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Restaurant aesthetics and how style relates to success

The importance of aesthetics is hard to define, but having purposeful design elements in your restaurants is an essential ingredient to your success. They set the mood and can significantly influence your customer's experience — for better or worse.

Photo: TundraFMP

April 28, 2023

Do you remember how Pizza Hut looked in the '90s and 2000s? It was iconic.

Each table was lit by hanging stained glass lampshades with the words PIZZA HUT emblazoned on the sides. Blood-red plastic cups filled with Pepsi were enjoyed in wooden booths with puffy cushions. Non-smoking sections were designed like greenhouses, complete with hanging vegetation lit by sun rays streaking through windows that curved up to the ceiling.

To further explore the dimensions of style in the foodservice industry, we sat down with American Metalcraft, a product manufacturer that specializes in trendy restaurant aesthetics.

American Metalcraft started as a hubcap manufacturer, but went on to create the first deep-dish pizza pan. How did that happen?

American Metalcraft: American Metalcraft was incorporated back in 1947. We worked with the automobile industry making our hubcaps for Tucker Automobile. As the story goes, a local distributor in the market came to us to ask if we could make them pizza pans. We are a metal spinning company, so it didn't seem too far-fetched. Lo and behold, we could! It was out of our wheelhouse at the time, but we did it.

We made our first pizza pan, and it blossomed from there with our creation of the first-ever Chicago deep-dish pan. Since then, we evolved into making a variety of pans, and to this day, we manufacture over 3,000 variations of pans. But that's just the beginning of what we offer now.

How do you define American Metalcraft's role in the industry today?

Our focus is product innovation while maintaining a foothold in what we know best. Pizza keeps the lights on and is a foundation of what we do, but around 2000-2001, we evolved with more trend-forward products and tabletop items. Our niche is providing new solutions for our customers, just like we did with the pizza pans.

We think outside the box with new ideas, new forms of food presentation, new materials, and new textures. We keep a finger on the pulse of what's happening with trends and find inspiration in what's happening in other industries like textiles and interior design.

You mentioned keeping your finger on the pulse. What are some trends you're seeing now?

Regarding materials, we're seeing different types of woodgrain finishes and stonework rising in popularity. Stainless steel, hammered textures, satin finishes, black finishes, golds, brass, copper — these you often see in fixtures for home decor, but they interweave together with the foodservice industry.

These things provide inspiration for how we bring products into the market. If you are designing a front-of-house venue, all these things come together in one way or another. Knowing what's happening on the walls, on the furniture, etc., helps us know what products work with different restaurant aesthetics.

How do you define American Metalcraft's relationship with style and product design?

When you think about aesthetics in commercial foodservice, it can be akin to fashion design. For example, you take a simple black dress (the tabletop), but you need to add some accouterments (glassware, china) to make it pop. You look at this dress and say, "Okay, now I need to add some bling."

That's where our accessories come in. We can add the "wow" factor. Adding the right salt shaker with a gold accent, or beautiful glass designed to hold oil and vinegar — these extra touches elevate the presentation.

When our product design team gets together and brainstorms, there's a lot of "How could this be applied? How cool is it?" We're not afraid to take risks and try things.

We have an eye for design and know what's happening in the world of aesthetics. Our team is immersed in various markets, countries, and industries to provide the inspiration we need to continue innovating.

You offer a variety of dinnerware "collections." Tell us about those. How do you define them?

When we decided to launch the dinnerware category in 2017, we started with the Crave collection. It was an exploration for us, and it has become our top-selling dinnerware collection to date. We've evolved this particular collection a number of times over the last 6 years with various color combinations.

Since then, we've grown into some alternative patterns in our dinnerware category. The Isabella collection is more vintage and Mediterranean. It has nice blue tones with beautiful designs on each plate and piece in the line. The designs work together to provide a cohesive look, but can stand on their own as existing Chinaware.

The Jane collection is plain Jane white. This collection has a recognizable footprint that is a very well-received, middle-of-the-road product line to provide an alternative option for customers looking for melamine dinnerware.

Mix and Matte is our matte texture collection. It has more coupe styles and shapes, four different color variations, and a solid or decorative marble-like finish.

Unity is one of my favorites. It has a modern, contemporary look that provides a clean, straight-sided stackable design in round and square shapes. It is the most complete dinnerware collection that we have introduced to date, and the results are inspiring. We added some stainless steel plates to the mix, coupe-style as well as a straight-sided shape.

This year, we launched a terracotta collection called Marra which incorporates plates, bowls, and pots with a hand-crafted feel that captures the growing global cuisine trend.

You've expanded to ceramic and glass products as well. Is metal still your forte, or do you expect to see this expansion continue?

Metal, especially aluminum, will always stay relevant. In other categories, specifically dinnerware, tabletop, and buffet, those categories are highly focused on more durable commercial foodservice-friendly materials. Currently, we are highly focused on melamine, especially in dinnerware.

What are some new trends on the horizon that you'd like to share?

We launched over 150 new products at NAFEM back in early February. The Blend collection is one of our newest, with bento-inspired pieces that intermingle to make a cool dinnerware puzzle. It also incorporates three subtle colors. We look to see that it touches on fun conversational pieces.

Other highlights include a new bar category called the Parker collection. It incorporates items like a carafe, ice bucket, and more with elegant glass pieces made from a Tritan® co-polyester material that is ultra-strong, dishwasher safe, and shatter-resistant. It's perfect for rooftop bars and outdoor use.

Another new line is our Loft collection. It incorporates industrial designs with wooden accents.

You come off as if you cater to higher-end dining experiences. What would you say to restaurant owners shopping on a budget?

We want to elevate a diner's experience without breaking the bank. Don't let these named collections scare you! We provide options for any budget.

If, for instance, you look at a wood board that's out of your price range, we offer carbonized bamboo boards that are much more price friendly. There are Good, Better, and Best options in our categories that steer customers toward what's best for them. That even goes along with our pizza pans — do you need a standard gauge? Heavy gauge? Tin? There are always different options available.

How does your expertise in style help small restaurants succeed?

From a small operator's standpoint, it starts with our catalog. Honestly, I think one of the most fun things I enjoy is when I hear a customer say, "Oh my gosh, I didn't know you had that!" I love the journey we go on with customers.

An independent restaurant might be buying pizza products, but they never think to ask us about the dinnerware, the salad items, or the pasta products. We offer a multi-dimensional product line. We carry an abundant offering of back-of-house products and front-of-house items, and we work with customers to find the perfect item for their definitive look.

Aesthetics, fashion, and style aren't everyone's cup of tea. Where is a good place to start?

No matter who you are, style is inspiring. Our catalog is a perfect coffee table book. It's the best place for inspiration, and you'll always find what you're looking for. Whether small pieces or full dinnerware collections, if you're looking for new catering displays, we are the ones who can make that happen.

From your tabletop to your dinnerware, it is difficult to do everything you can to stay in a customer's mind; nevertheless, a sense of style and taste is key to understanding the impact of your restaurant.

It doesn't always have to scream "sophistication," "trendy," or "en Vogue." Sometimes a simple lampshade might be all you need to make a good impression. When it comes to aesthetics, the important question isn't, "Is my restaurant stylish?"

It is, "Is my restaurant iconic?"

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TundraFMP helps foodservice operators do what they do best – by providing fast, flexible and complete kitchen solutions. We offer the most complete selection of restaurant equipment, apparel, smallwares, parts, and accessories in the industry.

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