November 29, 2022

As 2022 comes to an end, we find ourselves reflecting on the last few years and all they have encompassed. Because of the pandemic and changes in consumer behaviors, restaurant dining was drastically affected. Some restaurants closed their doors for good, others closed their dining areas and reopened with a fresh look and design, and some chose new operational standards. Whatever the case, if a restaurant was to survive, it had to adapt – and fast. 

Most of these restaurant industry changes were already taking place, but the pandemic certainly expedited them; outdoor dining, takeout, and delivery were increasing in popularity, and there were more restaurants with drive-thrus. Over time, consumer needs and wants changed due to the state of the world. Below, we talk about how the consumer and COVID-19 forced restaurants and dining areas to evolve into trends that will be more permanent changes moving forward.  

Ghost and open kitchens 

Restaurants are seeing operational trends change due to the coronavirus, but consumers are also driving these shifts as their desire for new and entertaining experiences evolves. Owners were forced to close dining areas due to COVID-19 safety measures, and customers quickly adapted to online ordering. Because many restaurants continue to take an increasing number of virtual orders, some owners are turning to ghost kitchens. These commercial-grade kitchens are sometimes used as co-working spaces for multiple restaurants and are only equipped to prepare takeout orders. Though they don’t offer the dine-in experience, ghost kitchens reduce a restaurant’s footprint and operational costs. On the other hand, they must invest in high-quality packaging and efficient operations to develop the restaurant-to-customer relationship. Brands like Qdoba, Wendy’s, and Chipotle are partnering with top companies like REEF Technology to start their ghost kitchens. 

Some owners, however, opt for an in-person dining experience with an open kitchen that’s visible to customers through a partition and gives transparency and honesty during food prep. High visibility from the kitchen to the dining area creates an irreplaceable sense of engagement and a memorable experience, and an open kitchen also shows the restaurant’s dedication to sanitation and integrity. 

Off-premise dining 

While already acquiring more attention before the pandemic, online food delivery and takeout drastically increased early on during COVID-19, and it’s because consumers want convenience. Customers got comfortable taking their food elsewhere during a “takeout only” sort of world, but this trend is staying even as dining rooms open back up. To keep up with this, owners must make space for pickup orders and delivery services or create space for ghost kitchens. Many restaurants are switching to the ghost kitchen model of using their kitchens to prepare food for pickup and delivery without a physical dining room.  

Seating changes  

The usage of indoor dining rooms is also being redefined. With the rise of takeout and delivery, to-go and pickup lines inside are separated from dine-in areas to create more streamlined experiences. As a result, dining rooms are being designed differently to accommodate more pickup orders and less dining space. As we learned with ghost kitchens, some restaurants eliminated their indoor dining space altogether in favor of larger kitchens and more space for preparing pickup orders. 

Though indoor spaces are shrinking, it doesn’t mean the dining experience is becoming less popular. The pandemic changed the layouts and designs of dining spaces. With the threat of closing their doors for good, owners were forced to refresh, update, or even build outdoor dining spaces from start to finish to accommodate patrons when the number of tables inside reduced significantly to put space between them.  

Outdoor eating spaces are growing rapidly, and some cities are proposing ordinances to keep these spaces permanent. Many cities allow for these transformations, like a sidewalk or parking lot converted to a dining area with barriers, igloos, or tents, and added heating and cooling elements for year-round usage.   

Customers have responded positively to outdoor seating, making them feel more comfortable with better airflow while offering a unique dining experience. Investing in trendy outdoor furniture is a simple solution to creating lifelong relationships with consumers. A well-designed space that puts comfort and safety first will help keep traffic higher in restaurants.  

Upgraded drive-thrus  

Customers flooded drive-thrus as one of the few options for dining out during the height of the pandemic. To keep up with customer demand, quick-serve restaurants added more lanes to reduce wait times. Now that dining spaces are opening back up, restaurants are still using these lanes, but now for more than just drive-thru orders. Taco Bell recently opened its first four-lane, two-story drive-thru for faster service to customers. Taco Bell Defy is designed to serve drive-thru customers, delivery drivers, and mobile app orders in under two minutes. Each lane has its own dedicated way of ordering for streamlined and lightning-fast service. 

How Elkay Interior Systems can help 

To keep up with ever-changing industry trends in the restaurant, retail, and hospitality industries, you need a source you can trust. Elkay Interior Systems has been designing and building commercial interiors for over 40 years, and we’re ready to help you invest in your business. With locations in North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, we offer global solutions with local support.  

For more on these restaurant dining and design trends, stay tuned for our upcoming 2023 Design Trends eBook! 

About Elkay Interior Systems   

Elkay Interior Systems (EIS) is a tight-knit team of industry-leading designers, commercial-grade manufacturers, innovative engineers, resourceful project managers, and sourcing experts committed to every stage of your project by guaranteeing quality and reliability. We stand out from the crowd with our 40+ years of global experience in the restaurant, hospitality, retail, and education markets. We believe in simplifying the complicated.