Why Do Restaurants Dim the Lights?
Restaurants dim the lights because it helps customers have a good time and in turn, helps the restaurants be successful.
8 Reasons Why Restaurants Dim the Lights
1. Help customers relax
Restaurants dim the lights because of the same reason why dance floors have disco balls:
Lighting plays a direct role in people’s emotions, and in turn, their actions.
Bright light makes people feel awake and energetic. Therefore, the opposite needs to happen for people to relax. Lighting conditions need to be dim and non-intrusive.
Some restaurants are popular destinations for couples. These restaurants are almost always dimly lit. The soft glow, combined with soft music, creates the perfect environment for people to slow down and enjoy each other’s company.
2. Limit noise levels
Restaurants can be loud places. The noise level accelerates as soon as one person raises their voice. Other people in the restaurant then must also speak louder. Otherwise, they won’t be able to hear themselves speak, let alone the person sitting right next to them.
Restaurants dim the lights to prevent this cacophony from happening. Think of it as a form of nonverbal communication. It reminds people to take it easy.
The best analogy that I can think of is a classroom setting. A teacher may suddenly shut off the lights to get students’ attention. Students stop talking so that they can listen to the teacher’s instructions.
The teacher might also keep the lights off to signify Quiet Time. Restaurants, in a way, do a variation of this.
3. Save money
Artificial light is unnecessary during the day when there is ample sunlight. Restaurants, like other small businesses, want to save electricity. Being resourceful will help them cut expenses and increase profits.
In addition, if there is too much sunlight, restaurants will use curtains and blinds to dim the dining establishment even further. This allows the restaurant to optimize the ambiance of the place as well as control the room temperature.
Artificial and natural light emit heat. This is annoying in the summer when you want to stay cool. So, restaurants keep the lights down so that they can save on air conditioning costs.
4. Indicate the time of day
Restaurants are more likely to dim their lights at night when it is time for dinner. They are less likely to do so at noon when people are eating lunch. This is especially true if the restaurant is in the business district.
During the workday, people want to get things done. They don’t have time to relax. They go to restaurants so that they can eat and do business at the same time. Therefore, the restaurant needs to be well-lit so that workers can use their laptops and read the documents that they bring with them.
Things are different at night when the workday is over. In the evening, friends and families meet up to have fun. Restaurants dim the lights to signify that it is now time to play rather than work. They do their part to help everyone have a good time.
5. Influence how long customers stay
What do you do if you are at a restaurant that makes you feel good? You want to stay longer, regardless of whether that is a conscious or subconscious decision.
You might intentionally stay longer so that you can enjoy more food and spend more time with your loved ones. You might also simply lose track of time and stay longer at the restaurant as a result.
Restaurants must think about the average time a customer stays because that affects revenue and profit. To illustrate this point, let’s take a look at the fast food industry.
Fast food places want customers to quickly enter and exit the restaurant. The industry thrives by relying on a large number of customers rather than large order values.
Therefore, fast food operators try not to make their restaurants so relaxing. Locations are brightly lit. There might also be a limited number of tables and chairs.
In contrast, fine dining restaurants thrive by relying on high order values rather than a massive customer base.
Overall, a restaurant may be dimly lit because it helps the restaurant’s business model.
6. Emphasize certain parts of the restaurant
Not all restaurants look the same.
Some places have a stage. In these restaurants, customers eat while watching a performance. There might be a singer on stage. On another day, there might be a comedian.
Dim lighting is used in these restaurants to emphasize the main attraction. The seating area is dimly lit while the stage is brightly lit. Ultimately, different lighting is used to make sure customers can comfortably enjoy a premium experience: food and a performance.
7. Help customers focus
You can easily get distracted if you’re in a large room with a lot of other people. Instead of paying attention to the person sitting next to you, you might accidentally focus on what someone is doing on the other side of the room.
So many things are happening at once. Waiters are walking back and forth. Some customers leave while others take their place. The scenery is constantly changing.
Restaurants dim the lights to help customers focus on the people they are eating with.
Dim lighting creates the illusion of a smaller environment. Yes, there are other people in the restaurant, but you don’t see them. They are vaguely in the background.
Restaurants use dim lighting, along with dividers and booths, to give customers a sense of privacy.
8. Make the restaurant look nice
Sometimes, a restaurant is dimly lit because that is what the restaurant owner likes. The restaurant owner must also decide what color to paint the walls and what kind of tables to get.
Yes, as previously discussed, there are other reasons why a restaurant may be dimly lit. However, not everything needs to have a deeper meaning. A restaurant might simply be dimly lit because it is aesthetically pleasing.