SMARTDRAW IN RESTAURANT DESIGN:

SmartDraw, the Appetizing Alternative for Restaurant Floor Plans and More

The Missing Ingredient
Restaurateur John Franco, embarking on a new venture, decided to open up his own restaurant in San Antonio, Texas. No stranger to the industry, Franco knew that there is much more to opening a restaurant than simply figuring out what goes on the menu.

First of all, Franco needed an easy way to create professional floor plans in order to get a permit from the city. He also wanted a way to design his own signage that didn't involve hiring a contractor.

"I looked around on the Internet for free floor plan software, and found SmartDraw," he said. "SmartDraw gave me what I needed to make floor plans, and so much more."

Franco downloaded the free trial, but also looked at other software packages so he could make an "educated decision."

"I tried a few other programs and wasted an entire week," said Franco. "I came right back to SmartDraw, purchased the entire drawing package, and didn't look back."

An Appetizing Alternative
SmartDraw impressed Franco right from the first taste.

"I was so pleased with SmartDraw that once I did my first task, no other software made sense to me," he said.

Franco discovered that SmartDraw featured thousands of built-in symbols and templates, including numerous professionally designed images for floor planning. This includes symbols for commercial kitchens, architectural elements like windows, walls and doors, and symbols for wiring and plumbing. But it was SmartDraw's explanatory features that further convinced Franco he had made the right choice.

"SmartDraw comes loaded with plenty of tutorials, but you don't even have to look for them because the answer flashes in front of your eyes before you can even form a question," said Franco.

SmartDraw features a whole host of built-in tips and advisors that automatically walk you through your drawings, and utilizes a simple drag-and-drop drawing method, so even first-time users can create polished plans in minutes.

SmartDraw also comes with a rich selection of electrical engineering graphics and design symbols, including several thousand pieces of clip art, which served Franco well when it was time to design the signage for his venture.

"It seemed like a waste to pay someone to design a sign, when the picture is already in my own mind," said Franco. "I realized I could use SmartDraw to spec out the entire sign, electrical and all. It's going to blow everyone away!"

Rave Reviews
SmartDraw has already paid for itself time and time again. "On the sign design alone, I've already saved $4,000," Franco said.

The floor plans Franco created in SmartDraw helped him gain a favorable edge with the City of San Antonio. "I presented the plans to the city, and they were very impressed," said Franco. "They gave me the lease, and I will continue to update my plans in SmartDraw to adhere to their changing codes."

SmartDraw has proved itself an invaluable tool during the approval process, during contracting, and while purchasing the equipment to be used in the restaurant. SmartDraw has delivered so much value that Franco plans on using it in future developments.

"I've already started using SmartDraw for my next set of floor plans," he said. "SmartDraw is the best. Don't waste your time or money on anything else."