Restaurant Layout Ideas: 10 Floor Plans with Sizes & Seating

Not sure how much space you might need for your restaurant? This quick comparison gives you a starting point based on the restaurant type, approximate space, and seating capacity.

These are example layouts rather than industry standards. Actual space requirements and seating capacity vary depending on the restaurant concept, kitchen size, circulation, local building codes, and accessibility requirements.

Different restaurant concepts use space in very different ways. A small restaurant may need to fit several essential areas into a compact footprint, while a café may need to give more room to its counter and customer flow. These examples show how the space, seating, and layout priorities can change from one concept to another.

20 × 30 ft · 15–20 seats

When space is limited, the main challenge is fitting seating, kitchen, storage, and a restroom without making the dining area feel cramped.

• Good space to look for: A compact, easy-to-divide unit with enough width for a clear entrance and room for the kitchen and other back-of-house areas.k
• Layout focus: Use the available floor area efficiently while keeping clear paths between the entrance, tables, kitchen, and restroom.

25 × 40 ft · 25–30 seats

A café doesn't need a huge dining room, but the counter can take up more space than you might expect. You'll also need room for ordering, preparation, storage, and customers who are only stopping by briefly.

• Good space to look for: A visible storefront with enough frontage for the entrance and counter. Some space near the front can also be useful for takeaway customers and window seating.
• Layout focus: Build the layout around the counter rather than trying to fit in as many tables as possible. Keep ordering and pickup easy to navigate while leaving the main seating area open.

30 × 40 ft · 35–40 seats

Fast-casual restaurants can have a steady stream of customers throughout the day, so queues need to fit into the layout without taking over the dining area. The ordering, pickup, and seating areas all need to work together without creating bottlenecks.

• Good space to look for: A space with a clear entrance and enough room near the front for ordering and pickup, with the kitchen close to the service area.
• Layout focus: Give customers a simple path from the entrance to ordering and seating, and keep queues away from tables and staff routes.

40 × 50 ft · 40–50 seats

Fine dining usually works better with fewer tables and more room around each one. Once you allow for comfortable seating and less visible service routes, a space that seems large on paper can fill up quickly.

• Good space to look for: A relatively open space with enough room for wider table spacing, a proper kitchen, and dedicated service areas.
• Layout focus: Give each table more breathing room and keep staff circulation as discreet as possible, rather than trying to maximize the number of seats.

40 × 60 ft · 50–60 seats

Adding a bar means planning for another service area, not simply adding a few more seats. It needs space for guests, bartenders, storage, and service, while still connecting smoothly with the kitchen and dining area.

• Good space to look for: A wider or open-plan unit where the bar can have its own area without cutting into the main dining space or creating a bottleneck.
• Layout focus: Position the bar so it can serve both bar guests and the dining area, while keeping bar service and kitchen traffic from interfering with the main customer flow.

30 × 50 ft · 35–40 seats

An open kitchen becomes part of what guests see and experience, so you can't treat it like a typical back-of-house area. Its position affects the dining room, noise, heat, and the way staff move through the restaurant.

• Good space to look for: A relatively wide, open space where the kitchen can face the dining area without taking over too much of the floor.
• Layout focus: Let the kitchen be visible without putting busy staff routes directly through the dining area.

40 × 50 ft · 40–45 seats

An L-shaped space gives you two connected areas that can serve different purposes. Instead of forcing everything into one open room, you can use the turn to separate dining from the kitchen, bar, waiting area, or additional seating.

• Good space to look for: A corner or L-shaped unit where both sections are wide enough to be genuinely usable, rather than leaving one side as dead space.
• Layout focus: Use the corner as a natural divider between functions, while keeping the connection between the two sections easy for both customers and staff.

20 × 60 ft · 30–35 seats

A long, narrow space can have plenty of square footage but still feel cramped. The problem is usually not the total area—it's how much of that area gets lost to circulation. A poorly planned layout can leave you with a long walkway and rows of tables that feel packed together.

• Good space to look for: A narrow storefront with enough width for comfortable seating on either side of a main path and enough depth to place the kitchen and service areas toward the back.
• Layout focus: Keep the main route as short and useful as possible, and divide the long space into smaller zones so it doesn't feel like one endless dining room.

50 × 70 ft · 70–80 seats

Having more space doesn't automatically make a restaurant easier to plan. Once the floor gets large, scattered tables can make the dining room feel empty, while a kitchen, bar, or restroom placed too far away can create unnecessary walking for staff and guests.

• Good space to look for: A large, open floor plate that gives you enough flexibility to create several connected dining zones instead of one oversized room.
• Layout focus: Break the space into purposeful areas and keep the main service points within reasonable reach of each other. The goal is to make a large restaurant feel connected, not simply fill it with more tables.

40 × 60 ft + patio · 50–60 seats

A patio can give you valuable extra seating, but it also adds another area for staff to serve. If servers have to make a long trip between the patio and kitchen for every order, the extra seats can create more work than expected.

• Good space to look for: A property with usable outdoor space located close to the main dining room or kitchen, rather than a patio that is separated from the service areas.
• Layout focus: Keep the connection between indoor and outdoor seating short and practical, with a clear service route that doesn't cut through crowded dining areas.

The layouts above are a useful starting point, but your space probably won't match any of them exactly. Maybe the room is a little wider, you need more seats, or the kitchen has to go somewhere else. That's where Floor Plan Maker, a free online restaurant floor plan maker, can help you test your own version.

Start with a Restaurant Type and Layout

Choose the restaurant type, layout size, and floor plan type to quickly generate a starting point. It's a simple way to see how different combinations of space and layout can work before you start drawing everything yourself.

Customize the Layout with a Prompt

If you already have something specific in mind, describe it in a prompt. You can specify the number of seats or add details such as a bar, kitchen island, waiting area, or other elements you need in your restaurant.

Create My Restaurant Floor Plan

1. What should you check before renting a restaurant space?

Don't look at square footage alone. Check the space's shape, entrance, plumbing, ventilation, restroom, and whether there's enough room for the kitchen, storage, seating, and circulation.

2. Is a rectangular space better for a restaurant?

Usually, yes—it's easier to divide into dining, kitchen, and service areas. But an L-shaped or narrow space can work just as well if its dimensions and fixed elements fit your concept.

3. How much space should you leave for the kitchen and other back-of-house areas?

A useful starting point is the 60/40 rule: roughly 60% for the dining area and 40% for the kitchen and other back-of-house spaces. Treat this as a planning guideline rather than a fixed requirement.

4. Should you choose the restaurant space or design the layout first?

Start with a rough layout before looking for a space, based on your target seating and essential areas. Once you find a property, adjust the plan using its exact dimensions, doors, windows, plumbing, and other fixed elements.