By Eli Patterson, Contributor

As the pandemic is winding down, the restaurant industry is able to re-open up for the usual summertime rush. And so are local colleges and other educational centers.

And this can be great news for restaurants!

There are many students who – like the rest of us -- are tired of being cooped up at home. With the world re-opening, they want to get back to socializing and studying anywhere but home. Students love to hang out at coffee shops and cafes, places where they can sit back, relax, and study.

Restaurants can tap into this energy to “get back to normal” while facilitating students’ education by creating a cozy little study den for students in your restaurant. Here are some ideas on how to make that happen.

Create a Separate Study Room

College woman in a red flannel top, reading a book while a stack of other books rests next to her.

You can segregate the main dining area from study one. For example, if you have a multi-story structure, you can dedicate one story for students and the other one for regular diners.

If you have only one space, simply separate a quiet corner close to a window for students and demarcate it, as such. You can do this simply with a sign or even hang some curtains to really separate it from the rest of the dining room. Make sure that there is a window around for some natural lighting and air flow. After all, the poor students have been cooped up for so long; they need a break.

Create a Library-like Ambience

It is possible that many students who have been forced to study in their homes miss their college libraries. You can help to take care of the problem by creating a rarefied library-like atmosphere. You can place bookshelves or unassembled cabinets in a small enclosed area with comfortable tables and chairs so that the students feel right at home – or in the library, in this case. This way, they will buy your coffee and snacks and continue to study for many hours. It is a win-win situation for both.

Offer Student Meal Plans or Discounts

Once they’re sitting down, students are going to be hanging out in these study dens for quite a while. And while you earn some good-will by just letting them come in and study for free, finding ways of still turning a profit should stay on the table.

You can do this by offering student’s a flat fee for a weekly on-premises “meal plan” or offer student discounts on their final bills. It’s a way of balancing your restaurant’s needs to fill the coffers with the typical tight budget of a college student.

Organize Your Restaurant’s Tables

College woman sitting at a table by a large window, drinking coffee and working at her laptop.

Many medical students who need to study for challenging exams such as PANCE and NCLEX RN end up getting bored if they stay at home, or in the dorm day in and day out. If you organize your tables in such a manner that they do not get disturbed, they will find it a suitable place to study. Here, the important thing is to make sure they are well away from kitchen traffic and other distractions. You can do this by placing certain tables as far away from the bustling crowds as you can.

You may also want to keep study den hours to when you’re not super busy, for both your business’s sake where tables are at a premium, as well as the students’ sake by sparing them the distractions of the rush.

Just keep in mind your local seating & social distance regulations as things re-open and plan accordingly.

Make Multiple Sections

A typical restaurant has a standard layout with lots of big and small tables scattered all over the place. You can come up with different sections. A small table and chair combos for individual students, or larger tables for group study sessions, etc. Just make sure that they are all far away from the hustle and bustle of the regular lunch or dinner crowd.

Usually, sections at the very back of the restaurant would be an ideal option for students as long as it’s not too close to the bustle of your kitchen. This way you will also be able to make sure that even the faraway corners of your eatery are always fully occupied.

Make Splendid Coffee

College student in a yellow shirt, working on his laptop at a restaurant with a text book open.

It does not matter how good your ambiance is, if your wares are not good enough to attract people, they will stay away. Ultimately, a restaurant exists to ensure a great dining experience. If the coffee and the snacks and other items on the menu don’t cut the grade, it is unlikely that the students and other paying customers will return again and again. This is why it is very important to ensure excellent quality cuisine.