Tips For Painting Your Restaurant
A new coat of paint is the perfect way to give your restaurant's interior a facelift. Painting a restaurant has a few concerns that aren't often faced in other commercial buildings, though. The following can help ensure you get the best paint job and with minimal impacts on your business.
Prep Work
Restaurants are more likely to have residue on the walls, especially in kitchen areas, that can impact how well a new coating of paint adheres. Before the painters can begin, all of the walls will need to be scrubbed and degreased. Either your staff can do this job, or you can pay to have the painters do the pre-painting cleaning. The painters will also need some time to tape off and cover items in preparation for painting. Some restaurant equipment, especially those with open flames, will need to be turned off during painting since the fumes can sometimes be volatile.
Paint Type
In the kitchen and food prep areas, opt for a gloss or semi-gloss finish that can be wiped down easily. Heavy-duty paints are available that can take repeated cleaning without fading or peeling off. Further, these paints resist damage from humidity, which is often present in a commercial kitchen due to steam. You may also want to consider an antimicrobial paint coating, as this can ensure that wall surfaces don't become breeding grounds for illness-causing bacteria or molds. In dining areas, opt for matte paint finishes since these won't show smudges and fingerprints.
Color Scheme
It can be tempting to paint the entire restaurant to match your brand's colors, but this can be overwhelming. Instead, opt for a neutral color as the main wall color. Light-colored neutrals are typically better suited to quick service and casual dining restaurants, or for those that focus on breakfast, brunch, or lunch service. Darker neutrals can set the mood for restaurants that are more formal and that focus on evening service. Use the brighter or bolder colors from your brand as accents, either in the trim work or as well placed accent walls throughout the restaurant.
Timing Concerns
Finally, consider the timing when you schedule painting. You have two options — partial closure or full closure. Partial closure may work for restaurants with more than one dining room or the ability to switch to takeout or delivery options only for a day or two. Another option is to cancel either breakfast and lunch service so that paint work is done in the first half of the day or to close early to allow painting to proceed in the afternoon and early evening. Alternatively, you can close completely for a couple of days and just get the job done. You can opt to close for your slowest days after giving plenty of notice to your customers.
Contact a commercial painting service for more help when it comes to repainting your restaurant.