Experiment: What is affected by lighting in a restaurant
In our blog, we already talked about how restaurants implement work automation systems (for example, Jowi ), use the design to create menus , google information about visitors and reduce noise. But there is another important aspect that affects the ultimate success of the institution - lighting.
Today we will talk about how light affects how people eat, and consider an experiment on the topic.
The rules of light in a restaurant
Historically, in the restaurant business, great attention has been paid to creating the right atmosphere - most often people come to establishments not only to eat, but also to chat. That is why restaurants are working to reduce noise - to communicate comfortably, in a situation where the interlocutors have to scream, is simply impossible.
Well-chosen lighting can create a good mood among visitors to the institution. At the same time, it is important that the light corresponds to the time of day at which food is taken, and to the type of meal itself. Here are the rules in this regard:
- For example, there should be plenty of light during breakfast so that guests can read their morning papers easily.
- At lunch, fast food restaurants set not too dark moderate lighting - it helps customers stay out for a long time.
- During dinner, people want to relax and sit longer, so the level of lighting should be lower than at other times of the day.
What is the effect of lighting
There are studies of psychologists in which it is argued that bright light acts on the nervous system in such a way that people begin to eat faster. Also in bright light, restaurant visitors have less control over how much they have already eaten, says Brian Wansink, a professor at the University of Illinois. In order to avoid overeating in a brightly lit institution, the expert advises to constantly mentally remind yourself to eat slower and order less food - so you can get enough quicker without having to overeat.
These statements are confirmed by experiments. A few years ago, researchers from Cornell University in the United States found out how the general atmosphere of the institution affectson the consumption of food by its visitors. During the experiment, one part of the fast-food establishment with energetic music and bright lighting was redone - the light there was diminished, quiet jazz played in the background. Visitors randomly seated in two parts of the restaurant.
Researchers assumed that visitors to the “calm” part of the establishment would eat more, because a more pleasant atmosphere would contribute to long “gatherings”. As a result, the hypothesis about the length of stay was confirmed, but it turned out that in a calm environment, people actually eat less. Visitors preferred to communicate rather than order additional dishes.
At the same time, in the following survey, guests who were placed in a quieter and darker zone gave dishes higher ratings.
As a result, visitors to the fast food zone consumed more food (on average, 175 calories more ).
When people are not distracted by bright elements of the room’s design, light or loud music, they will not thoughtlessly absorb food, but will pay more attention to communication.
Accordingly, institutions that want to accelerate the "turnover" of customers and make them order more, then they use a brighter light. At the same time, those establishments that are more focused on receiving positive reviews and high ratings from customers, establish more relaxed lighting and use quiet pleasant music.