What sets apart your favorite restaurant from all of the
others? It could be the food or the fabulous wait staff, but what about the
ambiance that the place creates? Whether it’s a birthday, anniversary, or just
a relaxing dinner to forget your work week, proper lighting plays a major role
in your dining experience. Not only does the lighting effect the entire mood of
the restaurant, but also food presentation and overall gratification.
Mood
Not all restaurants are equal, and neither is the lighting
in them. For example, think about what you see when you step into a fast food
eatery. More often times than not, you see bright, vibrant colors, the top hits
playing on the radio, and luminous light. Fluorescent lighting bulbs are most
common in this scenario with higher color temperatures. With this, the color of
the light appears brighter white, which makes the customer more alert. This
could be why you feel rushed when ordering.
A recent Cornell University study looked at lighting and
music in fast food restaurants. They found that those eating their meals in a
brighter lighting and with faster music ate more food and enjoyed their
experience less than those who ate with dimmer lighting and soft music.
But some problems come with dim lighting as well. Although
dimmer lighting can enhanced your eating experience and create a more relaxed
atmosphere, a lack of lighting can be a nuisance. What good is a big juicy
steak if you can’t see it too? The challenge restaurants face is finding the
perfect lighting balance.
Food
Did you know that lighting also plays an important part in
how you perceive your food? Restaurants know that presentation is everything,
that’s why more upscale eateries use indirect lighting in the dining area. If a
meal looks unappetizing because of a large shadow cast by direct lighting, that
is money lost.
Light control is also incredibly important to food
presentation. Using dimmers to adjust relative lighting helps maintain mood and
also enhances ambient light levels, creating a softer, gentler light.
Turns out, lighting really does make a difference when
picking out a place to eat. It can create an atmosphere of rapid movement or
provide a calmer ambiance to dine in and enjoy. It also makes the difference
between your food looking like a magazine cover and food found behind a
dumpster. Next time your choosing a restaurant, reflect to see if the lights
provide the best mood for your food.
