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krle_15

BBQ/Smoker Joint - entrance/terrace

11 days ago
last modified: 11 days ago

Hi there,

I hope you all are doing very fine! :)

I would be grateful for a few tips on how to design the entrance/terrace of a SELF-SERVICE BBQ/smoker joint (burgers, briskets, sandwiches) in Austria! If possible also an interior design, as at the moment a dining area is empty! I will have an OPEN-KITCHEN, I will be grilling in front of the guests - the kitchen will be where the wooden furniture is in the photos). I am thinking about a metal construction inside as decoration,... I have no idea where or how to start as my finances are very limited. I just enjoy making good BBQ/Smoker food and would like to offer some atmospheare with a soul! I thank you all in advance! If there are some dimensions needed or more photos I will be more than glad to send them right away. Thanks a lot, I do appreciate your time & help! Dejan


















Featured Answer
  • 11 days ago
    last modified: 11 days ago

    Your food truck looks great.

    We went to a food hall/popup type place in Berlin once for a food festival. I'm thinking very simple beer garden style seating (you might be able to buy vintage) and a coat of paint. Do you know any graffiti artists looking to make a name for themselves? They might agree to do your walls for free food. Do some fairy or festoon lighting and make the space like a tent/hall. Maybe even hay bales to sit on. Very rustic, nothing fancy. Do you have vintage markets where you could buy some used serving tables, etc. Anything goes. I love smash burgers and will have to look you up! Use items like old oil or cable drums for tables. It all adds to the industrial vibe. Music would be a great add on too. Live or just streamed.

    Comments (22)

    • 11 days ago

      You are going to need excellent extraction for what you are planning. What type of vibe are you going for? Will it be very casual as you do say self service? What sort of clientele do you expect to attract? This is an american concept and is often done with food trucks and pop ups. I don't think you need anything fancy, simple outdoor furniture will do. Something tough and hardwearing. I'm not sure what you mean by metal construction? Google foodtrucks and bbq joints in parts of the States and I'm sure you will find a ton of inspiration. I will try and find a few examples to post. Are you applying or do you already have a liquor license? A bar makes a great focal point. Will you have a long pass or service counter where people can collect their food orders?

    • 11 days ago

      I have a foodtruck at this moment and am planing to open a small self-service "Restaurant" with a smoker outside in the pation (with about 35 seats inside and max. 20 seats outside in patio). I do smash Burgers, Brisket-Sandwiches, Pulled Pork... Would like to have some simple industrial style, nothing fancy! My clientele are 25-50 years old people who don't mind to get dirty with a good streetfood. :) As I won't have any waiters, there will be only Bottle-Drinks (beer, coke etc..., nothing fancy)! Here is a picture of my Foodtruck/Trailer. Thanks a lot for your help and your time! Dejan


    • 11 days ago

      Thank you Isla Cherry for sharing your ideas with me, I really appreciate your free time & your feedback/help! Will try to realize some of your ideas as I do want the "restaurant" to look like as you described it. I don't want some fancy restaurant, something simple and friendly, with soul! Thanks a lot!!!!

    • 11 days ago

      I think your concept is that of a food truck but with the extra investment in premises and rent and renovations and upkeep. It feels like you have this romantic notion that you are going to be sat on the patio doing the smoking and people are just going to turn up and spend money.

      So personally I think it needs rethinking- I think the patio is one of your best areas for generating income and if you put a smoker there you will create a barrier to the inside so people will still treat this place as street food and a takeaway in which case you might as well have the lower outgoings of a food truck.

      To justify the rent I think you need to make it work as a daytime venue where people can get a coffee and cake in the morning, a casual lunch, an after work bar that sells casual foods. And a sit down evening venue.

      I think you need to hide most of the cooking in an area with ventilation that won’t adversely affect dining, I think you need tables and chairs on the patio and inside by the windows. I think you need decoration that majors on rustic wood, moody colours, warm lighting and well considered atmospheric music. I also think that if you are going to run and maintain this large space you also need help, you can charge more, keep tables clear and welcoming, generate additional drinks and sales of sides, reduce thefts and stop the restaurant being occupied by non paying clients by having wait staff. Behind the scenes catering help could also help generate income by providing accompaniment for the meat dishes- salads, fries, baked potatoes, deserts etc.

      I appreciate this advice represents extra set up costs but perhaps you can share that with someone who is interested in driving the daytime trade.

      krle_15 thanked Jonathan
    • 10 days ago

      Jonathan, thanks a lot for your reply!

      You are right - the pation (smoker) will bring guests, but I also do smash burgers, which is a signature dish. :) So the guests should be coming, as the food is not a problem and the place will be opened from 11 am until 9 am. :)

      But I have no qlue about the design of the restaurant. With a limited budget I am trying to reach max for the money I have. I appreciate every advice! Thank you, will rethink the idea of a opened kitchen plan! I am just trying to bring the "rooms" and pation to some kind of industrial style, as it goes well, I think, with a smokehaus/burger place.

      Thanks a lot & kind regards from Austria! :)

    • 10 days ago

      Ideally you would have a design concept and follow that. But if budget is very tight I think that you need to start with furniture and go from there. A local restaurant near me opened a few years ago on a tight budget. They bought second hand wood tables and chairs that were mismatched but elevated the look with investment elsewhere- they understood that the food area had to look spotlessly clean so built a counter and covered it with ceramics tiles and spent money making the bathroom look nice. They hid everything like fridges and although you like the self service idea I think you can protect your income by putting your staff in charge of drinks rather than your customers- don’t forget craft beers can cost a lot so they could be a good money earner- and you should also have an inexpensive draft beer and wine offering too.

      This restaurant also added quality lights- not that the fittings were particularly expensive but they had bulbs with high CRI (good light quality measure so that colours don’t get washed out and food looks appetising). Also it’s important to be able to dim the lights for ambiance. Personally I think that your very white walls make the floor tile look dingy- a really good clean of the floor will help but the main trick should be changing the wall colour. I would lean towards a Matt black, French grey, and terracotta theme.

      Then you need to fill the space with decoration to help it feel welcoming- consider covering one wall with wood flooring for a rustic feel, add some open shelves to showcase the ingredients, it’s very appetising to dine near an impressive display of well selected foods, perhaps you could bulk buy some of your marinade ingredients to fill the shelves to make the restaurant welcoming - think quality tinned Tomato, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, Soy sauce, baskets of garlic or chillis, quality vinegar and oils they could look great. Don’t forget an oversized chalk board for a menu on the wall in each part of the restaurant- make sure they are well lit. The place to pay should also be well lit.

      Oversized plants in pots inside the dining room will help, and outside twinkly lights for the patio, consider if ceiling fans will help push inviting smells to people passing. If there is any planting outside the patio fumigate it regularly to keep down unwanted pests. And consider what music to play and the volume- people need ambiance but they also want to chat so the necessary volume will vary depending on how busy you are.

      You should also think about self promotion which means prominent signage outside, above the cash register and information boards showing offers- perhaps you will do a drinks and meal package for quieter nights of the week, or give evening diners a voucher to return for a 11am coffee in the hopes that they will also buy a muffin or stay for lunch.

      It’s very exciting but no doubt overwhelming - if you post a plan of the space perhaps someone will come up with a floor plan for you

      krle_15 thanked Jonathan
    • 10 days ago

      I’m feeling hungry now! I totally believe you need to prioritise your customers before the bbq, so lay tables and chairs on that lovely terrace. People like to sit outdoors in good weather so put the bbq/kitchen further in with a massive amount of ventilation so they don’t get smoke in their eyes. Obviously you will need indoor seating as well. I don’t particularly want to watch my food being cooked, I just want quick, tasty food on my table. I would also consider a bar to bring in the punters. My brother owns a sports bar with a fantastic range of drinks and his place is packed especially at the weekend. No food, just crisps. He does a lot of functions at the weekend, not only football matches but bingo, quizzes, discos, tribute acts. They are always sold out. I know you want to concentrate on food, but a bit of live music is always welcome I think.

      My brother has refurbished his place in a rustic industrial style, so metal conduits for lighting, wooden tables and chairs and peeling paint effect on the brick walls. He has kept the original Crittal windows and rads. The tables were made by him using scaffold boards which were whitewashed then varnished. The chairs were bought from a company who supply secondhand chairs to pubs and restaurants. The bar is clad in corrugated iron. Everything was done on a budget, apart from the roof! He said he makes a huge amount of his profits from the drinks. I wish you every success in your venture. Here’s a few pics and yes that is Ricky Hatton pouring himself a drink! 😄

      krle_15 thanked Sonia
    • 10 days ago

      Looking more closely at the pictures I think your neighbours are so close they could object to outside cooking. I suspect there are kitchens at the back as it looks like this was formerly a restaurant. There are two doors shown on the pics- is there a kitchen beyond one of those? Does it already have great ventilation?

      Assuming there is a kitchen you can use I think you should have someone working in there and perhaps you should be based at a bar in the middle directing everything. If you have 18 tables I think you will need four people working the restaurant on your busiest days but initially you will likely start with two. And then add a kitchen porter when you get busy.

      krle_15 thanked Jonathan
    • 10 days ago

      Jonathan, yes the naighbor is across the street, but will not object it, as I already smoked a meat for a Truck. And yes, you are right - there is a kitchen back there, with a good ventilation. I planed opened kitchen, but it doesn´t work anymore in my head! So I will cook back there. Am planing to have 35 seats inside, 24 outside. Will note your comments, as they are very good and on the point! Thanks a lot, I really appreciate your comments!

    • 10 days ago

      I think if it’s your business you should be managing the relationship with customers and managing the staff so you should be based at the bar and employ a chef for the kitchen.

      krle_15 thanked Jonathan
    • 10 days ago

      Some inspiration Pics . Perhaps a new bar should be the focal point of the restaurant?

      krle_15 thanked Jonathan
    • 10 days ago

      And I have guessed the measurement and assumes which door leads to the kitchen in order to show how I would lay it out

      krle_15 thanked Jonathan
    • 10 days ago

      Jonathan, thank you for every comment, you helped a lot!! I really appreciate it!! Very kind & helpful of you!

    • 10 days ago
      last modified: 10 days ago

      Have a look at these guys too. Some of their branches are very industrial. Some great ideas to copy. Also try and watch or stream Diners, Drive-ins and Dives with Guy Fieri if you haven't seen them already. Go slowly or it will become very complicated and you will lose the spirit of what you have built so far. Needing to employ a whole lot of staff from the outset will quickly spiral into large costs, not to mention financial pressure. Keep the ethos of the food truck. Simple, great food, no drama.

      https://www.wahaca.co.uk/locations/

      krle_15 thanked Isla Cherry
    • 10 days ago

      Isla Cherry, thank you! Will check it, great! I appreciate it!

    • 10 days ago

      I don’t agree with the food truck sentiment mentioned above- if you have the financial outlay on renovations and the commitment to years of rent then staff are important in order to keep trading- it’s sobering to think that restaurants bankrupt 30% of owners within the first 12 months. Firstly you have to charge more than food truck prices to afford the increased outgoings and with that price tag come a customer expectation of more than a food truck. Also a food truck can have an opportunistic way of gaining trade by being at festivals or around busy car parks- with a restaurant you have to not only get customers but keep them coming back- in fact that is the most important part of the job. And people eat differently when they are alone so the food truck gets a single diner who won’t go to a restaurant. And the way people select a restaurant is different from a food truck - a reputation relies in part on its online reputation. Also it looks like there is a restaurant next door so you have competition that you might not have had when working in the truck.

      I think your research will show that restaurant service is just as important as the food. When you have a restaurant staff are important from Day 1. You are the face of the business and should be seen rather than hidden in the kitchen (although you could also hire a restaurant manager). Staff are important to keep the restaurant open when you can’t be there- and given that you will have to spend time recruiting, marketing, accounting, banking, cleaning, buying and doing maintenance there are not enough hours in the day for you to do it all.

      krle_15 thanked Jonathan
    • PRO
      9 days ago

      Hi Dejan,


      For the entrance and terrace, consider using rustic elements like reclaimed wood for seating or decorative panels, combined with industrial-style metal finishes to reflect the open kitchen vibe. Inside, focus on creating an inviting atmosphere by incorporating warm lighting, communal wooden tables, and visibility to the grill area, which can become a focal point surrounded by bar-style seating to engage your guests.


      Best of luck with your venture – it sounds like it will be a delightful spot for BBQ lovers!

      krle_15 thanked Black and Milk | Interior Design | London
    • 9 days ago

      Jonathan, it’s Eileen ,why don’t you go out and help him, I’m sure you would look fantastic in Lederhosen, seriously though, great advice as usual! I’m sure you and Sonia keep this site interesting and informative.

      krle_15 thanked Eileen Nixon
    • 9 days ago

      Hehe smokerhouse/BBQ & Lederhosen do not match well! :) He (Jonathan) gave me top advices - thank you Jonathan for your time!!!! I will keep your comments in mind!! A lot of your comments are really on the point!

    • 7 days ago

      Which of you is the AI, Kyle-15 or SIM.R?

      0
    • 6 days ago

      Krle-15 typo error just to prove I’m human. Who the….is Dejan?

      0
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