Restaurant and Hospitality Flooring for Asheville’s Tourism Industry
Asheville’s food and beverage scene drives tourism that keeps our economy thriving. From James Beard Award-winning restaurants to craft breweries along the South Slope, hospitality businesses define our city’s identity.
These businesses demand flooring that performs under conditions residential products could never survive. Constant spills, heavy foot traffic, dropped dishes, rolling carts, aggressive cleaning, and the weight of kitchen equipment create challenges that require commercial-grade solutions.
At Leicester Flooring, we’ve supplied flooring for Asheville restaurants, bars, breweries, hotels, and hospitality venues for 50 years. We understand what these demanding environments require.
The Unique Demands of Hospitality Flooring
Restaurant and hospitality flooring faces challenges unlike any other commercial application.
Constant Moisture Exposure
Kitchens produce steam, spills, and wash-down water continuously. Dining rooms see drink spills hourly during service. Bar floors handle constant liquid exposure. Even restrooms experience more use and moisture than typical commercial facilities.
This moisture exposure is constant, not occasional. Flooring must handle wet conditions as its normal state, not as an exception.
Heavy Traffic in Concentrated Areas
Server stations, kitchen lines, and bar areas see hundreds of passes per shift. The same paths take punishment hour after hour. This concentrated traffic wears flooring faster than distributed foot traffic in other commercial settings.
Dropped Items and Impact
Dishes break. Pans drop. Bottles shatter. Restaurant floors absorb impacts that would crack or chip materials designed for gentler use.
Rolling Loads
Buses full of dishes. Kegs. Hand trucks. Kitchen equipment on casters. The rolling loads in hospitality exceed typical commercial environments.
Aggressive Cleaning Requirements
Health codes require thorough cleaning. Kitchen floors get degreased daily. Dining areas get mopped multiple times per service. This cleaning frequency and intensity requires flooring that tolerates commercial cleaning chemicals and methods.
Appearance Standards
Your dining room floor contributes to atmosphere. A worn, stained, or damaged floor undermines the experience you’re creating. Hospitality flooring must maintain appearance despite the punishment it takes.
Front-of-House Flooring Options
The dining room, bar area, and customer-facing spaces need flooring that looks beautiful while handling hospitality demands.
Commercial Luxury Vinyl
LVT has become the dominant choice for restaurant dining rooms, and the reasons are practical.
Realistic wood and stone looks: Modern commercial LVT achieves appearances that satisfy design goals without wood’s maintenance challenges or stone’s coldness and hardness.
Complete waterproof protection: Spills, mopping, and tracked-in moisture cause zero damage. The worry-free moisture handling simplifies operations.
Comfortable standing surface: Servers work long shifts on their feet. LVT’s layered construction feels better than tile, reducing fatigue and improving employee satisfaction.
Easy maintenance: Daily mopping is all that’s required. No special treatments, no waxing, no refinishing.
Cost-effective: LVT costs less than tile or hardwood while delivering durability that suits most dining room applications.
For most Asheville restaurants, commercial LVT offers the best combination of appearance, performance, and value for dining areas.
Porcelain Tile
Tile remains appropriate for certain dining applications.
High-end positioning: Fine dining establishments sometimes prefer genuine stone or tile for the luxury impression it creates.
Extreme durability: Tile essentially doesn’t wear out. For owners planning very long-term operation, tile’s durability may justify higher initial cost.
Design statement: Decorative tile creates visual impact that LVT may not match for certain design concepts.
The trade-offs include harder surfaces that tire servers, cold temperatures in winter, and higher installation costs.
Polished Concrete
Some restaurant concepts embrace polished concrete’s industrial aesthetic.
Brewery taprooms: The industrial look suits craft beverage environments.
Modern casual concepts: Restaurants with intentionally raw aesthetics use concrete as a design element.
Cost efficiency: For spaces with existing concrete slabs in good condition, polishing may cost less than other options.
Concrete’s hardness and coldness limit appropriate applications, but for the right concept, it works well.
Back-of-House Flooring Requirements
Kitchen and service area flooring faces the most demanding conditions in any hospitality environment.
Commercial Kitchen Flooring
Kitchen flooring must satisfy health codes, ensure worker safety, tolerate extreme conditions, and survive aggressive cleaning.
Quarry tile: The traditional choice for commercial kitchens. Extremely durable, heat-resistant, and available in slip-resistant finishes. The red-brown color hides staining.
Commercial LVT: Some newer commercial LVT products are rated for kitchen use. They provide easier maintenance and more comfort than tile but require verification of commercial kitchen suitability.
Epoxy and resin: High-performance coatings over concrete provide seamless, sanitary surfaces. Common in high-volume commercial kitchens.
Rubber: Commercial rubber flooring offers excellent slip resistance, comfort for workers, and durability for specific applications.
Whatever you choose, verify that products meet health code requirements for commercial food service.
Slip Resistance
Kitchen floors become slippery from water, grease, and food debris. Slip-resistant flooring protects your employees and reduces liability.
Look for:
- High coefficient of friction (COF) ratings
- Textured surfaces designed for wet conditions
- Commercial ratings for food service use
Employee injuries from falls create workers’ compensation claims, lost productivity, and potential lawsuits. Proper slip-resistant flooring is essential.
Grease and Chemical Resistance
Kitchen flooring must tolerate:
- Cooking oils and grease
- Commercial degreasers
- Sanitizing chemicals
- High-pressure washing
Verify that flooring products can handle the specific chemicals your cleaning protocols use.
Bar and Brewery Flooring
Beverage service environments face specific challenges.
Constant Liquid Exposure
Bars deal with more liquid than restaurants. Spilled drinks, rinse water, melting ice, and washing create constantly wet conditions in some areas.
Waterproof flooring is non-negotiable. LVT, tile, or sealed concrete are appropriate. Anything that absorbs moisture will fail.
Brewery Production Areas
Brewing facilities face industrial-level challenges:
- Large-volume water exposure
- Cleaning chemicals
- Heavy equipment loads
- Forklift traffic in some areas
Production flooring often requires industrial solutions beyond typical hospitality products. Epoxy coatings, specialized tile, or industrial concrete treatments may be appropriate.
Taproom Flooring
Taproom floors can follow restaurant dining room approaches. Commercial LVT provides the durability needed while allowing design flexibility. Polished concrete suits the aesthetic many breweries prefer.
Hotel and Lodging Flooring
Hotels, B&Bs, and other lodging face different challenges than restaurants.
Guest Room Flooring
Guest rooms need flooring that:
- Survives heavy turnover and cleaning between guests
- Creates comfortable, welcoming atmosphere
- Handles luggage wheels and furniture moving
- Cleans easily when accidents occur
LVP/LVT: Increasingly popular for guest rooms. Easy cleaning between guests, waterproof protection, and comfortable surfaces appeal to both operators and guests.
Carpet: Traditional for hotels, providing warmth and comfort. Requires more maintenance and more frequent replacement but creates atmosphere some properties prefer.
The trend toward LVP in hotel guest rooms reflects the practical benefits, but upscale properties often maintain carpet for the luxury feel.
Lobby and Common Area Flooring
Lobbies create first impressions and handle constant traffic from guests, luggage, and visitors.
Tile or stone: Creates high-end impression appropriate for upscale properties.
Commercial LVT: Provides durability and design options at lower cost.
Commercial carpet: Works for traditional or corporate hotel aesthetics.
Match flooring choice to your property’s positioning and guest expectations.
Corridor Flooring
Hallways handle constant traffic with luggage wheels, housekeeping carts, and foot traffic. Durability matters more than design statement.
Commercial carpet tile handles the traffic while providing acoustic benefits that keep hallway noise from disturbing guests. LVT works well for properties preferring hard surfaces.
Planning Your Hospitality Flooring Project
Successful hospitality flooring projects require thoughtful planning.
Timing Around Operations
Closing for flooring installation costs money. We work with hospitality clients to minimize disruption:
- Installing during slow seasons
- Working overnight to complete projects
- Phasing installation to keep portions of the space operational
- Coordinating with your operational calendar
Design Integration
Flooring should complement your overall design concept. Consider:
- Color coordination with furnishings and décor
- Aesthetic consistency between spaces
- Transition treatments between different flooring areas
- How flooring photographs for marketing purposes
Maintenance Planning
Before selecting flooring, consider who will maintain it and how:
- What cleaning products and equipment do you use?
- How frequently can floors be thoroughly cleaned?
- Who will perform routine and deep cleaning?
- What training do staff need for proper care?
Choosing flooring your team can actually maintain prevents problems.
Budget Reality
Hospitality flooring is an investment. Consider:
- Total installed cost, not just material price
- Expected lifespan under your specific conditions
- Maintenance costs over the floor’s life
- Cost of eventual replacement
Sometimes higher initial investment delivers better long-term value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What flooring is best for restaurant dining rooms?
Commercial LVT works well for most dining applications. It provides attractive appearance, waterproof protection, comfortable standing surface, and easy maintenance at reasonable cost. Tile suits some concepts better.
How long does restaurant flooring last?
Quality commercial flooring typically lasts 10-15 years in restaurant dining areas. Kitchens may need more frequent attention due to harsher conditions. Actual lifespan depends on traffic, maintenance, and product quality.
Can I install wood flooring in my restaurant?
Real hardwood is challenging in restaurant environments. Moisture damage, scratches, and maintenance requirements make it impractical for most applications. Wood-look LVT provides similar appearance without these problems.
What about brewery taproom flooring?
Polished concrete suits many brewery aesthetics and handles conditions well. Commercial LVT provides alternatives with more design options. Either works well for taproom applications.
Do you install commercial kitchen flooring?
Yes. We handle commercial kitchen flooring including quarry tile and appropriate LVT products. We ensure products meet health code requirements and provide proper slip resistance.
How do we minimize business disruption during installation?
We schedule work around your operations. Overnight installation, phased approaches, and seasonal timing all help minimize impact on your business.
Partner with Hospitality Flooring Experts
Your restaurant, bar, hotel, or hospitality venue deserves flooring that performs as hard as your team does. The right choice protects your investment, impresses your guests, and simplifies daily operations.
At Leicester Flooring, we’ve served Asheville’s hospitality industry for five decades. We understand the unique demands these environments create and we deliver American-made products that meet those demands.
Contact us to discuss your hospitality flooring project. Whether you’re opening a new restaurant, renovating a hotel, or updating a brewery, our team provides the expertise your project requires.
Schedule your commercial consultation today.