Robert Polacek on Designing the Dialogue Between Front and Back of House
Written by Will Jones
Hospitality architecture often reflects its performance before guests are even seated, and aesthetics has very little to do with it. According to Robert Polacek, the verdict lies between the customer-facing environment and the operational systems supporting it. Service flow, staff movement, kitchen coordination, and guest circulation are all established in the earliest planning stages, shaping the rhythm of the venue in the background.
The strongest hospitality spaces, he argues, perform through a carefully considered relationship between front and back of the house, where every spatial decision carries intent.
At RoseBernard Studio, a global hospitality design practice, Co-Founder and Creative Director Polacek views hospitality design through a process grounded in extensive dialogue before layouts or visual concepts enter development. Those initial conversations, he believes, can reveal the commercial objectives driving the projects and establish how the architecture must support the venue operationally.
“Every project starts with understanding why the venue exists in the first place. An owner preparing a flagship restaurant may require a very different strategy from somebody repositioning an existing venue for resale or long-term growth,” he explains. “Design needs to support the business model with precision.”
Many hospitality projects, Polacek argues, often place disproportionate attention on customer-facing areas while operational spaces may be reduced to secondary considerations. He observes that the front of the house receives attention as it is visible to the public, while kitchens, storage areas, delivery access, and preparation zones are compressed in whatever spaces remain available.
Once service begins, the operational cracks begin to surface. Polacek explains, “The guest only sees one side of the experience. Meanwhile, the staff experiences the entire building. If certain operational pathways are compromised, guests may eventually feel it through slower service or inconsistency.”
Within hospitality architecture, Polacek acknowledges that circulation behaves like a choreography, where different serviceable elements all influence one another. He argues that many operational frustrations often originate during the earliest planning stages, particularly when consultants and operators may not be aligned before the key decisions are made.
“A venue cannot function properly if technical discussions happen after major design decisions are already locked in,” he says. “Those conversations need to occur before anyone starts shaping walls or selecting materials.”
RoseBernard Studio, Polacek explains, keeps operational planning at the forefront of the architectural framework. He and his team examine how service teams navigate the venue and where bottlenecks may emerge. As they analyze those essential details, they approach spatial planning as an exercise in creating efficiency across every room. “The strongest hospitality spaces feel effortless because the operational systems underneath them have been properly resolved,” he says.
According to Polacek, the financial realities across hospitality have intensified the importance of operational efficiency. He notes how construction costs, staffing pressures, and changing customer expectations continue to reshape how venues are planned and executed. Within that context, Polacek insists that hospitality architects must understand how commercial performance and spatial planning directly influence one another.
He explains, “Every square metre inside a venue carries operational value, and every design decision influences staffing, revenue potential, customer experiences and adaptability.”
Polacek points to technology as being another operational layer. He highlights how digital ordering systems and evolving service models continue to reshape hospitality environments. In his view, many venues often struggle because these systems are introduced reactively instead of being retrofitted strategically during planning.
“Service models evolve constantly. Architecture should support those shifts while maintaining a cohesive experience throughout the venue,” Polacek adds.
Staff experience also plays a significant role in RoseBernard Studio’s planning process. Polacek frequently studies how employees physically experience the venue throughout a service period, including fatigue points, accessibility, visibility, and communication between departments.
“Good hospitality design respects the people working inside the venue as much as the guests visiting it,” he states. “Operational confidence has a direct impact on service quality.”
Material selection, lighting, and atmosphere remain central to hospitality design, though Polacek views them as components of a much larger operational ecosystem. Every design decision, he asserts, influences how the venue performs throughout daily operation.
Inside successful hospitality spaces, guests may never recognize the level of coordination supporting the experience around them. Polacek believes that seamlessness represents the highest standard within hospitality architecture: an environment where operations and atmosphere move together intrinsically.
“Hospitality design should create a venue where everything works in sync,” Polacek says. “Guests feel comfortable, staff move with confidence, and the business operates with purpose from front of house to back of house.”
