Restaurant layout and floor plan: a practical UK guide
Updated 19 October 2026
As a rule of thumb, a good restaurant layout gives roughly 60% of the space to the dining room and 40% to the kitchen, stores and back of house, with about 1.2–1.5 m² per cover in a casual dining room. Start from your fixed points (doors, drains, extraction), plan the kitchen flow, then fit tables around clear walkways. Keep escape routes and accessible routes wide enough. This guide shows the numbers, with a free floor plan template you can print from this page.
Free template: jump to the printable floor plan template: a 1:50 grid method, a furniture size key and a table plan sheet. Free, no email.
How to plan a restaurant floor plan in 7 steps
- Measure the site and draw it to scale. A 1:50 grid works well: 1 cm on paper is 50 cm in the room.
- Mark the fixed points. Doors, windows, columns, drains, gas, extraction and fire exits. These are expensive or impossible to move.
- Split front and back of house. Decide where the kitchen, stores, wash-up, staff area and toilets go.
- Plan the kitchen flow from delivery to plate to wash-up (see below).
- Choose your table mix for the guests you expect.
- Draw walkways for guests, servers and escape routes before you place tables.
- Number the tables and test the plan. Walk it with tape on the floor before you buy furniture.
How much space per cover?
These are common rules of thumb for the dining area only. They are not legal limits.
| Style | Dining space per cover | 80 m² dining room seats about |
|---|---|---|
| Fine dining | 1.7–1.9 m² | 42–47 |
| Casual dining | 1.2–1.5 m² | 53–67 |
| Café or quick service | 1.0–1.2 m² | 67–80 |
| Banqueting (set rows) | about 1.0 m² | 80 |
Your fire risk assessment may set a lower maximum. Government fire guidance for small places of assembly limits how many people a space can hold by the width and number of exits. For bars and other unseated areas it estimates 0.3–0.5 m² per person.
Choosing your table mix
Look at your bookings or till data. If most parties are couples, don't fill the room with 4-tops.
- 2-tops are the most flexible. Push them together for 4s and 6s.
- Fixed booths look good but can't change shape. Use them along walls.
- A bar or window counter adds covers for walk-ins and solo diners.
- One larger table (6–8) helps with birthdays and work groups.
Example: 40 covers = 8 two-tops (16) + 4 four-tops (16) + 1 six-top (6) + 2 bar stools (2).
Walkways, fire exits and access
Plan the walkways first. Then fill the space that's left.
| Route | Width to plan for | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Escape route (minimum) | 750 mm | Fire guidance minimum (up to about 100 people in normal-risk premises) |
| Escape route (ideal) | 1,050 mm | Fire guidance preferred width (up to about 200 people, normal risk) |
| Route used by wheelchair users | at least 900 mm | Fire guidance figure |
| Main service aisle | 1,000–1,200 mm | Servers passing with plates [rule of thumb] |
| Between chair backs | about 450–600 mm | So guests can get up [rule of thumb] |
A few UK rules to keep in mind:
- Fire safety. Under the Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005, the "responsible person" must have a fire risk assessment. Most premises need at least two escape routes; a single route may be acceptable for fewer than 60 people or short travel distances. Keep exits clear at all times.
- Accessibility. The Equality Act 2010 expects reasonable adjustments for disabled guests. Plan step-free access where you can, at least one table with clear knee space, and a route to the toilet.
- Building regulations. Major changes may need building control approval (Approved Document M covers access) and possibly planning permission.
Get a competent fire risk assessor or architect to check the final plan.
Commercial kitchen layout
A safe kitchen moves food one way: delivery → storage → prep → cooking → pass → service, with dirty plates going to the wash-up without crossing clean food.
| Layout | How it works | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Assembly line | Stations in a row, from prep to pass | Pizza, burgers, sandwiches, takeaways |
| Zone | Separate areas for prep, cooking, pastry and wash-up | Larger menus, restaurants |
| Island | Cooking in the middle, prep around the walls | Medium kitchens with space |
| Galley | Two parallel lines with a corridor | Narrow sites, pubs |
| Open kitchen | Cooking on view to guests | Pizza ovens, grills, chef's counters |
Food safety must-haves:
- Separate raw and ready-to-eat prep areas, or a strict clean-down between them.
- A handwash basin with hot and cold water, separate from food sinks.
- Enough fridge and freezer space near where food is used.
- Easy-clean surfaces and good lighting.
Your council's food safety team will look at this during an inspection. See our EHO inspection guide.
Takeaway and delivery: keep the collection point near the door and away from the dining room. Give delivery riders a place to wait that doesn't block the till queue. If tickets get lost at the pass, a dedicated order printer or a kitchen display system can help.
Coffee shop floor plan
Cafés live and die by the queue. Plan for it:
- Queue line along a wall, ending at the till, so it doesn't cut through seating.
- Menu board visible from the back of the queue.
- Pick-up point after the till, away from the queue.
- Condiments and water next to the pick-up, not the till.
- Mixed seating: window bar, small tables, and a sofa or two for longer stays.
More in our how to open a café guide.
Outdoor seating: pavement licences
In England, tables and chairs on the pavement need a pavement licence from the council. Fees are capped at £500 for a first licence and £350 for a renewal. Licences can last up to two years. There's a 14-day public consultation. Government guidance says a footway should normally keep 2 m clear, and treats 1.5 m between obstacles as the least that's acceptable. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own rules, so ask your council.
Number your tables (and add QR codes)
Number tables in a simple pattern, such as clockwise from the door. Put the number on every table plan, the till and the kitchen ticket. Staff learn it in a day, and new starters find tables fast.
Then add a QR code to each table. Guests scan, order and pay from their phone, and the order arrives with the table number on it. Menuthere's QR table ordering is on the Free plan, with 0% commission. Card payment at the table (through your own Stripe account) starts on Lite, at US$17 a month. Make cards with our table QR card maker.
Got your table numbers? Turn each one into a QR ordering point.
Free restaurant floor plan template (print this page)
You don't need special software. Print this section, take it to the site with a tape measure, and draw your plan on any squared paper.
1. Set up your grid. Use 1 cm squares at a scale of 1:50, so one square is 50 cm in the room. A4 squared paper fits a room up to about 14 m × 9 m; use A3 for bigger sites. Add a title (venue, date, drawn by) and a scale bar.
2. Draw the room, then the fixed points: walls, doors (with the swing), windows, columns, drains, gas, extraction, fire exits and the handwash basin.
3. Add furniture using this key. Sizes are common table sizes, not rules. Check your own furniture.
| Item | Typical size | Squares at 1:50 |
|---|---|---|
| 2-top (square) | 700 × 700 mm | 1.4 × 1.4 |
| 4-top (square) | 800 × 800 mm | 1.6 × 1.6 |
| Round table for 4 | 900 mm across | 1.8 across |
| Chair, pulled out | about 450 × 450 mm, plus 450–600 mm behind | about 1 square each |
| Escape route | at least 750 mm, ideally 1,050 mm | 1.5 to 2.1 wide |
| Main service aisle | 1,000–1,200 mm | 2 to 2.4 wide |
4. Fill in the table plan sheet once the tables are placed.
| Table no. | Seats | Size / shape | Section (server) | Notes (window, booth, step-free) |
|---|
Total covers: ______ · Step-free table(s): ______ · Checked against fire risk assessment on: ______
Floor plan checklist
- Drawn to scale, with fixed points marked
- Kitchen flows one way, with a separate handwash basin
- Escape routes clear, at least 750 mm and ideally 1,050 mm
- Step-free route to at least one table and the toilet where possible
- Table mix matches your typical party size
- Service aisles let two people pass with plates
- Collection point and rider waiting area away from diners (takeaway)
- Tables numbered on the plan, till and QR cards
- Fire risk assessment updated for the new layout
For the look and feel of the room, see our restaurant design ideas. For how staff work the floor, read front of house duties.
FAQs
How much space do you need per cover in a restaurant?
About 1.2–1.5 m² per cover for casual dining, 1.7–1.9 m² for fine dining and 1.0–1.2 m² for a café. These are rules of thumb for the dining area only.
What is the best layout for a small restaurant?
Use 2-tops you can push together, put booths or banquettes along walls, and add a bar or window counter for solo guests. Keep one clear main aisle for service and escape.
How many tables fit in a restaurant?
Divide the dining area by the space per cover for your style. An 80 m² casual dining room fits roughly 53–67 covers. Then check that figure against your fire risk assessment.
How wide should aisles be in a restaurant?
Fire guidance gives 750 mm as a minimum escape route width and 1,050 mm as the ideal, and at least 900 mm where wheelchair users will pass. Main service aisles are usually 1,000–1,200 mm.
What is the best commercial kitchen layout?
It depends on your menu. Assembly lines suit pizza, burgers and takeaways. Zone layouts suit bigger menus. Whatever you choose, food should move one way from delivery to the pass.
Do I need permission for outdoor seating?
In England, you need a pavement licence from your council to put furniture on the pavement. Fees are capped at £500 for a new licence. Private land may still need planning permission.
Is there a free restaurant floor plan template?
Yes. This page has a free printable template: draw your room on squared paper at 1:50 using our furniture size key, then fill in the table plan sheet.
Sources (6)
- GOV.UK, Fire safety risk assessment: small and medium places of assembly (escape route widths, occupancy density). Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fire-safety-risk-assessment-small-and-medium-places-of-assembly (escape routes ideally 1,050 mm, not less than 750 mm; 900 mm for wheelchair users; 0.3–0.5 m² per person in bars; normally two escape routes)
- GOV.UK, Pavement licences guidance (England; £500/£350 fee caps; 2-year maximum; 14-day consultation; 2 m normal minimum footway, 1.5 m between obstacles). Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pavement-licences-guidance/pavement-licences-guidance
- Equality Act 2010 (reasonable adjustments) and Regulatory Reform (Fire Safety) Order 2005: legislation.gov.uk. Accessed 11 Oct 2026.
- GOV.UK, Approved Document M: access to and use of buildings. Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/access-to-and-use-of-buildings-approved-document-m
- FSA, Safer Food, Better Business (kitchen hygiene practice). Accessed 11 Oct 2026. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/safer-food-better-business-sfbb/safer-food-better-business-sfbb
- Competitor structure check: TheFork Manager "restaurant floor plan" blog (topic coverage only). Read 11 Oct 2026.