Breakfast, lunch, dinner and restaurants
To determine the occupant load , you measure the square footage of a given area and divide it by the allowed square feet per person. For example, a 500 square-foot kitchen would have an occupant load of 5 people, given the maximum of 100 square feet per person listed in the table above.
The occupancy load is calculated by dividing the area of a room by its prescribed unit of area per person. Units of area per person for specific buildings can be found in the chart at the end of this article. For instance, the chart dictates that dormitories require 50 square feet of floor area for every room occupant .
Calculating Occupant Load for Restaurants The average recommended space to allow for a full service restaurant is 12 to 15 square feet per person; for fine dining, allow 18 to 20 square feet per person, according to an article about restaurant layouts on dimensions.com.
It’s important to remember that banquet seating may use as little as 10 square feet per person. However, fine dining may require 20 square feet per person. It is common for most restaurants or coffee shops with that have a general menu to average about 15 square feet per person.
Conference room occupancy is calculated at 15 square feet per person. Rooms without furniture (such as a relatively empty room used for a stand-up reception) would be calculated at 7 square feet per person.
Bathrooms , closets, electrical/mechanical rooms and other nonoccupiable spaces are not subtracted from the gross floor area. When an occupant load factor is based on the net floor area, the calculation is based on the actual occupied area.
Occupant Load Factor : The occupant load factor is a designation of square feet per person based upon the use of a given space. It is used to determine occupant load by dividing the occupant load factor from the overall square footage of an area.
To calculate the occupant load , the first step is to calculate the area of the space in question by multiplying the length times the width – typically measured within the interior faces of the walls. For example, if a classroom measures 30 feet by 40 feet, the nominal area is 1,200 square feet (30′ x 40′ = 1200 SF).
Example – 2000 square foot restaurant divided by 60 = 33 persons at 25 % occupancy .
The overall space of your restaurant should be divided as such: Dining Room Area: 60% Kitchen, Cooking, Storage, Prep, etc: 40% Seating Capacity & Layout.
Type of Restaurant | Recommended Sq. Ft. Per Person |
---|---|
Fast Food | 11-14 |
Cafeteria | 9-12 |
Banquet | 10-11 |
Table Service, Hotel/Club | 15-18 |
“The sign shall be located in a conspicuous location within the room, adjacent to the main exit, so as to not be obstructed by doors, curtains, poster board stands, furniture, room dividers, or similar items. The sign shall be posted not more than 60 inches nor less than 48 inches above the floor.”
So the size of a 1000 square foot building is any number times any number that equals a 1000. For example, if your building is 50 feet long and 20 feet wide you would times the length (50) by the width (20) and the answer is your floor area squared, or a 1000 square feet.
On average, the cost to open a restaurant is between $100 and $800 per square foot, with costs varying based on location, concept, size, materials, new or existing location, and equipment.
Consider the vibe you’re going for, do some basic math, and see how many seats roughly you would want at your restaurant . 2) Track Your Table Status. 3) Let Diners Choose. 4) “How Was It?” 5) Optimize Your Reservations. 6) …But Also Offer Walk-Ins. 7) Take Note. 8) Don’t You Forget About Me (Your Reservation)