All the Trimmings: How to Build a Holistic Restaurant Concept and Brand

While the food and beverage portion of a meal is the main focus,
restaurateurs also develop other aspects of the business to
create a unique experience. Service is one. The design and layout
of a restaurant also matter. Everything from ambiance to color,
to sound, and to lighting.


On this episode of The‌ ‌Main‌ ‌Course‌‌ ‌Host,‌ ‌Barbara‌
‌Castiglia‌ ‌talked ‌with‌ ‌Steve Starr,‌ ‌the‌ ‌Founder and
Chief ‌of‌ ‌StarrDesign,‌ ‌which helps emerging restaurant
concepts define and design their brand to build lasting value.
The duo spoke about restaurant design, what goes into it and how
the pandemic altered how restaurants are approaching their
restaurant design.


Starr’s career in restaurants started when he was young. His
family owned them for four generations before his father decided
not to participate in the family business. His Mom made sure that
he and his sister gained a wealth of experience, with a
particular focus on serving people.


“The best way they believed to do that was to literally do that,”
Starr said. “Whether it was working in family restaurants or
other restaurants, we had to work in restaurants.”


His time working in restaurants taught him a great deal, as one
would expect. He picked up how to run operations and serve
guests, and it also allowed him to work a variety of positions.
It also taught him the most important thing he learned in his
life.


“I also learned that I don’t want to be a restauranteur,” Starr
said. “So, I decided to take the other side of the family
business, which my mom is now a retired interior designer, so I
ended up going to architecture school.”


He thought he would design housing, but by chance, one of his
first jobs was with a small firm that worked on restaurants. He
realized through this work that restaurant design is what he
loved.


Listen to learn about how Starr feels about good design and
operational efficiency deliver guest expectations.