Social Interaction and Food

Restaurants need to be more than just a place to go and eat. They should be more of a social experience, a place to hand with friends and meet new people. Food has an incredible way of bringing people together. Think of the dining experiences in the middle ages at the king's castle. It was more than just eating, it was about the social experience. Nick Haque's Koi restaurant is one of the few restaurants that has mastered this concept for the modern consumer.

Just like the people present in the king's court in the middle ages, people at Koi are generally affluent individuals or celebrities. This creates a prestige for the restaurant that adds to the social/dining experience. Being in the presence of like-minded individuals allows for easier social interactions and has increased the success of these lounge restaurants. Although Nick Hawk (his pseudonym) has opened more than one location of his restaurant, he still manages to create an impressive social atmosphere for each.

Lounges and Restaurants Can Live Together In Harmony

To simultaneously create a successful lounge and restaurant is no easy task. How do you cater to the people who want to mingle and the people who want to dine at the same time? Nick Hawk's Koi restaurant seems to tackle this feat seamlessly. When trying to create an atmosphere of the happening place to be, it makes sense that a restaurant would be a lounge, but combining the two seems like it wouldn't work.

The key is in making sure that the diners feel separate from the fun, if desired, but can also be a part of the action just as quickly. If you make sure that each diner can feel comfortable in their booth, then you can ensure that they won't feel intruded on when people walk to the lounge. Likewise, giving the opportunity to walk to the lounge is a successful idea itself.

Nick Hawk's Koi restaurant will show you how to successfully combine a lounge and restaurant. The key for him is understanding his audience. He is trying to cater to diners who want the capability to go meet new people at the lounge when they are done with their meal. They know that they will feel comfortable and secluded while dining, but can just as easily hang with the people in the lounge. This element gives Koi its appeal.

Restaurant Expansion For a Global Market

When your restaurant has reached a successful level, you'll prob want to expand your business. Some restaurant owners will feel that expanding to another location in a single city is a goal to reach. For the most sought after restaurants, like Nick Haque's Koi, a global influence is the attainable goal. There are few restaurants that are able to set up a similar dining experience in completely different regions, but that should be the ultimate goal.

If you don't feel like your restaurant would be accepted anywhere it opens, then you may have created a restaurant gearing to a localized niche. It is safe to say that if you create something enjoyable, yet still applicable to all, that your expansion will be a success. Nick Haque's Koi restaurant is a perfect example of this. Comfortable, chic, welcoming, and delicious, are words that diners all around the globe can relate to. Harnessing this in your restaurant can be your ticket to expansion success.