Imagine walking into a fine dining restaurant with your significant other. You’ve made the reservation weeks in advance and you’re hoping everything goes as planned. But the moment you step inside, you are put off by the ambience. The restaurant is glaring with cheap fluorescent lighting and the vibe you get is far from the ‘classy and romantic night’ that you expected. Just by this little example, you can tell the importance of restaurant lighting.
Whether it is out of a need to improve the restaurant’s aesthetic or to be mindful of energy efficiency, lighting design is worth investing in. While it may not be at the top of your restaurant construction checklist, the lighting of your establishment is a crucial component in its success.
Mood
In upscale restaurants, ambience is everything. The dining experience has to be private, intimate and serene. One way to achieve this setting is to set the mood through lighting. Consider investing in a dimmer to easily adjust the brightness in your restaurant. Of course, creating the right atmosphere depends on more than just lighting — think music and design.
Restaurant Lighting Design
In the previous blog posts, we’ve talked about improving the aesthetics of your restaurant. Lighting is one of the factors that contribute to the overall look of a space. Shop around for attractive lighting fixtures that goes well with your design concept and see how it can enhance the space. As the functionality side of things takes priority, the visual importance of restaurant lighting tends to be overlooked.
Functionality
Speaking of functionality, it goes without saying that restaurant lighting should serve its function before anything else. You want to keep your restaurant sufficiently illuminated so guests can see what they’re eating and find their way around the premises. A stunning ceiling lamp is good for nothing if it doesn’t light up. You also want to make sure that all seats in the dining area receive enough lighting.
In another context of functionality, restaurants serving different meals of the day opt for different levels of lighting. Breakfast restaurants, for instance, are brightly lit so patrons can enjoy reading newspapers while sipping on their coffee. Restaurants serving lunch are moderately illuminated to achieve a fast turnover of customers, which is especially helpful during lunch rushes. Meanwhile, dinner places usually choose low intensity light to help patrons relax and enjoy their meal.
Food
Based on our blog post ‘Choosing the right colour for your restaurant’, we know that blue isn’t a colour that makes food look appetizing, so scratch off blue lights from your interior plan. Your BOH team has worked hard to arrange the food items in the most presentable way possible, so complement it with the right lighting!
Now that you know the importance of restaurant lighting, it’s time to search for a lighting designer for your restaurant. Make the best out of this seemingly minor aesthetic element!
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Contact our Mississauga construction location today for a free consultation: [email protected].