The average size of a small restaurant is about 1,000 square feet. This provides seating for around 30-50 guests.
Space Allocation Per Guest
- Fine dining restaurants allocate 18-20 square feet per guest.
- Full service restaurants allocate 12-15 square feet per guest.
- Fast casual restaurants allocate 11-14 square feet per guest.
Kitchen Size and Key Areas
The size of the kitchen depends on the restaurant’s capacity. Allow 150 square feet of kitchen space per 30 guests. For a 400 seat dining room, allocate at least 2,000 square feet for the kitchen.
Kitchen Spaces
- Cooking area
- Prep area
- Storage area
For receiving and inspecting shipments allow at least 64 square feet. For dry storage allocate 100 to 150 square feet. A single-machine dish room needs about 175 square feet.
Restaurant Success and Costs
Small restaurants have higher success rates than larger restaurants. They require less startup costs, around $200,000 compared to $375,500 for an average 4,000 square foot restaurant. The staff can focus more on food quality.