Crossville News min read

Designing and Specifying Porcelain Tile for Restaurants

Designing and specifying for restaurants can be daunting, especially considering all the details that must be considered: safety, style, durability, and maintenance. The front-of-house design must focus on the restaurant aesthetic, while the kitchen and prep areas require slip-resistance and sanitary issues --- different specifications that must all coordinate throughout the entire space. Let’s take a look at some of these important issues for restaurant flooring.

January 8, 2020

Safety First

Restaurant flooring must meet requirements related to slip-fall prevention, and Crossville develops products and solutions with this in mind. Did you know that Crossville adheres to wet DCOF AcuTest™ to better support appropriate tile selections? All Crossville flooring products have been tested using the DCOF AcuTest™ method, helping you to easily identify tile products for the front- and back-of-house needs of restaurant flooring. Learn more about our DCOF testing at Tile Over Tile. Additionally, unlike other flooring types, tile is inhospitable to bacteria, meaning almost no mold or mildew issues which are critical for restaurant sanitation.

Style Matters

We know it does! To attract customers, the front-of-house of any restaurant has to make an impact and stand out in competitive marketplaces. The flooring in this area must be spot on and reinforce the overall theme. Crossville’s product line-up offers so many great looks, including replications of other popular materials that would never be viable options for restaurant flooring. For example, Gotham‘s concrete appearance allows for the on-trend modern-style without the expense. Another example is any of Crossville’s wood-look tiles (check out our new Jazz Age and Story Teller collections) that offer the performance that the real wood simply couldn’t, just like the tile flooring design for Hattie’s at The Strathallan. This ambitious renovation project focused on reopening a famous rooftop restaurant in Rochester, New York. The design team sought to not only bring back the glamour and relaxed style Hattie’s had once been known for in its previous incarnation during the 1980s and 90s; they also wanted to introduce the hotspot to the new millennium—with a thoroughly modern, upscale lounge appeal. Crossville’s SpeakEasy collection gives the space a sense of warmth and tradition with weathered wood nuances in every plank, yet it will outlast, outperform, and require significantly less cleaning and upkeep than real wood.

gotham-(1).jpg Gotham

SpeakEasy at Hatties rooftop bar at The Strathallan

Simple Maintenance

Messes are a part of restaurant life. The specification of tile makes life easier for everyone on staff because it is quick to clean and that endures high traffic beautifully with no compromise to appearance. All Crossville products require nominal care in order to maintain a satisfactory appearance and acceptable sanitation. In keeping with our long-standing position on sustainability, we recommend the use of low VOC, non-hazardous, and non-polluting products for cleaning and maintaining your tile.

High Performance

Crossville’s porcelain tile collections are engineered to offer lasting durability, meaning restaurant owners won’t be faced with the need to replace flooring as often. This provides great value for the life cycle of the product. Scratches from chairs and tables are of special concern in front-of-house areas. Our premium porcelain tile perform beautifully and maintain appearance even after years of heavy traffic. Additionally, Crossville also offers a vast selection of finishing and coating solutions to round out projects with the right performance and style; check out our finishing and coatings here.

Need inspiration for an upcoming restaurant design project? View our case studies here and select “restaurant” under “industry”.