so everything matches, and by doing so you can also guarantee to get yourself a better deal if you buy in bulk. Here’s a good example a website that sells all sorts of restaurant wares. I’ve checked out the prices and they don’t appear to be too bad.

Cutlery cost: there are hundreds of styles of table and flatware to choose from and each product price varies. You’ll have to investigate your options and find the price that matches your budget.

7. Install New Flooring

Installing new flooring is rather expensive (not that expensive) but it’s not time consuming. At most you’d have to close your restaurant for a maximum of 3 days (and depending on the company, only one day) but once the new flooring is in, you’re restaurant is going to look amazing again – especially if you’ve been around for a long time.

This article “Best types of Flooring for a Restaurant or Bar (Ultimate Guide 2019)” will really help you see the differences in all your flooring options and help you determine which style to go with.

New flooring, whether you choose hardwood (for rustic type of restaurants) or classy tiling will make your establishment look new again. This new look will be great for your current patrons because not only will they continue to enjoy the food you serve, they’ll feel like they’re eating in a brand new restaurant again. New customers may not know the difference, but they’ll easily be able to sense that your restaurant is classy and stylish and worth spending their money in.

Floor upgrade costs: The costs to install new flooring with substantially differ from restaurant to restaurant, depending on the amount of square footage you have. To install new flooring you can expect a starting cost of approximately $3000 to $8000.

8. Install New Carpeting

If your carpets are more then 15 to 20 years old and are showing signs of wear-and-tear, it’s time to go for an upgrade and install new carpeting. New carpeting will smell great, and can brighten up your establishment and make it look new again.

As a restaurant owner, you have many carpeting options go with with too. You can choose the exact same carpet you have, but newer; or you can choose a whole new style. You can choose a lighter style that will brighten up your eatery, or you can go with darker hues that will give your eatery a more calm and sombre feeling.

Remember to regularly clean your carpets. Clean carpets are of the utmost importance to making your customers feel like they’re eating in a clean restaurant. Even if your patrons don’t notice right away, dirty carpets will send the message that you don’t really care about the cleanliness of your restaurant, and by extension, you don’t care about them.

Dirty carpets also carry dirt and harbour dust and debris which can get into the air, and make your restaurant smell muggy. When people walk through your doors and stomp their shoes to clean them off, dust will fly up into the air, and can be seen by other customers already eating their food.

Upgrade costs: like installing new flooring, the cost of upgrading your carpeting will vary depending on the size of your restaurant, and the amount of carpeting you plan to have – and the type of carpeting you choose will also affect the costs. To install new carpeting expect a starting cost of approximately $3000 to a maximum $5000.

9. Purchase New Employee Uniforms

Some restaurant owners allow their employees to wear whatever clothing they want to and that’s fine, and a common practice but you have nothing to lose by considering providing your employees with a conformed set of clothing that reflects uniformity and professionalism.

A uniformed dress waiters and servers, and other staff make your staff look really sharp and professional. A nice and clean uniform conveys the message to your customers that you’re willing to spend the money on making sure your staff are dressed clean. A uniform can take the professionalism of your eatery up a notch and give the impression that your patrons are eating a fine-dining restaurant.

There’s an extensive line of restaurant uniform clothing to choose from including aprons, wait staff shirts, skirts, pants and blouses; vests, ties and jackets, and even hostess dresses.

New uniform costs: The costs of new uniforms for your restaurant staff will vary depending on the number of staff you have. For an establishment with approximately 20 staff (waiters, servers and hostesses) you are looking at paying approximately $2000 to $3000.

10. Add a Summer Patio

If you have the means, and have permission by the city to use the front-side of your restaurant as a patio, installing a summer patio is a great upgrade option.

A new summer patio will open up your restaurant for tons of new business in the summer, and act as an amazing advertising tool to hungry people passing by.

You can go all out and install new wood seating, and a pathway for people to walk past your patio, or you can install simple fencing or railing around a perimeter and keep your patrons confined within your restaurant space.

In either case, purchasing new umbrellas, tables and chairs would be required but the payoff is well worth it. Aside from the free advertising, a summer patio opens your restaurant to being able to accommodate a larger number of patrons than you originally were able to depending on the space you can use.

Upgrade costs: Installing a summer patio space will cost you between $3000 to $6000. You will have to apply to your city for a permit and follow general guidelines for installing an on-street patio [here is an example of the guidelines and costs for installing a street patio in Hamilton Ontario].