15 Restaurant Designs That Failed to Serve Their Dream Aesthetic
This is why font style matters, to say the least.
Restaurant design can make a place feel memorable, or instantly make it look like a mistake. When the decor, signage, or serving style misses the mark, people notice fast.
These examples show what happens when a restaurant leans too hard into a dream aesthetic and ends up with something awkward instead. From confusing menus to strange seating and over-the-top presentation, the details here are doing the most.
Some of these spots are stylish in theory, but a little hard to defend in practice. Read on.
1. Imagine carrying a sizzling tray of food on one of these rail-thin ladders. What if the upstairs booth is noisy? Do the people in the ground booth file a complaint?
September892. Do not fold the menus at all costs.
[deleted]3. Oh, wow, Wisconsin, that is too wild even for you.
Skwonkie_
Some of these designs look like they were approved in a hurry.
4. I had a complex trying to decipher what this wonderful decal meant. Need a clue? It starts with the word "Welcome."
Nopeasuoli
5. It's one of those post-modern abstract pieces.
hotdogfinatic
6. They're just trying to inform their patrons where their food will end up.
Rawrnosaur
7. I would understand if they served churros in those bowls.
[deleted]
The menu choices are not helping the case here.
8. Ooh, self-burn; those are rare.
Super_Zac
9. Someone should have vetted that poster before framing and displaying it.
RagnarTohara
10. I'm sure the drunk customers love this reminder.
Buttons_Magee
11. Something about this sign seems racially insensitive for some reason.
Your_Local_Engineer
That is the kind of detail people remember for all the wrong reasons.
That “fairness” fight gets even messier in the AITA where someone suggested friends straddle expensive dinner bills.
12. Their concealment technology is still in the prototype stage.
Oc70b3r
13. That's a little too down-to-earth, don't you think?
Jetwynn
14. Either they made a crucial mistake, or this is the most terrifying cow-human hybrid in the restaurant world.
wordboy107
15. Do they just flick your food to you, or is that considered a service as well?
AJD20033
A few of these ideas feel more confusing than clever.
16. I wouldn't trust the food at this place.
SamwiseGamg33
17. No, I did not eat your fries, honey. The giant nose behind me snorted all of them.
pretzelzetzel
18. To beat the hell out of the person who suggested this "innovative" menu design.
jookz
19. The food better not be served by their commercial model fly and its actor friends.
isaacpeterson
It is admittedly difficult to find the line between interesting and pretentious when it comes to design and aesthetics. You can't be too old-fashioned, or you will look out of place, but you can't try too hard either, or things just won't make sense.
That menu wrapped around a wooden pole comes to mind when you think of stepping way out of the box. Sometimes, sticking to the classics will be more beneficial and cost-effective in the long run.
Some restaurants really do overthink the vibe.
For more bill-splitting fallout, see how one person refused to split dinner evenly after only an appetizer.
