Architect's Advice: How to Create a 'Labor-Saving Design' for Stores to Minimize Personnel Costs

Introduction

"I want to increase staff, but labor costs are too high."
"I want to create a store that can be run efficiently with fewer people."

These are concerns I have heard particularly often in recent years from owners of restaurants, salons, and clinics.

In an era of ongoing labor shortages and rising labor costs, "store design that maximizes efficiency even with a small number of staff" is an important theme that must be considered before opening.

In fact, if you don't think about this during the interior design stage, it becomes extremely difficult to change later. From the perspective of someone who has managed a construction company for 15 years and handled numerous store construction projects, I will share the key points of interior design that realize labor savings.

1. Basic Philosophy of Labor-Saving Design

Labor-saving design is a design that "solves things that people don't need to do through systems."

Specifically, there are three approaches.

1. Shorten flow lines
Design flow lines so that staff do not have to move unnecessarily.

2. Incorporate labor-saving equipment from the start
Consider equipment that reduces manual labor, such as self-ordering systems, automatic payment machines, and sensors, from the design stage.

3. Choose materials that are easy to clean and maintain
By choosing materials that are resistant to dirt and easy to clean, you can reduce the time and manpower required for cleaning.

2. Eliminating "Wasted Movement" with Flow Line Design

Just by shortening staff flow lines, operational efficiency can change significantly even with the same number of people.

Flow Line Design for Restaurants

The most important thing is the distance between the kitchen and the dining area.

- Design food delivery routes to be the shortest distance.
- Place drink stations on the dining area side to make it easier for hall staff to pick up drinks.
- Place dish return areas near the entrance to shorten the flow line for clearing tables.

It is important to simulate how many seats one staff member can handle during the design stage. In general restaurants, 10 to 15 seats per hall staff member is a guideline.

Flow Line Design for Salons and Clinics

- Make the flow line from reception to treatment room to payment one-way.
- Place storage in positions where it is easy to replenish supplies and towels.
- Place the staff room close to the treatment room.

3. Types of Labor-Saving Equipment and Design Considerations

There are two types of labor-saving equipment: those that can be added later and those that require consideration during the design stage. If you overlook the latter, it will result in major construction work later.

Equipment that must be considered during the design stage

Self-Ordering System (Tablet Ordering)

- Requires power and charging facilities at the table.
- Requires a design where Wi-Fi signals can reach.
- Decide on outlet locations during the design stage.

Automatic Payment Machines / Self-Checkout

- Requires installation space (approx. 60-80cm wide, 60cm deep).
- Requires a dedicated power outlet.
- Decide on a location where it can be naturally placed on the customer's flow line during the design stage.

Dishwashers / Automatic Washing Systems

- Decide on the location of water supply and drainage pipes during the design stage.
- Secure a path for steam exhaust.
- Naturally incorporate it into the kitchen flow line.

Motion Sensor Lights

- Install in hallways, restrooms, warehouses, etc., where staff frequently enter and exit.
- Eliminate forgetting to turn off lights, reducing both electricity costs and effort.

Automatic Doors

- Allows staff carrying items to pass through without using their hands.
- Especially effective for entrances to the kitchen.

4. Optimization of Seat Count and Seating Configuration

The core of labor-saving design is to decide on the number of seats and their layout after clearly defining "how many staff members will handle how many seats."

How to think about the optimal number of seats

| Number of Staff | Recommended Number of Seats (Restaurant) |
|-----|---------|
| 1 Hall Staff | 10-15 seats |
| 2 Hall Staff | 20-30 seats |
| 3 Hall Staff | 30-45 seats |

If you increase the number of seats too much, you will run out of staff and the quality of service will drop. Limiting to an appropriate number of seats will ultimately increase sales and satisfaction.

Seating layouts suitable for labor saving

- Counter seats can shorten the flow line for hall staff.
- Gather tables close to the staff station.
- Do not create blind spots (service will be delayed for seats that cannot be seen).

5. Choosing Materials That Are Easy to Clean and Maintain

Reducing the time and manpower spent on cleaning is also an important element of labor saving.

How to choose flooring materials

- Flooring with many joints (tile seams) tends to accumulate dirt.
- Flat materials (vinyl flooring, polished concrete) are easier to clean.
- Choosing materials with anti-slip processing also ensures safety.

How to choose wall materials

- Use kitchen panels (easy to wipe off) around the kitchen.
- Avoid wall materials with a rough texture as they are difficult to clean.
- Using dirt-resistant materials for wainscoting makes daily cleaning easier.

How to choose equipment

- Using automatic faucets reduces dirt and effort around water areas.
- Choosing flat drains makes cleaning easier.
- Choose lighting fixtures with simple shapes that do not easily accumulate dust.

6. How to Communicate Labor-Saving Design to Contractors

If you are considering introducing labor-saving equipment, please be sure to inform your contractor in advance.

What to communicate

- Types and manufacturers of equipment planned for introduction (provisional decisions are okay).
- Desired installation location.
- Required power and communication environment.

If you don't communicate this, problems will arise later, such as "I want to put equipment here, but there is no outlet" or "I can't run the piping."

Question list for contractors

- Can power be secured for self-checkout and tablet ordering?
- Where is the optimal location for a Wi-Fi router?
- Is there enough electrical capacity to add equipment in the future?

Summary

✅ Shorten flow lines to eliminate "wasted movement"
✅ Incorporate labor-saving equipment from the design stage
✅ Limit the number of seats appropriately for the number of staff
✅ Reduce cleaning effort and time with easy-to-clean materials
✅ Inform the contractor in advance about the equipment you plan to introduce

Labor-saving design is not about "reducing people." The goal is to "create an environment where you can provide the best service even with a small number of people." Thinking carefully during the design stage before opening leads to long-term management stability.

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**I will continue to deliver information from the perspective of the store interior site next time.**

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*I have managed a construction company for 15 years with many qualified personnel such as architects, electricians, and piping construction management engineers. I have a proven track record in store construction for restaurants, clinics, beauty salons, etc. I am currently sharing information on renovations and home building from a site perspective.*

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