David Kaye

A tried and tested solution for shopping centre food service, the food court is a collection of fast food outlets arranged around or alongside a large common seating area.

FOOD COURT DEMAND ANALYSIS

Macro demand factors
1. The size of the shopping centre and its position within the town/city. (forming a centre of mass /gravitational pull)

2. The quantity, socio-economic profile and availability of working population in adjacent commercial areas. (Define catchment and walk/drive times).

3. The nature and quality of competitive operations within the catchment area. (Competitive analysis)

4. The ability of the shopping centre to retain shoppers for extended visits (visitor dwell-times)

5. The frequency of visits by shoppers and repeat visits.
(customer loyalty)

6. The demand for f&b products across the day parts - flexibility of menus and appropriateness of menu range.

Micro level demand factors
1. Local tastes and preferences.

2. Current trends in food & beverage operations (menu & service style)

3. Operating standards - speed of delivery, so-called 'hygiene factors',

THE TENANT MIX

Before the food court can be designed it is important to establish the Food Service Mix - the combination of food and beverage outlets which will provide the best catering solution for the target audience, ie the shoppers.

Having established the nature and quality of visitors on the demand side, the design & planning process can begin.

BACK-OF-HOUSE DESIGN ISSUES

The initial planning considerations for the food court design are spatial, managing the often conflicting requirements of the food court tenants or operator, with the requirements of the customer.

There are a number of Back-of-House facilities which must be planned in, ranging from store rooms, refrigerated food waste holding areas, recycled waste management areas, delivery access routes, dry goods storage and remote plant space.

The tenant units must be arranged in a way which is suitable for the f&b delivery format of the operator, especially as many operations combine self-service elements in addition to the more traditional counter-service style.

FRONT-OF-HOUSE DESIGN ISSUES

The design issues which arise in connection with front-of-house or customer areas are primarily concerned with;

1. Circulation adjacent to food offers (Passive Browsing).

2. Visiblity of signage and brand messages. (Signalling/ Attraction).

3. Access to service counters and Queue management during service delivery. (Active Engagement).

4. Design, comfort , availability, accessibility of seating areas. (Consumption of product).

5. Ability of staff to refresh and maintain the quality standards of the customer areas.

ATMOSPHERE AND AMBIENCE

The role of the designer in this respect is to define the quality, style and comfort of the customer experience in physical terms through the choice of colours, materials, furniture and finishes in a way which creates an identity or image for the food court which satisfies the needs of its target audience.

INFORMATION & ENTERTAINMENT

As technology develops apace, the demand for entertainment goes hand-in-hand. Back in 1988 Meadowhall opened with a unique feature - a giant videowall in the food court and its own dedicated Radio/TV station.
In recent years live fashion events, music performance, 24-hour rolling news and localinformation programming have all become possible in retail environments.