Illuminating Ideas
Interior-lighting choices set moods and add drama
By Brendan McNulty, Special to R&I -- Restaurants & Institutions, April 1, 2004
The craft of lighting a dining room is part theater and part magic show. The way a foodservice operation is lit leaves a significant impression on diners. When it works, they don't consciously think about it. When it doesn't, customers won't return and may not even understand why.
"The purpose is to create drama," says designer Steven Langford, whose Irvine, Calif.-based company has worked with Houston's, P.F. Chang's China Bistro and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, among others.
"I like to picture a light hanging over a card table," Langford says. "In a restaurant, each table should have its own atmosphere. It enhances the presentation of the food. And with the table as the focus, you don't feel the people behind you."
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| Johnny Rockets' bright lighting enhances its retro atmosphere. |
At Phoenix-based Houston's Restaurants, a chain known for its striking décor, the lighting can best be described as stage-like, with overhead fixtures that sharply illuminate tabletops without bathing diners in harsh light. To achieve the effect, Langford specified regular 60-watt incandescent bulbs—which appear warm and "make everyone look wonderful"—positioned so the glow stops at the table's edge. "It's like framing a picture," he says.
In the Zone
Geoffrey Stiles, chief operating officer of Metairie, La.-based Ruth's Chris Steak House, says the chain's lighting scheme always has been "predicated by the comfort level of guests."
"Obviously, it has be bright enough so they can read the menu, but it should also be dim enough to create a relaxing mood," he says. "Lighting should enable guests to focus on what they want to, whether they're on a date or in a business meeting."
Stiles adds that within the company's restaurants, there are at least four different lighting zones: dining areas; kitchen, normally illuminated with fluorescent bulbs; passageways, lit with brighter incandescent bulbs; and nooks and crannies illuminated by accent lighting.
"Every dining room is different," says Langford. "The trick to creating drama is to find the lighting that complements the space." A small restaurant that might otherwise feel cramped could benefit from large mirrors hung high on the walls and tilted slightly downward so as not to reflect people but blank space, adding to the illusion of size.
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| Carefully placed lighting sets the mood at J. Alexander's restaurant in Chicago. |
Light sources positioned behind plants or other props not only draw people into the feel of a dining room but also can be used to cast shadows, adding texture to otherwise dull and underutilized areas.
Some concepts take an opposite tack, creating personality with bright light. "We find that consistent, high-level lighting throughout the dining area really matches the high-energy environment of our restaurants," says Greg Hubbard, senior vice president of development and franchising at Aliso Viejo, Calif.-based Johnny Rockets.
The retro-style restaurants are outfitted with numerous reflective surfaces illuminated by 75-watt bulbs. Quilted stainless-steel hoods, high-gloss vinyl booths and chrome-trimmed tables and chairs enhance lighting intensity, Hubbard says.
In addition to managing artificial lighting, natural light needs to be controlled, Langford adds. "Use blinds to block direct sunlight and tinted windows to cut down on incidental reflections from adjacent buildings and car bumpers," he says.
Langford also suggests that owners arrange bushes and trees outside to create shade and block views of distracting areas such as parking lots.
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