The Coziest Bar & Restaurant Fall Decor Ideas

We bring you a few ingenious café and restaurant fall decor ideas go with the chilly weather this autumn!

The chilly days of fall have settled in well. But, truth be told, showcasing your seasonal menus alone might not convince the occasional (shivering) bypasser to set foot in your restaurant. It’s a whole different story, though, once you make a few fall-friendly tweaks to the atmosphere of your establishment. Let’s find out why!

Why Restaurant Decor Matters in 2021

Redecorating the interior of your establishment might strike you as tedious. Why bother at all, when you’ve already got so much on your plate? Turns out there’s actually a lot at stake here. A good restaurant atmosphere brings people in, keeps them around, and has them coming back. As the pandemic-driven competition in the F&B industry continues to rise, interior design is crucial to branding and customer satisfaction in 2021.

And with the cold season here, it matters all the more. A well-crafted ambiance – without a shadow of a doubt – will draw in a more significant number of warmth-seeking patrons to your café or eatery. Best part? You don’t need to get too complicated to get it right!

How to Welcome Fall Into Your Restaurant

September’s drawing to an end, but the season’s still young. Not only does the season offer us a great deal of fresh produce, but it’s also abundant in accessible ornate pieces, most of which nature bestows upon us free of charge. But where do you start with fall decor?

One thing that people seek out nowadays is that cozy, familiar rustiness so fitting of the season. Many elements, from scarlet tones, mellow tunes, and rustic textures to dimly flickering candle lights, can bring that feeling to your restaurant. For instance, a fall-friendly tablescape may look like this: place mums & asters by corn stalks and dried foliage in a ceramic pitcher vase for a rustic centerpiece. For a finishing touch, use taper candles and a bowl of tiny pumpkins.

But it doesn’t have to scream rustic. A few light decorative touches in neutral tones may create a refined, stylish, and modern ambiance that still speaks of fall. You may, for instance, use small, lightly decorated glass display boxes as centerpieces on your tables. Or think of how adorning your establishment with strings of lights shedding a soft, warm glow turns the overall vibe a tad more romantic.
So how far do you have to go with restaurant fall décor to deliver a successful experience?

The Full Fall Experience – Fragrances, Hues, Mood

There’s no need to go on a grand revamping quest. Just a few changes to your restaurant can achieve wonders in terms of ambiance! The aim is to create a full sensory experience that still works with your original concept. After all, we’re not saying you should hang around paintings of Italian vineyards if you owe a steakhouse downtown (well, unless that’s actually your thing). A few gourds adorning the entryway may do the job just fine!

Just remember that there’s plenty of fall decor besides brightly-colored, decorative produce. You can convey the festive atmosphere by mixing and matching many different sensory details. You may, for instance, use light fragrances (spiced pumpkin latte, cinnamon, pomegranate, frankincense), fabrics in muted or clear tones (olive green, amber, orange, golden, browns), and other finishing touches (jazz music, warm tone lights) to deliver that fantasy fall ambient.
Oh, and one last thing! And as with all great things, balance is key. When added up together, these fall decor elements should feel anything but intrusive, so make sure that nothing falls too heavy on the senses. There should be plenty of room to breathe, as well as balanced empty space for the eyes to rest upon.

10 Essential Restaurant Fall Decor Ideas

1. Gourds

Let’s face it: nothing says fall like the gourd family, or Cucurbitaceae, as the official Latin name goes. Squash and pumpkins varieties all fall into this category (we’ll avoid getting lost in linguistics distinctions for now). It’s just so fun to play with ornamental gourds. Use an assortment of winter squash to create autumnal color palettes. Large, medium and teeny-tiny pumpkins look great in hanging baskets, next to old lanterns, or covered in gold foil or copper pieces. The garden is the limit.

2. Apples

We’ve also praised apples in our latest blog. Truth to be told, this iconic fall crop makes the top of our favorite scents for the cold season. Whether in a rustic French pie or a legendary cinnamon cake, baked apples are to die for, and their mere smell can do wonders in terms of ambiance!

3. Dried Beans Jar

Colorful dried beans are such a pleasure to look at, and we had to share this very quick, cheap, and easy DYI project! Use a vibrant assortment of dried beans (or white cannellini for an elegant effect) to fill a transparent jar, placing a pillar candle in the middle. You can also explore with other autumn classics, such as popcorn and split peas, as seen in this Hurricane Lamp Fall Centerpiece.

4. Hay Bales

Hay bales look amazing from September straight through December as fall front door decor, achieving a naturally welcoming effect. They’re low-effort, low-cost, and the best part is that they can fit just as well in an urban setting as they do on a country road. Check out this Straw Bale Planter to see what we mean: “This urban container garden was made by flipping a small round straw bale on its side and hollowing out enough space in the center to hold a bunch of colorful flowers.”

5. Corn Stalks

Just like hay bales, plain dried corn stalks can also make for incredible seasonal decor. They’re beautiful in their simplicity, and you can easily showcase their appeal by gathering a few stalks in a bunch and binding them together with a thin piece of twine. Display them in a vase or as a vertical accent to any bland walls in your restaurant.

6. Fall Floral Vibes (Mums & Asters)

Corn stalks in a vase look even prettier when surrounded by a few chrysanthemums (mums) or asters, fall’s most-beloved flowers. They come in numerous exciting pigments, including shades of pink, orange, purple, white, red, and even lavender.

Bunch together a variety of colorful mums for a fun floral arrangement, or settle for one or two shades that go with the rest of your fall restaurant decor. Mums and asters also look gorgeous when potted in this fall-fantastic mumkin, as part of elaborate window boxes, or made into an all-natural wreath for your festive Thanksgiving entryway.

7. Indian Corn

We couldn’t have possibly forgotten Indian corn. Placed together with the dried stalks or small bunches of hay, it makes for memorable centerpieces, indoor or outdoor garlands, and entryway decor. For example, check out this stunning sunburst wreath by MidwestLiving. It’s made of ears of Indian corn on a straw wreath to mimic a blazing sun.

8. Leaves, Pinecones & Walnuts

Other natural touches like dried leaves, pinecones, and walnuts can beautifully enrich the hues and textures of your café or eatery. For instance, adding a light sprinkle of vivid fall foliage to your existing restaurant decor is a simple way to align with the season’s earthy color palettes. On the other hand, pinecones and walnuts make excellent additions to wreaths, garlands, and humble tree ornaments for fall’s end and winter’s festive commencement.

9. String Lights & Paper Lanterns

For a fully immersive sensory experience, take notice of all the elements shaping the visual ambiance of your bar or bistro, including illumination and light decor. Simple yet incredibly atmospheric, indoor or outdoor string lights can give that instant romantic boost to your fall decorating projects. On the other hand, autumnal paper lanterns (which come in all colors, shapes, and sizes), may bring about a fairy-like, mysterious mood in your establishment.

10. Other Metallic Touches

Finally, feel free to play around and depart from all-natural, organic elements. Metallics are particularly striking and popular fall décor pieces. See these simple yet sophisticated copper ornaments! If you’ve got some time on your hands, you can create shapes out of copper wire, or try a fun DYI project like these Copper & Concrete Candle Holders.

Where to Order Natural Fall Decor

With restaurant fall decor, there are just so many quick, fantastic combinations you can play with! The bottom line is your project doesn’t have to get tedious or expensive. Just settle for a few elements that match your existing ambiance, and don’t forget to have fun with the process!

Riviera Produce sources natural fall decor elements from the FARMLIND FARMS in New Jersey. We carry:

• Pumpkins
• Mini pumpkins
• Mini white pumpkin
• Sugar pumpkins
• Big mac pumpkins
• Gourds
• Hay Bales
• Corn Stalks
• Indian Corn