14/11/2025
So, I’m guessing that a few of you reading this newsletter every week are lovers of the hospitality industry, just like me. If so, you may have heard of something called Code Hospitality. If not, then it’s definitely worth checking out, especially if you love exploring the culinary scene in the Big Smoke. I like to look at the editorial side of Code Hospitality, keeping up with what’s new, the latest spots, the growing trends. A few days ago, I read something called The Golden Rules of Restaurant Design, and when I saw the title of the article, I was immediately intrigued.
In the last year, we have opened two new sites – The Olde Coach House and The George Inn – both of which required a bit of redesign work before we opened the doors to the public. The points raised in this article were interesting and to be honest, I had probably never given it an awful lot of thought. That said, whilst it may not have occurred to me personally, there are certainly other Freespirit team members who would have thought it through and for that, I take my hat off. But when I was reading through the points made, it got me thinking about our sites and how they’re applicable.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, there was a lot of discussion in the article around how the restaurant feels, rather than how the restaurant looks. This is something I would agree with wholeheartedly.
In fact, as I sit in the bar area at The Bell Inn writing this newsletter, I cannot help but observe my surroundings. The rain is pelting down outside, the fire is lit, the music is calm and soothing, the colours are dark and warm. I feel comfortable, cosy and relaxed, just as I should. I sincerely hope that the same can be said for all our sites, that is afterall, what we are striving for.
So, these were the golden rules of restaurant design, according to this article:
1. Leave the trends for others to follow.
2. Bring fresh eyes to the project.
3. Sweat the details.
4. Get the layout right.
5. Rethink the ‘bad table.’
6. Good acoustic make for a good atmosphere.
7. Inspiration can be close to home
8. Keep it simple.
9. Don’t fixate on other restaurants
10. Natural light isn’t the be all and end all
11. Ditch the cookie cutter
12. Find inspiration anywhere and anywhere
13. Tell a story
14. Don’t design by committee
15. Design for longevity
16. Start with a budget and stick to it
17. Consider who’s using the space
There are probably a few too many to delve into right now, so I’m going to give you my top three picks. First of all, keep it simple. If you want a design to last, don’t overdesign it. Otherwise, in a few years’ time, it’ll be back to the drawing board. I like to think we have followed this train of thought with our most recent redesigns. Tell a story. The story provides a foundation to return again and again and I think we have a pretty special story to tell. Inspiration can be close to home. Of course we want our sites to feel like home, somewhere to feel safe, comfortable, relaxed. Like you’re sitting in your own house.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. I would love you to let me know what your three top picks would be. They’re all important in their own right, so it’s hard to pigeonhole three, but that’s also the fun of it.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.
Big Love
Mark