Many consider the Michelin Guide as the Bible of gastronomy – the single reference point of the best restaurants in the world. And while the quality of food is of utmost importance to the Guide’s inspectors, ambience is also a factor that they take into consideration when making their assessments.
And Suparat Chinataworn is one man who understands the role that ambience plays in a restaurant’s success. As the founder and CEO of Bangkok-based Party / Space / Design (P / S/ D), which specialises in restaurant designs, Chinataworn and his team have been helping to transform some of Bangkok’s most popular eating spots since 2012.
Boasting a 20-plus year career in architecture and interior design, Chinataworn has developed a set of philosophies on work and design that have helped him achieve success. For instance, he believes that the best way to learn is not by reading or observing, but by performing the task under pressure to meet the client’s needs.
At the same time, he also holds firm to the ideal of good customer relations. This is reflected in him keeping contact with his clients, even after the project is completed. “After a shop is opened, I always ask my clients if everything is going well. It’s a way to find out if the model that we’ve designed is working or not,” he reveals.
And when it comes to whether a restaurant design is working or not, Chinataworn has one key criterion. It must be a special experience. As he said in an interview with Living Asean, “We have to make sure that people come away impressed with what they’ve experienced and want to come back. We don’t just focus on design. Instead, we pay particular attention to the kind of experience that people get.”
For Suparat Chinataworn, there are more than one reason to like a restaurant. Some places are preferred for their pleasant atmosphere that are great for photos and others are well known for their food and service. This he believes is an ever-changing atmosphere in the restaurant business and as is similar to life. There is never one constant and P / S / D has to be able to adapt and design an “experience space” that captures the right balance.
