How to Figure Parking for Your Restaurant

Base parking spaces on the size of your restaurant and city standards.

When opening a restaurant, your biggest concern is finding patrons to fill the tables. To do this, you must provide adequate parking spaces for all types of vehicles. Depending on where you operate your restaurant, your city regulations may restrict the number of parking spaces allowed on the property. The number of parking spaces is normally determined by the square footage of the restaurant building and the type of restaurant you own.

Instructions

1. Contact your city's parking and zoning board for the exact regulations regarding restaurant parking. Every city has its own standards of parking based on the type of restaurant you own. Normally, for standard restaurants, you can have anywhere from eight to 10 spaces per 1,000 square feet of ground floor space. For drive-through restaurants, you can have 16 spaces per 1,000 square feet. Take-out restaurants can have 5.5 spaces per 1,000 square feet.

2. Set up your parking based on where the building is situated on the property and the type of patrons you will have. Obtain the deeds and plot drawings for the property. Sketch out the best configuration for convenient parking and that allows easy entry and exit.

3. Designate the spaces closest to the restaurant's main entrance as handicapped spots and the spaces near the back of the restaurant as employee parking. Refrain from placing parking spaces too close to delivery platforms. Set up the configuration to allow delivery vehicles the room to unload goods. Also, keep in mind the type of patrons who will eat at your establishment. If you have a roadside diner that caters to truckers, create a large individual parking space to allow large trucks to pull in and turn about without blocking in smaller vehicles.

References

• Planetizen: Onsite Parking: The Scourge of America's Commercial Districts; Mott Smith; March 2006
• City of Anaheim Parking and Zoning Division: Parking Requirements