Decorating Your Italian Restaurant

Decorating your Italian restaurant is nearly as important as what is on your menu. When people dine out they are doing so for a couple of different reasons. Often they don't want to cook and clean but still desire a delicious meal, and they want a pleasant atmosphere.

Creating an atmosphere is one of the main elements of decorating. The atmosphere that you create will greatly depend on what type of food you will be serving. If your main specialty is pizza, and your target patron is that of the younger generation and families, you would probably decorate your restaurant differently than you would if you were going to be opening a very upscale café.

Restaurants with themes are becoming increasingly popular. For an Italian restaurant you may want to have a street café theme, or an old world theme. Both of these are wonderful for setting the atmosphere in an Italian eatery.

Once you have a general idea of what theme or atmosphere you hope to create, start from the ground up. Your walls and floors will have to be an appropriate color to help you create that atmosphere. Earth tone colors are very popular in Italian restaurants.

Next on the list is your furniture. Decide what types of tables and chairs will help to set off your décor. You can choose anything from medium to dark wood, or even tables that depict classic Italian art. There are specialty tables available from some distributors that include those with a specific Italian theme.

Now you will want to add to your atmosphere by choosing just the right artwork. One of the obvious choices would be a replica of famous sculptures, and artwork from Old Italy. Maybe you don't want anything that fancy and would prefer art that depicts Italian country life, or an Italian kitchen. Your options are many and varied but it basically comes down to personal preference and the atmosphere that you hope to create.

Greenery is very important in an Italian restaurant, especially if you are going for the "old world garden" atmosphere. Silk plants can be placed in strategic locations to not only compliment your décor, but to give the patrons of your restaurant the feel of semi- private tables.

No matter how you ultimately decide to decorate your Italian restaurant, keep atmosphere in mind. Providing an environment that allows your customers to lose themselves for the duration of their meal is as important as the quality of food that you serve.

Jessica Ackerman is a senior staff writer for Padrino's Pizza and Pasta - one of the best pizza places in Seattle. There are countless options for late night food delivery in Seattle but make sure to order from our pizza - Voted the best pizza in Seattle by Seattle Magazine.