People go to restaurants for various reasons. Some are looking for the best food while others want to be pampered with great service and ambiance.
These days, it’s hard for a restaurant to stay afloat by boasting on good food alone. It’s all about the experience. This is even more true when you wish to cater to the middle-upper class. So, let’s talk about the four important elements to create the perfect restaurant ambiance.
Lighting
Lighting influences your establishment’s mood and atmosphere. In general, there are three types of lighting: ambient, task, and accent lighting.
Ambient lighting is the main player in the room. It provides overall illumination and sets the general mood for the whole restaurant. Task lighting provides an intense light source either in the dining area or the kitchen to help getting detailed things done. Accent lighting focuses on specific focal points in the restaurant such as artworks or furnishings.
It’s important for you to understand the different types of lighting and their functions so you can provide the best lighting ambiance for your customers.
Colors
Restaurant interior colors can either attract or drive off customers. It’s all about the psychology of colors. Light colors, such as white, light grey, and beige, create a relaxing effect and make your restaurant interior seem bigger. Nature colors like green and brown also create a relaxed ambiance.
If you want to set a fast pace so patrons move in an out quicker, you can try bright shades of red and yellow just like what Colonel Sanders use. If you want to them to stay longer, chat, and order more food, use warmer shades of brown, orange, and red.
Of course, the type of color schemes you should pick depends on the restaurant formats. Do think about what kind of restaurant you want your establishment to be. There are no wrong answers here. Just yours.
Music
A completely silent restaurant can drive customer off. Seriously, some people leave a restaurant before they order anything simply because it’s too quiet in there. You can tell there’s something wrong with an establishment when you can hear your own heart beating sitting there.
Sound is an important element when it comes to restaurant vibe. Some restaurants play music while others just let the crowded restaurant ambiance takes the stage. There are nature-themed restaurants that play ambient sounds instead of music to give off that natural vibe.
Since different styles of music work differently for different types of restaurants, you shouldn’t just play whatever your competitors are playing. Try asking your customer for feedback about what kind of music they love to hear while they’re eating their meal.
Staff
Happy employees are the cornerstones of any business. When your staffs are grumpy all the time, no amount of lighting, colors, and music can make the perfect restaurant ambiance your patrons desire.
The best way to have happy employees is to give them living wages. Stop asking them to rely on tips to make ends meet. That’s horrible management.
Also ensure that all the staff is presentable. Tell them to wear proper attire and pay attention to personal hygiene. You certainly don’t want the patrons to smell anything foul when they call for the waiters.
