In a city where dining out is a lifestyle and new restaurants open every week, how do you make sure yours succeeds? While food is the heart of any F&B concept, there are plenty more variables at play shaping a restaurant’s impact.

From our experience designing, owning and running restaurants over the past 3 decades, here are some core considerations that make an F&B space truly stand out:

1. Read the Market Before You Design

The most successful concepts are rooted in context. Before sketching out a logo or imagining the menu, take time to understand the city. What are people craving right now? Where is the market headed? What gaps exist in the landscape? The best restaurants don’t just respond to trends—they anticipate what people will want next. Your design and concept should be in dialogue with the cultural, economic, and emotional state of the city around it.

2. A Clear Point of View

You don’t need to be loud to be distinct. You just need to know who you are. Whether you’re doing modern Korean BBQ or a sourdough bakery, the space should express the values and personality of your brand. A great designer helps you distill this vision into something tangible.

3. Atmosphere First, Aesthetics Second

A memorable space isn’t about expensive finishes or trendy wallpaper. It’s about mood. It’s the glow of light on a brass bar top. The way sound travels across the room. The flow of people between tables. A strong concept leads with emotion, not just visuals.

4. A Layout That Can Make or Break You

Design is more than what you see—it's about how a space works. A great layout is the invisible engine behind a successful venue, and in our experience re-designing failed restaurants, one of the most common mistakes made in the industry. Good layouts support efficient service, enhance the guest experience, and protect your bottom line. Every square metre needs to earn its keep. That means balancing visibility and comfort with operational flow and service logic. From kitchen pass to bathrooms, the layout should help the team move easily and allow guests to move intuitively. A bad layout creates bottlenecks, awkward vibes, and missed revenue opportunities. A smart one? It’s the unsung hero of hospitality design.

5. Understanding the Full Value Equation

A successful restaurant is not just a pretty space. It’s a finely tuned balance between your location, target market, cuisine, overall concept, desired average spend per guest and the project concept and atmosphere. For example, opening a 30-seat fine dining restaurant in a high-rent shopping mall with limited foot traffic and a young casual demographic is likely a mismatch. Compare that to a fast-casual concept with high turnover and efficient BOH in the same space—it’s a much more sustainable equation. A good designer will help you align your physical environment with your business strategy.

6. Details That Invite Discovery

People remember moments. A hidden wine label wall. A cheeky message behind the toilet door. Layers of detail give your space a soul, and keep guests talking. Sound, smell, texture—they all matter. From acoustic design, to materiality, to scent curation, the most unforgettable venues speak to all five senses. It’s not just about what people see, it’s what they feel.

7. Design That Ages Well

A good space feels fresh. A great one gets better with time. That means choosing materials that wear beautifully, lighting that can adapt to different times of day, and design moves that grow with your brand, not against it. The key is to resist the temptation of trend-driven decisions. What’s hot today can feel tired tomorrow. Timeless design isn’t boring—it’s intentional. It’s about creating a visual and experiential language that remains compelling as your concept evolves. From patinated metals to robust natural stones, the right choices allow your space to mature with grace.

In a saturated city, standing out isn’t about being flashier—it’s about being more you. A great F&B space knows what it wants to say, and says it clearly, consistently, and with feeling.

These are just a few of the insights we’ve gathered from years of working across restaurants, bars, bakeries, and beyond. But there’s so much more that can—and should—be tailored to the specifics of your project. Factors like branding, marketing strategy, and how well you tap into the city’s F&B network all matter deeply. If you’re exploring a new idea and wondering how to bring it to life, we’re always happy to have an initial conversation.