How To Ensure Your Restrooms Provide A Comfortable Experience
As a restauranteur, you’re likely already well aware of the need for professionalism, warmth, and an aesthetic touch. And a key element of the dining experience is the need for an escape from the worries of everyday life. For a couple of hours, friends and family sit down at one of your tables, enjoy wine and some of your best dishes, and catch up and converse about things they may never have done otherwise. For the grandeur of your restaurant to be fully appreciated, guests must feel comfortable enough to let their guards down, and this comfort must play out in every facet of your space.
This brings us to our main focus for this piece- creating a restroom experience that combines privacy, cleanliness, and a hint of luxury, your guests won’t walk away from your restaurant thinking of the restrooms so much as their wonderful evening out. Here are a few ways you can ensure that your restrooms provide a comfortable customer experience.
Privacy
Privacy is the hallmark of any decent restroom. Using the restroom is not the most dignified of human experiences, (why else would we use euphemisms like “powder room”), but establishing a private facility for personal matters can make your guests feel safe and subversively add a sense of sophistication to the evening (more on that later).
To make ensure that your restrooms are as private as possible, be honest when assessing your restrooms’ current state. If you were a guest, would you feel as though you had sufficient confidentiality in your facilities? Put yourself in their mindset when making adjustments to your layout. Is there enough of an ambiance to distract? Are the stalls spacious, with working locks and generous dividers? Making your customers feel at ease in your restrooms will make them feel at ease in your dining areas. Try not to spare expenses when it comes to your restroom’s seclusion- your guests’ comfort is an investment in your own best interests!
Cleanliness
The saying may go, “cleanliness is next to godliness”, but we beg to differ. Cleanliness and order are in fact such human attributes that the average American family spends roughly $600 a year on cleaning supplies, with $80-85 of those dollars used on laundry detergents alone. Therefore, it goes without saying that human beings, and Americans in particular, greatly value feeling orderly and elegant.
When you stock your restroom with supplies, think of how you can make your guests feeling cleaner than they were when they entered, so they can go about their dinner plans like the sophisticated people that they are. Provide your guests with all of the necessities, such as toilet paper, hand soap, and paper towels (or washable cotton towels, if you’re so inclined), and keep your eyes peeled for any debris, messes, or lost items that could serve as obstacles to their sanitation. And, as always, listen intently to any feedback that comes your way and take the extra steps necessary to equip your guests with what they need.
Luxury
The final element to establishing a restroom your guests will love is luxury or at least a hint of it. Whether you’re a five-star restaurant or a dive bar, people are investing their time and money in you, and you want to show them that you are worth the investment. Think: how can I elevate my space to make it something people couldn’t get elsewhere? Maybe you have the budget to splurge on vintage brass faucet handles, a perfect complement to your 60s-style cocktail lounge. Or maybe you save on the hardware and instead go for high-end handsoap or a few prints by local artists. Adding a little Je ne sai quois to your space will only add to your brand identity and charm.
And if you’re ever stumped about what to offer your guests in your restroom as a little something extra, start with a clean scented candle (preferably natural) and some pre-wrapped mints.
Conclusion
With enough ingenuity and intention, even a mundane experience like “freshening up” can feel inviting, safe, and (dare we say), lovely. By putting yourself in your guests’ mindset, establishing privacy, cleanliness, and luxury, not only will you cater to their inherent dignity but also allow them to appreciate their downtime with a date or chats with loved ones over tiramisu and coffee. You have the power to give others a taste of the finer things life has to offer- why not harness it?
By max
How To Ensure Your Restrooms Provide A Comfortable Experience
As a restauranteur, you’re likely already well aware of the need for professionalism, warmth, and an aesthetic touch. And a key element of the dining experience is the need for an escape from the worries of everyday life. For a couple of hours, friends and family sit down at one of your tables, enjoy wine and some of your best dishes, and catch up and converse about things they may never have done otherwise. For the grandeur of your restaurant to be fully appreciated, guests must feel comfortable enough to let their guards down, and this comfort must play out in every facet of your space.
This brings us to our main focus for this piece- creating a restroom experience that combines privacy, cleanliness, and a hint of luxury, your guests won’t walk away from your restaurant thinking of the restrooms so much as their wonderful evening out. Here are a few ways you can ensure that your restrooms provide a comfortable customer experience.
Privacy
Privacy is the hallmark of any decent restroom. Using the restroom is not the most dignified of human experiences, (why else would we use euphemisms like “powder room”), but establishing a private facility for personal matters can make your guests feel safe and subversively add a sense of sophistication to the evening (more on that later).
To make ensure that your restrooms are as private as possible, be honest when assessing your restrooms’ current state. If you were a guest, would you feel as though you had sufficient confidentiality in your facilities? Put yourself in their mindset when making adjustments to your layout. Is there enough of an ambiance to distract? Are the stalls spacious, with working locks and generous dividers? Making your customers feel at ease in your restrooms will make them feel at ease in your dining areas. Try not to spare expenses when it comes to your restroom’s seclusion- your guests’ comfort is an investment in your own best interests!
Cleanliness
The saying may go, “cleanliness is next to godliness”, but we beg to differ. Cleanliness and order are in fact such human attributes that the average American family spends roughly $600 a year on cleaning supplies, with $80-85 of those dollars used on laundry detergents alone. Therefore, it goes without saying that human beings, and Americans in particular, greatly value feeling orderly and elegant.
When you stock your restroom with supplies, think of how you can make your guests feeling cleaner than they were when they entered, so they can go about their dinner plans like the sophisticated people that they are. Provide your guests with all of the necessities, such as toilet paper, hand soap, and paper towels (or washable cotton towels, if you’re so inclined), and keep your eyes peeled for any debris, messes, or lost items that could serve as obstacles to their sanitation. And, as always, listen intently to any feedback that comes your way and take the extra steps necessary to equip your guests with what they need.
Luxury
The final element to establishing a restroom your guests will love is luxury or at least a hint of it. Whether you’re a five-star restaurant or a dive bar, people are investing their time and money in you, and you want to show them that you are worth the investment. Think: how can I elevate my space to make it something people couldn’t get elsewhere? Maybe you have the budget to splurge on vintage brass faucet handles, a perfect complement to your 60s-style cocktail lounge. Or maybe you save on the hardware and instead go for high-end handsoap or a few prints by local artists. Adding a little Je ne sai quois to your space will only add to your brand identity and charm.
And if you’re ever stumped about what to offer your guests in your restroom as a little something extra, start with a clean scented candle (preferably natural) and some pre-wrapped mints.
Conclusion
With enough ingenuity and intention, even a mundane experience like “freshening up” can feel inviting, safe, and (dare we say), lovely. By putting yourself in your guests’ mindset, establishing privacy, cleanliness, and luxury, not only will you cater to their inherent dignity but also allow them to appreciate their downtime with a date or chats with loved ones over tiramisu and coffee. You have the power to give others a taste of the finer things life has to offer- why not harness it?