With more than a million restaurants in the United States alone, it suffices to say that competition is growing ever steeper in the hospitality industry. If you don’t have an innovative idea and a way to keep people coming back, your restaurant is likelier to shutter its doors than ever.
So, bearing that in mind, why not explore unusual restaurants concepts that turn traditional dining on its head?
Unusual Restaurants – Typologies
If you’re in the ideation stage of restaurant planning, you just might find the spark of inspiration you need. Here are some of the more particular types of unusual restaurants.
Underwater Restaurants
No, you don’t need to worry about wetsuits with this kind of dining experience. Customers don’t get wet in the slightest, as all the water in your restaurant is contained in tanks.
Think of this like visiting your favorite aquarium, now combined with a food element. Circular tanks provide a full view into swimming sea creatures like schools of fish and even sharks.
Some examples of this concept in action are:
- the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant in the Conrad Maldives Rangali Hotel,
- the Atrium Bar in Berlin’s Radisson Blu,
- and Al Mahara in Dubai’s Burj Al Arab hotel.
Most of these establishments serve succulent seafood, but that’s not a requirement. Of course, while this is a visually stunning restaurant idea, you have to be ready for some challenges. You’ll need a huge budget to add a glass aquarium to your restaurant building (or to purchase one with a preexisting aquarium).
Further, you’ll need animals and trained staff to maintain the water and the sea creatures, so this idea can get costly fast.
Treehouse Dining
Rather than dining underground surrounded by an aquarium, another hip way to enjoy a meal is way up in the trees. Discard the idea of a childlike treehouse. Today’s restaurants that offer this level of accommodation are as upscale as they come.
For instance, Loxley’s Treehouse Restaurant and Patio Bar in Lancaster, Pennsylvania has a private dining cottage. The space includes an oak tree, of course, as well as private seating or an outdoor bar with heated seats.
Dining with a view is no new concept, of course, but it’s one that has stood the test of time. Consumers appreciate staring at sights as delicious on the eyes as their meal is on their taste buds. A treehouse restaurant is a whimsical, almost nostalgic way to deliver on that promise.
It harkens back to childhood but has all the allure of an adult fine-dining experience. Better yet, for restaurant owners like you, treetop dining is usually more financially attainable than buying a multi-gallon glass aquarium that spans an entire floor.
Rotating Rooftop Eateries
Although these unusual restaurants aren’t exactly new, they’re still trendy and widely enjoyed. We’re talking about rotating rooftop restaurants, of course. Popularized in the US in the 1960s, which coincided with the construction of larger and more skyscraping buildings, rotating rooftop establishments have stuck around ever since.
Some have stood the test of time, while others haven’t. Today:
- SkyCity in Seattle, Washington;
- BonvaVista Lounge in the Westin Bonaventure Hotel & Suites in Los Angeles, California;
- RIVUE in Louisville, Kentucky;
- and the Sun Dial Restaurant, Bar and View in the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel in Atlanta, Georgia
are some of the most shining examples.
These establishments are often located 50+ stories up, sometimes 100 stories up. As the name suggests, rotating rooftop restaurants do indeed spin. It’s a slow, consistent rotation rather than feeling like a roller coaster ride, and it’s not constant.
For example, Top of the World in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is 844 feet in the air, will move diners 360 degrees for panoramic views of the Las Vegas Strip, but only once per 80 minutes. That keeps the rotations smooth, streamlined, and undistracting.
Even when not rotating, restaurants like these have some of the most stunning views. The buildings will have giant windows to showcase the beauty of the city hundreds of feet below. Of course, it’s not all about looks; rotating rooftop restaurants have substance as well, with menus that tickle the taste buds.
Unusual Restaurants – Wrapping Up
Unusual restaurant concepts are not hard to come by. If you have the room in your budget (or a way to raise funds, such as through a loan or angel investor), you might consider a rotating rooftop restaurant, treehouse eatery, or underwater restaurant with 360-degree aquarium views.
These kinds of establishments will keep people coming back for the mere attraction. That said, remember to back up the spectacle of it all with five-star dining and you’ll have fans for life.
