One of the most influential people in hospitality design has given his thoughts on design trends for pubs, which will elevate the customer experience whilst improving operator's bottom line.

Philip Harrison, Founder and Managing Director of Harrison, said there’s no doubt the pandemic has forced pub brands to take a forensic look at everything they offer – and this is one of few positives to emerge from a tough 18 months for the hospitality sector. Why? - Because it will make them better.

1. Comfort and style
As well as safety, operators can think how they can create an inviting welcome for customers - like rich, warm interior colours, comfortable furnishings like deep, fabric Chesterfields and dining height tables.

Lighting is key, too, alongside something else they’ll be striving for – a sense of community. Adding pictures and artwork that tell the story of the venue or the local community in which its based, can create a community feeling.

How it can be done
The White Bear in Kennington, South London, winner of a Restaurant and Bar Award, has existed since 1780 – that’s 240 years of history. Harrison worked with Young’s Brewery’s brief to create a traditional pub that worked as a modern venue but held on all of that rich and varied heritage.

His team created an interior framed around eclectic, layered artwork and weathered bric-a-brac, as well as a number of discreet ‘snug’ areas for extended comfort.

2. A theatrical approach
Pubs creates memories for the people who drink and dine there. And the best way to create that lasting impression, and ensure customers talk about their experience, is through a sense of ‘theatre’.

Drama and theatre should ooze from interiors, with focal points to capture customers’ attention at different touch points.

Themed interiors that reflect a venue’s history and story will be everywhere in 2022, but creating genuine ‘theatre’ goes even further than that.

How it can be done
At the White Bear in Kennington, Young’s wanted to stimulate their customers at every point of their visit, from entering the venue and deciding where to sit, to ordering a drink at the bar and purchasing food.

The Harrison team created a dedicated dining area with an open kitchen, where customers could watch their meals being prepared and breathe in the sights, sounds and smells of a busy kitchen service.

Not only that, with outdoor spaces so crucial to reopening during the pandemic, the venue’s large beer garden now even includes three beehives that produce honey used in a number of dishes on the pub’s menu.

3. Tell the brand’s story
Operators can make customers feel part of something more than simply a place to eat and drink by introducing them to the story of the venue. Cold, soulless venues that focus on style over substance will be overtaken by pubs and bars that offer a deeper emotional connection in 2022.

Showcase objects from the venue’s past, like old brewing barrels or distilling machinery and put heritage at the forefront of what operators do. All of those things allow customers to immerse themselves in the brand and their love of what operators do and what they stand for will keep them coming back time and time again.

It’s honest, it’s authentic and it’s what people want.

How it can be done
The team worked with Fuller’s to create the stunning Sail Loft venue in Greenwich, London. The clue is in the name and the venue’s views over the River Thames were at the forefront of the firm's design thinking. But even a new venue can have a history – in the Sail Loft’s case, from the historic maritime location around it.

So, a warm intimate interior was created by linking the venue’s two floors and using rich, characterful timber, deep brass, lobster pot lighting and an aqua colour palette.

4. Embrace technology
Technology in hospitality is always a delicate balancing act between the desire for customer convenience and removing the human connection we’ll all be striving for post-pandemic.

The fact is though, hospitality tech can be a great way to create the theatrical experience, mentioned earlier, and capture customers’ attention.

Mobile phone ordering and pre-payment was brought in to limit social contact in pubs during the Covid-19 restrictions and won’t be going anywhere soon.

But it’s self-service and take away are expected to seen even more of thsi year, alongside a switch to targeting workers during the daytime in the same way coffee shops do – which means super-fast Wi-Fi and charging points integrated with work-friendly table design.

5. Thoughtful sustainability
Choice is becoming more and more essential and much of that will lie in the stables of all pubs – food and drink.

Non-alcoholic beverages, soft drinks and sustainably sourced, local ingredients in a varied menu will set many pubs apart from their competitors and this is a trend that is set to stay.

Customers, too, want to feel they’re part of something that promotes sustainability and are consistently looking for options that allow them to feel as if they’re playing their part.

Everything from homegrown food and cutting down on waste, to energy-saving interiors and healthy eating are important, socially responsible movements that your brand needs to be part of.

6. A sense of community
Events and ideas that bring people together have never been more called-for after a year that has seen people pushed apart more than ever before.

Customers will be seeking that sense of community with like-minded people, and this could come from the events operators hold at their venues, to how they work with other local businesses. Think ‘camaraderie’ and operators won’t go too far wrong.

In conclusion
The landscape for pubs and licensed venues has changed – but only in part because of the pandemic. Those who were already adapting their brands to cater for a new generation of customer are the brands who will get stronger faster as we move through the Covid reopening process.

(source: https://www.weareharrison.com/)