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Pizzeria Design Ideas and Décor Concepts That Compliment Your Food and Service

Ethnic restaurant decor

Pizza is a classic favorite among most people. Walk into any pizza shop and you will be led by the nose of the aroma of fresh dough, sauce, and cheese that wafts through the entire restaurant. Pizzerias have an advantage of giving a good first impression among guests with a creative pizza restaurant design, aromatic smell of pizza. But when that subsides, people need to know what your pizza shop offers in terms of service, ambiance, and of course, food.

Understanding the Pizzeria Business Structure

According to a report from PMQ Pizza Magazine, pizza sales have soared to a whopping $36 million since 2009. If you are seriously contemplating about owning a pizza shop, you can either invest in a franchise or become an independent operator. The report further shows that independently owned pizzerias account for 58% pizza restaurants across the USA and take home over half of the sales. Despite the challenges that come along with owning your own pizzeria, being an independent operator presents many advantages.


For starters, owning your own restaurant costs less than investing in a franchise. Secondly, owning your pizza restaurant allows you to maximize and even optimize creativity and any business decisions you make. But prior to making pizza dough, you need to determine which business module works best and how to utilize it which includes effective marking strategies, a creative pizza shop design, illustrative menu, formulating a pizza design and layout plan, making smart investments in equipment needed for a pizzeria, and more.

Finding Inspiration for Your Pizza Restaurant Décor

Modern restaurant decor

From pizzerias with sophisticated chandeliers hanging off of ceilings, to carpet flooring, and edgy brick walls, you can find multiple pizza restaurant interior design ideas to elevate your décor. Whether you are decorating your brand new pizza shop or remodeling your current establishment, as a general rule, you need to choose something that works well for your motif. An outside the pizza box design is guaranteed to make you stand out. Unfortunately, most pizza parlors share a similar décor thus giving a more mediocre impression that does not catch the interest and appeal among people. When it comes to choosing a décor for your pizza interior design, options don’t have a limit. Below are a few examples to name:


  • Sports Themed Pizza Shop: If most of your customers are sports enthusiasts, you may want to incorporate a relevant theme into your décor. Decorating your pizza parlor with sports memorabilia, investing in a couple of screen televisions or having your staff don sports uniforms is one way to entice patrons. You can even consider naming some pizzas after a local favorite sports team.
  • Traditional Take-On: Though seemingly cliché, it’s hard to go wrong with maintaining a more traditional look for your décor. There is nothing wrong staying in your safe zone by using typical items such as checkered red and white tablecloths, napkin dispensers, pizza restaurant furniture you would normally find at a traditional pizzeria, and other accessories that would give your parlor a welcoming and homey feel. However, a traditional décor does not have to be boring. Adding a splash of class along with your own spin can go a long way.
  • Unique and Hip: If you decide to nix the traditional design idea, you can go for a more eccentric and eclectic look. Taking a far stretch with an atypical but interesting décor can help you develop a certain theme and look for your shop with the goal to catch the attention of by passers who may convert to regular customers. You can surf the web for decor ideas and find the one that piques your interest the most.
  • Retro Flair: Creating a décor that transports your customers to the past is another option available for you to consider. You can go retro using 50’s and 60’s decorations for your parlor. Find inspiration online or from garage sales or just about anywhere and anything you need to give your décor a more vintage look and feel.

Conclusively, when you think about concepts for your décor, there are more factors to note than the visual effects it may have. For instance, when you go on a nostalgic journey to the pizzerias you visited as a child, think of how they ignited your sense of taste and smell. Whether you are making pizza or running a pizzeria yourself, you shouldn’t have difficulties creating the perfect scent for your shop that can also be augmented with sound, feel, comfort with pizzeria tables and chairs with booths as well as other elements that create a warm inviting ambience for your guests.

Creating a Floor and Seating Layout Plan

Restaurant floor plan

A pizzeria layout plan extends beyond rearranging restaurant tables and chairs. Your layout supports operational workflow that impacts on sales and showcases your brand to patrons. Most interior designers believe that a 6-step approach is most effective by starting to allocate space in your kitchen and then working your way towards the dining room. The productiveness of this method, however, may vary depending on your décor concept. There are several primary spaces to consider when developing your layout plan. The way you address each of these components plays a role in operational efficiency and the quality of service you provide for your guests.


In the dining room, adequate seating and traffic flow are the two most important ingredients in a layout plan followed by using design fundamentals that communicate your brand and concept. Ultimately, your goal should be to provide a comfortable and inviting space that draws people into your pizza shop and encourages them to return. But there is a lot to consider in your floor and seating layout plan and addressing all these issues correctly may require some time and money. Don’t recreate the wheel can cut the process in half; a technique that many successful restaurateurs implement. In other words, if you can find an existing space that already has the key elements in place, it can potentially save you a lot of money and time when you launch your grand opening. You may need to tweak and update some elements in an existing space though but the cost of remodeling is a fraction to what you would spend on construction in a new building.

Designing your Pizza Shop Menu

More than just a list of food, a well-designed menu can enhance one’s dining experience, stimulate appetites and help customers make satisfying and conscientious choices. A menu design is a primary advertising tool engineered to drive sales and generate revenue. Your menu needs to convey what you are offering your customers in a way that is stylish and precise. Following through with several visual strategies can increase the profit margin:


  • If you want customers to remember you and even spread the good word to family and friends, placing the name, number, location and website of your pizza shop at the top and on the front of your menu can help. Doing as such will remind customers who you are and how to get in touch with you.
  • You should outline the theme of your pizza restaurant for your menu. Studies show that colors can have psychological effects on the customer’s appetite and set the mood of a restaurant as well as draw attention to certain food items. If your pizza shop concentrates on elegance and high-class dining, for instance, it would make sense to incorporate dark and contemporary colors in your menu design. On the flipside, if the décor of your shop epitomizes a vintage looking pizzeria, a black and white checkered menu would be more appropriate.
  • Your menu should be divided into sections. The design (and the font) should be tailored to the customers’ needs by making it easy for them to read. Sections accomplish this by breaking everything down into groups. Rather than lumping appetizers, salads, soups, side dishes, entrees, desserts and drinks into one section, classifying these items in different sections result in a legible menu which customers will appreciate.
  • Prices should be displayed next to each item on the menu. However, don’t emphasize a lot on currency signs. While some business owners may believe that omitting prices encourages customers to order more expensive dishes, its seen as an inconvenience at least and not customer friendly at most.
  • Your menu should feature options as well. If your shop offers whole pies and/or slices, mention that on the menu. Vegan and gluten-free items should be included if you intend to cater to people with dietary needs and restrictions.
  • Use images of food sparingly as they are more commonly associated with junk mail fliers and big chain restaurants. If you decide to feature photos on your menu, they should be of high professional quality which can be expensive. It’s better to leave the quality of food to the customer’s imagination. Generally speaking, food photography doesn’t always appeal to everyone.
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