For service businesses like restaurants, bistros, and bars, the customer experience is king.
While most of us think about the food, drink, and service from waiting staff as key things which make up a good customer experience, few of us would think about the lighting.
Yet, that is an unsung hero of creating a wonderful ambiance for diners and drinkers.
Get the lighting right, and you will enhance your customers’ dining and drinking experience.
Get it wrong, and you could put your customers off and drive them away.
Who is your clientele?
It’s important to know who they are to ensure you get the right lighting design.
Are your customers mainly hipsters in their twenties, couples in their forties, or families with small children?
Each of these will have different needs from the lighting in your restaurant or bar.
Families will need a lighting design which allows children and perhaps elderly people to see menus clearly.
Couples will be looking for lighting which creates a romantic mood.
Use lighting to create zones
You can use soft, romantic lighting to create intimate areas perfect for meals for two.
If you’re creating sociable areas where people will be mingling and talking in larger groups, provide lighting suitable to that environment. You could choose to use white lightbulbs with a subtle colour to differentiate that area.
Lighting can also signpost drinkers toward the bar by making it subtly lighter than surrounding areas – encouraging sales.
Certain areas will be thoroughfares. Ensure they are well lit and create a safe path through your premises.
How can lighting increase sales?
In restaurants, you may well want diners who are happy to linger over their meals, ordering more wine or desserts.
Lighting which allows diners to see the full appeal of their food while being warm and welcoming helps restaurants achieve that goal.
You can use lamps or spotlights to accentuate richly-coloured drinks at the bar, or to highlight the meals when they arrive on diners’ tables.
If you’re a fast food restaurant looking for a quick turnaround in diners, you could choose to make the lighting bright and use colours like red and orange. Subconsciously, that encourages people to eat more quickly.
Are you a bar or restaurant owner in South Wales or the South West of England looking for expert help in lighting design and installation?
Call our friendly team today on 0845 003 6856. Find out more about our commercial services here: /commercial-services/.