US BOOTHS / DESIGN NOTEBOOK / 2026–2027
Restaurant seating design, translated into decisions.
Explore how craft, mixed seating and individual color choices can inform a restaurant booth design. Research, practical tradeoffs and original layout studies.
Research reviewed October 18, 2026 · Original concepts by US Booths
DESIGN DIRECTION / 01
Make the banquette feel local
The 2026 hospitality outlook emphasizes craft and connection to place. For a restaurant, translate that into a recognizable upholstery detail, locally relevant artwork or a timber finish that belongs with the menu and building.
The practical decision
Choose one signature detail, then repeat it consistently. Keep its care requirements compatible with daily service.
Explore channel seating →DESIGN DIRECTION / 02
Mix the ways people sit
Century Square combines banquettes, communal tables and lounge seating. That is a useful built precedent for offering different dining experiences, rather than treating every table as the same occasion.
The practical decision
Start with your actual party sizes and service pattern. Give quieter meals and larger groups different zones without blocking staff movement.
Compare original layout studies →DESIGN DIRECTION / 03
Give a familiar style a new palette
The published 2027 color outlook revisits older references through more individual combinations. A classic channel or tufted back can be the familiar element; a considered color contrast can make it specific to your restaurant.
The practical decision
Compare back styles and physical material samples together. Texture, seams and cleanability matter as much as the color.
Explore upholstery materials →Our restaurant applications are design proposals. The hospitality source covers hotels and related spaces; it does not prove that a particular restaurant layout will increase sales or seating capacity.
Research behind the notebook
Forecasts describe design directions, not sales rankings. Our palettes and layouts are original interpretations; sources do not endorse these concepts.
- Shelby Williams · Booth and banquette planning tips ↗
Manufacturer guidance on reach, tabletop overlap and bases. A planning reference, not a code certification or a trend ranking.
- Sherwin-Williams · Colormix 2026 ↗
A published color forecast, not measured restaurant adoption.
- Sherwin-Williams · Rewild 2027 ↗
An outlook already published in 2026; individuality, revived references and connection to nature.
- Gensler · Hospitality outlook 2026 ↗
Hospitality research on personal experience, craft and connection. Our restaurant applications are interpretations.
- Gensler · Century Square Dining and Café ↗
A built example of mixed seating types; a precedent, not a 2026 trend ranking.
Make it work in your restaurant.
Bring your measured plan, service needs and material samples. We can review the seating scope with you.
Request a project estimate →