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When you consider that sit down restaurants are quite the opposite of fast-food joints when it comes to music and good lighting, there’s definitely a science behind the mood being set and how that mood relates to food; however, finding the studies to say that there is a definite science is somewhat limited. One study that was done in 2012 by Cornell University found that lighting and music do indeed affect how we eat food, but not how you might expect.
By taking a well-known fast-food establishment and making two different versions – one with brightly-lit lights and up-beat music, and the second with soft lighting and smooth jazz – the researchers were able to offer the same food, but in two different environments. What they found was that people actually ate less when they were in a more relaxed atmosphere. They may take their time to enjoy their food and drinks, but they don’t order anymore food than they would at a fast-food restaurant. The researchers (like many of us) expected the exact opposite – they expected people to eat more because with dimmer lighting and softer music, people tend to linger longer.
What Does This Mean For You?
Dimming the lights may cause people to eat less, but if your guests are health-conscious, this is a great way to help them cut calories; in fact, the study showed that consumers ate 18% fewer calories when the mood was set to be more relaxing.
If you’re in the business of strictly gaining profit instead of showing off your culinary talent as well, then fast-food style settings may be the place for you. But like most chefs, when it comes to their food they’re passionate about the tastes, the blends, the colors, the presentation, etc. In a fast-food environment you would absolutely be hindering all of your efforts towards making that culinary experience the one you want.
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Of course with plenty of places to vent online, there are numerous discussions across the web of people debating the reasons for dim lighting in a restaurant. The majority seemed to agree that dim lighting was to set the mood – make the dining experience more comfortable. They felt that it helped to make people focus on what’s in front of them, including the food and their dining companions.
Oddly enough, they also felt that it was almost like a conspiracy theory to help the restaurant gain more profits, because people would eat/order more food (exactly opposite of what the study found). They also blamed dim lighting on the reason behind coyote ugly – the dim lighting hides blemishes and makes people look more attractive… I knew there was more to this coyote ugly thing than just alcoholic beverages.
The bad news is that many people were complaining that too dim of lights made it hard to read the menu and see the food on the plate. They also felt that the lower light setting helped to hide bad food: presentation and taste. And of course, the dim lighting does what it does to my husband every time he watches a movie, makes them sleepy.
What Does This Mean For You?
Well, if your restaurant is trying to make profit off of dim lights, the people are on to you. They’re also done with biting off their arms because of bad dates they wake up next to.
But you can do something to help them know there is no conspiracy theory. It can be as easy as adding candle light to the table so it’s easier to see the menu and the food. You can also invest in some awesome LED lit menus that definitely add some light to the table.
Study from 2012 by Cornell University
