A cafe is not just the food, it is the overall vibe it exudes, as well. Nowadays, more and more people are heading to cafes, to relax and socialize. This enhanced status of cafes as social spaces has made it even more important to make them look as good as possible.
Considering the importance of lighting, there are many factors to take into consideration when choosing the right lighting for your cafe. These include the types, styles, placement, and many other factors. Below is a comprehensive list, of pro tips, to help you choose the right lighting for your cafe.
Types of Lighting
Broadly speaking, there are three main types of lighting for cafes. Today we’ll talk about three modes: Task, ambient, and accent lighting. Each and one of them have a different purpose, suitable for a different situation.
Task Lighting
Task lighting aids customers and the staff in performing their tasks, which are reading through the menu and cooking respectively, as it provides a concentrated light source. Some examples include bright fluorescent lights and overhead lamps. Task lighting should, therefore, be installed in places like the hostess stand and above the customer tables.
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Ambient Lighting
Ambient lighting is the primary source of lighting, that has the greatest effect, on the room in which it is installed. Some examples include electric overhead fixtures and natural sunlight. This lighting allows people to see their surroundings and move easily.
Accent Lighting
Accent lighting is aesthetic in nature and adds drama to the space. It is used to add focal points, to things or places that you want to highlight, such as a fancy piece of artwork. Similar to task lighting, accent lighting also has a concentrated light source.
Smart Lighting
Nowadays, technology is being integrated into nearly all aspects of our lives, and lighting is no exception. Some modern gadgets have made their way into this particular domain, going from dimming control, automatic shut-off, to daylight sensors. Hence, there are many tools at your disposal when it comes to restaurant lighting management.
All these innovations and solutions are very efficient in nature and will help you save a lot of time in maintaining and customizing the lighting of your cafe. It is also possible to centralize the control of your whole cafe lighting. For example, the control panel can be integrated into your laptop, smartphone, or tablet through apps or any other online options.
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Type of Mood
The lighting level can have a significant impact, on the overall mood of the cafe. Broadly speaking, there are only two approaches when it comes to lighting levels; bright lighting and low lighting, simple as it sounds.
Low Lighting
Low lighting gives off a romantic and relaxed vibe, and in effect, encourages customers to stay back longer. Moreover, this type of lighting creates an intimate atmosphere, allowing customers to feel more detached from others, hence giving them enhanced privacy. A significant amount of accent lighting and overhead dimmers can be used to achieve low lighting. This can be achieved with a significant amount of accent lighting and overhead dimmers. You should also consider ambient lighting, to mix it up a bit.
Bright Lighting
This lighting is more stimulating, compared to low lighting, and hence has the ability to keep customers alert and awake. Bright lighting is suitable if you want to give off a high energy mood overall. It can be achieved through overhead light fixtures or large windows that let the sunlight in.
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Use Different Lighting for Different Times of the Day
It isn’t ideal to use the same type of lighting throughout the day. You should adjust it according to the time of the day. Therefore, the lighting should be different for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Breakfast Lighting
Strong lighting should be used for breakfast, as it will give customers that extra ‘kick’, to help them be awake in the morning. Natural sunlight is the most suitable source for this time of the day, undoubtedly.
Lunch Lighting
A moderate level of lighting should be used for lunch, as it will help form a fast turnover of customers, which is ideal for the lunch rush hour. Moderate lighting will encourage a steady flow of customers, in and out of the cafe, keeping your business on the run.
Dinner Lighting
A low intensity of lighting should be used for dinner, as it will give off a relaxing time, which is needed at this time of the day. People usually come to cafes for dinner, after a long and tiring day of work. So, it is ideal to give them an intimate lighting setting.
Keep Up With Modern Trends
Installing lighting in your cafe is not a one time endeavor, it is a continuous process. Nowadays, lighting trends live an die quickly, and you should keep yourself acquainted with them, and update your lighting accordingly if possible. Some examples of lighting that have always been aesthetic include lamps with visible suspension strings (as shown above). Check out “6 Marketing Hacks to Promote Your Cafe” and stay ahead of the curve with everchanging trends in the food industry.
Use Moderate Colors
Lights go hand in hand with the colors of the walls. It might be tempting to use a variety of loud and shocking colors, but this is not the ideal thing to do. To create a balance with the lighting, warm colors should be used, in moderation. A good example is to use bright back bars in the bar area.
Let’s not forget something crucial, and is that both, design and the functionality of the lighting should be given equal relevance, and one should not overshadow the other. Your lighting should look pretty awesome, but it should also get the job done, for both the customers and the staff. A balance between these two aspects is of utmost importance.
Thank you for reading! Let us know in the comments below if you like the ambiance of your go-to cafe shop. Are they setting the right mood with their lighting? Point them towards our post if not! Check out “Guide For Opening a Coffee Shop in a Small Town” for helpful tips if you’re thinking of opening a coffee shop in your small town.
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