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Airline Industry News |
Friday January 9th, 2009 |
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Food & Beverage - 5 Reasons Why Your Lighting May Be Wrong - By Barry Chandler |
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Does the lighting in your bar create the perfect mood for your customers, encouraging them to stay and purchase more, or is it turning your customers away? Don't underestimate the attraction to your customers good lighting will provide. Here are a few pointers that may assist you in creating the perfect atmosphere in your bar. |
Too Bright
If the lighting in your bar is too bright it could highlight unsightly areas you may want to keep hidden, or show up décor that maybe needs repainting but you just haven't got around to doing.
During the day, a bright bar is not too bad but if your bar is bright in the evening, this can turn customers away. Brightness does not equal a relaxing evening. Take a look at your lighting on an evening - does it create a relaxed drinking atmosphere? If it doesn't, ask yourself why.
Too Dark
Again, if your bar is too dark, especially if you serve food, this can be a turn off for many customers. No-one wants to sit in the dark, unable to see the food on their plate, especially during the day.
If your bar is naturally dark during the day, look at installing recessed lighting on a dimmer switch. You can then control the levels of lighting depending on the time of day. You may have spent money on attractive menus but if it is too dark, no-one will see them.
No Change in the Levels of Lighting
Does your lighting remain the same throughout the day, every day? Boring! Again, installing downlights and wall lights on a dimmer switch, you can control the levels of lighting throughout the day, creating whatever mood you want. Combined with a change in music at different times in the day this can change the whole ambiance of your bar. Perfect if you are doing certain promotions during the week.
Interior Colour Affecting Lighting
The colours used in the Interior of your establishment significantly change the effectiveness of your lighting. A pale interior will reflect more light than a dark interior. Take a look at your décor - is it too dark, is your lighting not working due to the colour of your interior? A simple change in the colour on your walls, or lightening the colour in certain areas of your bar can make a vast difference to the welcome.
Inadequate Lighting in the Toilets
An often forgotten area of the bar, the toilets are more than likely to be not well lit at all. Usually, in the ladies toilets, the lighting over the mirrors is usually inadequate for women reapplying makeup, casting shadows over their faces or it's just too dark. Good lighting around the mirror and in each cubicle is essential if you want to make your female customers happy.
By putting a little effort into good lighting in the ladies toilets, you will receive a favourable response from your female customers. Women go to the toilets in pairs for several reasons, but one main reason is to check and reapply their make up, therefore good lighting is essential.
There are many facets to perfecting the lighting in your bar, and this is just a quick overview of areas you can look at today and maybe start implementing a few changes. An Interior Designer will be able to provide designs and help you implement changes to your overall lighting, if so desired.
Just remember, the way we use light will change the way we see everything.
About the Author
Barry Chandler started his hospitality career in Ireland more than 15 years ago and following management training in the five star resort Adare Manor in the West of Ireland joined the Sweeney Hotel Group as part of the opening bar management team of their newest hotel.
This was followed by five years overseas working as Food & Beverage Controller on 4 different cruise ships with Cunard and Seabourn Cruise Line as well as a period with Sheraton Hotels in Austria. Barry has also worked with POS company Micros Fidelio before setting up his own food & beverage control consultancy in 2004.
In 2005, Barry co founded the hospitality management websites www.barkeeper.ie and www.barkeeper.co.uk which offer 100s of downloadable tools and templates to small independent bars and restaurants in Europe and in 2008 setup the first American version of his websites with the launch of www.ManageYourBar.com, the complete online resource for American Bars & Clubs.
Barry holds a Diploma in International Food & Beverage Management from the Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management in Salzburg, Austria, has served as Chairperson of the Young Irish Hospitality Institute, Council Member of the Irish Hospitality Institute and was a finalist in the Price Waterhouse Coopers Young Entrepreneur of the Year Awards in 2005.
Barry can be contacted as follows:
Barry Chandler
Tel: (614) 940 4895
Email: barry@manageyourbar.com
Web: http://ManageYourBar.com
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Contact Information:
416-840-6565 |
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Online source for hospitality industry trends. Part of the Nevistas network of travel and hospitality industry web sites. |
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