Running a great restaurant or cafe is more than just knowing how to serve delicious food. To make your customers happy and come back repeatedly, you need to build the right atmosphere too. Eating is a pleasant social experience – no one wants to sit and eat in the silence of the library so creating an atmosphere will enhance the dining experience you offer. Here are some ways to build great vibrations:
- Who do you want to attract?
Imagine you are holding an event and you are responsible for the guest list. Is your program young and hard? Elegant and sophisticated? Family friendly? Romantic, beautiful or cool and fresh? After you complete this, it will be easier to see ways to create an appropriate atmosphere to attract your target market. Who comes to your business has a big impact on the atmosphere created.
- Concept
Having a story to tell is a good way to build a theme or concept for your restaurant. A concept of connecting food and drink is offered with a certain period of history, heritage, fashion, culture or style. For example, 1950s restaurants will have furniture, music, and menu items that are completely different from French Bistro designers. Themed restaurants can focus their attention on what’s best and attract their target market more effectively. Think about how your menu design, furniture and music choices can represent the concept you choose. Digital Signage can play an important part in adding to your theme. For more information and advice, visit https://moodmedia.co.uk/digital-signage-solutions
- Staff
Everyone who works in your business adds to the overall atmosphere, whether it’s the head chef, bar, waiting staff or kitchen. Staff training is very important to ensure that your customers are welcomed and their actions strengthen the theme or concept behind your establishment. Uniforms must be in accordance with the concept as well and the sensitivity of important guests, for example, attentive and simple service for romantic but pleasant and energetic places for a more relaxed and young atmosphere.
- Sound
Improving the noise level at different times throughout the day is important to ensure customer comfort. Acoustics may need to be adjusted, such as placing dividers or grouping tables. You should think about matching music and / or entertainment with your theme and whether you choose to include other media such as TV screens, juke boxes or live music shows. Where customers hear music is also important. Is it in the main dining room, toilet, bar or at the entrance?
- Colour
Your logo, branding and decoration must be consistent. Colour has also been shown to have an impact on appetite so think carefully about what you choose to represent your business. Cold colours like blue act as appetite suppressants while warm colours like red increase appetite. Associations are also made between certain concepts and colours. For example, healthy food and vegetarian cafes might choose fresh green while the vibrations of rural villages will be made better with warm shades.
