How to Design a Pizzeria Floor Plan, Layout and Blueprint

Whether you’ll be serving up American classics like New York Italian-style pies, elevated wood-fired creations, or cheesy Chicago deep dish, your pizzeria’s floor plan should be accessible and easy to navigate for all customers. Many states require that you submit blueprints for building permits, making this step a necessity.

When you design your pizzeria’s floor plan, you’re setting your business up for long-term success. Use this guide to design a smart restaurant floor plan that meets all the building codes for your area.

Key Takeaways

• Impact on Efficiency and Profitability: A well-designed floor plan ensures smooth operations and maximizes the use of space, helping to improve efficiency and profitability over time.

• Guest Experience: Features like comfortable waiting areas, accessible entrances, and thoughtful dining room layouts enhance the guest experience, making your pizzeria a welcoming space.

• Employee Efficiency: Properly designed kitchens, staff areas, and POS locations allow employees to work seamlessly, minimizing delays and enhancing overall productivity.

• Permit Requirements: Complying with local building codes and permit requirements is essential to ensure legal operation and a safe, accessible environment for everyone.

• Elements of a Floor Plan: Key components include a kitchen, dining area, wet bar, restrooms, and emergency exits, all designed to optimize the space for customers and staff.

• Design Options: Consider whether to use software or hire a professional designer to craft a space that reflects your brand's vision while maintaining functionality.

• Customer Experience: Prioritize elements like local pizza culture and accessibility, as these factors significantly influence the success of your pizzeria.

• Accessibility: Ensure compliance with the ADA and design for inclusivity, creating spaces that cater to the needs of all customers and employees.

• Best Practices: Focus on intuitive layouts, thoughtful spacing, and balancing guest and staff needs to create a harmonious environment.

• Importance of Clean Restrooms: Clean and well-placed restrooms leave a lasting positive impression on guests and reflect the overall hygiene of your establishment.

What is a Pizzeria Floor Plan?

Floor plans are maps of the physical space of the pizzeria restaurant. Every inch of space in your pizza place should be accounted for, both indoors and outdoors. That’s because – ultimately – the floor plan is a visualization of how your pizzeria will look and feel, guiding the layout of the physical space.

Floor plans require a little bit of creativity and research – they must balance your vision with the accessibility of the space. How your guests and servers will navigate your pizzeria is just as important as the ambiance and dining experience.

A pizzeria floor plan should include:

• The kitchen

• A wet bar

• Prep areas

• An ordering queue or waiting area

• Dining and seating areas

• Staff areas, offices, and break rooms

• Your pizzeria’s POS system and cashier stations

• Restrooms

• Dish area(s)

• Doors

• Windows

• Emergency Exits

• Accurate measurements of the space

There are two options for designing your pizzeria’s floor plans and blueprints – you can do some research (which we’ve started here for you) and use software, or hire a design studio.

If you want to take a shot at do-it-yourself floor plans, don’t stress about being an architect or artist. Interior design software will make designing your pizzeria’s floor plans simple. SmartDraw, ConceptDraw, or CadPro are all user-friendly software that can create a custom blueprint for your pizzeria.

Hiring a restaurant design studio, if it’s within your budget, can help you to bring a focused, consistent aesthetic vision to life. The designer will collaborate with you to craft an intuitive guest experience with a curated ambiance.

Take some time to brainstorm and go into the design process with an idea of how you want your pizzeria to look, feel, and function. Where will the kitchen be? Where will guests place orders? As you brainstorm, consider the accessibility of your proposed layout for all guests and employees.

Accessibility Requirements for Pizzeria Floor Plans

States and municipalities have building codes that public buildings must adhere to. Complying with building codes guarantees that your pizzeria is accessible to all guests. But, as architect Justin Alpert says, adhering to building codes is the bare minimum – think about how you might design a space that works for everyone, not just “the average customer.”

When designing your floor plan, take inspiration from the humans that will use the space. Employing the principles of human-centered design not only results in beautiful, usable pizzeria spaces but can also lead to more customer engagement. As you start designing, answer this question – how can you engage your community with the design of your pizzeria?

The answer will all depend on you, your community, and your vision!

How to Create a Pizzeria Blueprint and Floor Plan

Whether you’re working with a designer or doing it yourself, it’s important to start with  clear pizzeria design ideas. This guide will help you to start the process. Consider these design principles as you formulate a pizzeria floor plan.

Floor Plan Software

• SmartDraw

• ConceptDraw

• CadPro

Best Practices For Designing Your Pizzeria Floor Plan

• Design accessible spaces with your customers in mind. Consider both your guests’ and employees' needs as well as local building codes.

• Include ample space for your guests while they wait in line to order or, if your pizzeria has table service, while they wait for a table.

• Create an intuitive flow of service so that customers aren’t confused by how your pizzeria functions.

• Factor in where your employees will be working. This includes identifying where POS systems will exist to efficiently conduct transactions and communicate with the kitchen.

• Consider how the floor plan works for the theme and ambiance of your pizzeria.

1. Pizzeria Kitchen Floor Plan

Whether your pizza joint is a counter-service by-the-slice affair or a full-service culinary experience, the open kitchen is a primary consideration in your floor plan. Be sure to budget enough space for the large commercial or wood-fired ovens that’ll be the cornerstone of your business.

If you have limited space, use it wisely. Time, quality, and, eventually, profits are sacrificed when there’s not enough space for your employees to work efficiently. 

Large pizza ovens produce a lot of heat. Be sure to provide adequate ventilation and/or open space so that your employees can work in comfort.

The best kitchen designs minimize the chance for cooks to bump into each other and will reduce the time it takes to run a plate to where a server will pick it up. It should also include all the essential restaurant equipment and supplies.

2. The Waiting Area Floor Plan

It's easy to completely overlook the waiting area, or add it as an afterthought where diners are squeezed into a small area while waiting for a table, or they're blocking the way of servers or other diners.

But don't make that mistake, because the waiting area showcases an excellent opportunity to deliver next-level hospitality. 

One straightforward way to demonstrate your restaurant’s dedication to enhancing the guest experience is by offering a complimentary coat check.

According to Richard Coraine, senior managing partner of business development and consulting at Union Square Hospitality Group, “Restaurant operators might give up storage space or opportunities for additional seating, but the coat check ultimately enhances hospitality, especially during the winter months.” Coraine played a key role in introducing coat checks at Gramercy Tavern in New York.

Another guest-focused idea is assigning a host to the waiting area to ensure guests feel comfortable and cared for while waiting for their table. For example, Giovanni’s Restaurant in Copperas Cove, Texas, has taken this approach. An effective host should excel at interpreting guests’ body language and expressions and, when appropriate, offer a drink or complimentary appetizer if the wait becomes lengthy or if guests appear uneasy.

3. Wet Bar Floor Plan

Many full-service pizzerias have bars – don’t let yours be an afterthought. Encourage the community to gather at your pizzeria’s bar for brews and pies during big games. Or, create an elevated space with cocktails that compliment your complex culinary creations.

Plan your pizza bar with bartenders in mind – you might even consult local bartenders or a trusted employee in the layout of your bar. Create a seamless workspace that’s enjoyable to use by thinking of production and service in every aspect of the design elements.

For instance, where will bartenders interact with guests? Where will they hand drinks off to servers for table service?

Having more tables can make it challenging for servers and bartenders to move around efficiently. Odd Duck in Austin, TX addressed this issue by using Toast Go, a portable restaurant POS system. This device enables servers to split checks, take orders, process payments, and gather guest feedback directly at the table or bar.

4. Staff Area Floor Plan

Staff areas (such as offices and break rooms) should always be included in your floor plans. Be sure to set aside back-of-house space for your managers to complete administrative tasks and for all of your staff to take breaks. 

Properly aligning your staff schedule with your restaurant's floor plan layout is essential for seamless operations. Toast Payroll & Team Management simplifies this process by allowing you to manage schedules, monitor hours, and stay compliant with labor laws, all while fostering a happy and efficient team.

In an example from BrightHub, the staff quarters are conveniently situated just outside the dining area and adjacent to the kitchen. The space is well-placed, with a door that provides employees the opportunity for quick, private conversations when needed.

5. Entrance Floor Plan

The entrance to your pizza restaurant is the first impression customers will get of your restaurant, so it must be a good one. 

In a full-service pizzeria, be sure to create enough space for guests to wait to be seated. You might also designate a place for customers to wait for take-out orders.

In a counter-service pizzeria, prioritize the pathway for guests to order. You can place the ordering counter near the entrance, or guide your customers there with signs or creative architectural elements.

The location of your pizzeria is also a factor in the entrance floor plans. In an area with lots of foot traffic (like a mall or shopping center), you might not need as much of a waiting area as you would if you were a stand-alone restaurant.

6. Dining Room Floor Plan

In a full-service or even counter-service pizzeria, the dining room will drive the build of the guest experience. Design a dining room in which the layout and things like wall decor match the aesthetic of your pizzeria’s brand. Equally important is that the dining room is open and accessible to all guests.

Are you aiming for a classic by-the-slice joint, a busy, trippy adventure, or an elevated and sleek pizzeria experience? The choice you make for your floor plan all depends on the kind of pizzeria you’re trying to create.

One big factor to consider is the local pizza culture and style. What kind of pizza is popular in your area? What expectations will your community have for the pizzeria? How will your joint stand out from the crowd? These questions can help you develop a smart floor plan that supports your pizzeria's success.

How Much Seating Should a Pizzeria Have?

To understand your seating plan, consider the industry standard for space. According to Total Food Service, it’s a 60/40 model – 60% of the space is used for guests (and seating) and 40% is used for prep, the bar, and the kitchen.

Another critical step is calculating the maximum occupancy of your space depending on local building codes. These will vary by pizzeria type and location, but we suggest the following capacity per guest in these types of restaurants (local COVID guidelines may further restrict these calculations:)

• Full-Service Restaurant Dining: 12-15 square feet

• Counter Service: 18-20 square feet

• Fast Food: 11-14 square feet

Let’s give an example using the suggested capacity above. A 3200 square foot pizzeria would have 1,920 square feet of space for guests, and the capacity for a counter service pizzeria would be 106 customers. Each guest would have approximately 18 square feet of space.

Offering guests more space is usually a good idea. Spacing tables further apart and creating wide lanes for traffic is a great way to make your bakery accessible to people with disabilities. Plus, a study by Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration found that guests are more generous with their spending if they have more personal space.

7. Outdoor Seating Floor Plan

If you have the luxury of outdoor space, maximize it. Because a well-set-up patio can increase gross profits by an incredible 65%.. On the other hand, outdoor space that’s out of the way or hard to find can slow service. This could lead to both guests and employees not wanting to use the additional space. To avoid this, design a floor plan that makes the space easy to access for guests and servers.

The ideal location for a patio is close to the kitchen and dining room, so servers don’t have to walk very far in between. The example below from Acapulco’s Mexican Restaurant in Denver, CO has a patio in the back of the restaurant, with round seating. The patio has seven tables and is close to the dining room and the bathrooms.

8. Restrooms Floor Plan

A clean restroom reflects a clean overall establishment and demonstrates care for your guests. However, in many restaurants, restroom design—like waiting areas—often gets overlooked. According to a Zogby International survey, over 80% of consumers would avoid dining at a restaurant with dirty or poorly maintained restrooms.

Ensure that restrooms are easy to access without requiring guests to navigate through the kitchen or staff to pass through the dining area to reach them.

In the example below from AutoCAD design software, the restrooms are thoughtfully located in the corner near the back office. The layout includes two restrooms, one of which is spacious enough to accommodate wheelchair access.

9. Cashier and POS Station Floor Plan

The POS is the center of your pizzeria – it’s how your cashiers or servers communicate with cooks and bartenders, keeping track of all of your restaurant’s operations. 

It may be necessary to place POS terminals in multiple areas, such as one for bartenders, one for hosts, and another for servers, along with kitchen display screens for the kitchen staff. Alternatively, you might prefer to keep technology out of sight in the dining area by using a single terminal tucked away from guests.

To reduce the need for staff to repeatedly move between payment stations and tables, consider using handheld POS devices. These allow guests to order, pay, sign, tip, and provide feedback on their dining experience directly at the table.

In a design example from Raymond Haldeman, a restaurant/lounge in Philadelphia, PA, features two POS stations on either side of the bar, preventing bartenders from overcrowding one area while maintaining smooth operations.

10. Emergency Exits Floor Plan

Pizzerias, like all restaurants, must be prepared for emergencies. Use design software to plan the fastest, safest routes out of the restaurant, and be sure to mark external exits clearly. Once your floor plan is completed, be sure to communicate the routes to your staff and clearly mark external exits for customers.

Floor plan software SmartDraw gives the following example of a floor plan with its paths of egress marked in red.

How to Choose a Restaurant Floor Plan

Now that you’ve explored key focus areas for a pizzeria and seen some inspiring layout ideas, it’s time to determine what design will suit your establishment best.

When deciding on a floor plan for your pizzeria, think about:

• The size of your available space. Use the dimensions discussed earlier, and make sure there’s plenty of room for guests to move around comfortably.

• Which areas you want to allocate the most space to.

• Including flexible design options to accommodate social distancing if another global pandemic occurs.

• Whether your pizzeria will be accessible to all guests.

• Whether you plan to feature a full bar.

Map it Out and Change it Up

After putting your new floor plan into action, it’s important to regularly evaluate how well it’s working. Don’t hesitate to make adjustments, particularly with seating arrangements. Experiment with various layouts and gather feedback from your regular customers to discover what works best for your one-of-a-kind restaurant.

Related Pizzeria Resources

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• Pizzeria Business Plan

• Pizza POS System

• How to Open a Pizza Shop

• Best Pizzeria Websites

• Pizzeria Name Ideas

• Best Pizzeria POS Systems