The 6 Special Ingredients Of A Good Restaurant Atmosphere

When a customer strolls into a restaurant, bistro or cafe, they notice the atmosphere, in some cases without perhaps even consciously realising it. As humans we can be incredibly hypersensitive to atmospheres, whether we are in a public space or at home. You can recognise the feeling of walking in to a room where you can ‘cut the atmosphere with a knife’, or that beautiful sensation where you can cherish the ambience. There’s no doubt about it; there are aspects that are difficult to pin down, but a pleasant atmosphere is something can put us at ease.

If atmosphere is such a great thing, then why do some restaurants have it whilst others don’t? Creating a great atmosphere may either be created on purpose, or may, in some cases, occur by accident. There are many aspects that can be used to create a great environment; some of which can be difficult to control.

Taking the example of conveying a likeable mood in your restaurant; if you run a restaurant you will undoubtedly want to achieve this, yet as a restaurant customer you will definitely cherish and enjoy a restaurant with a fabulous ambience.

A few of the more obvious ingredients that go into creating a good atmosphere in a restaurant are; suitable music, charming lights, decor which is in keep with the restaurant image, food that smells fabulous, consumers that are enjoying themselves, as well as the last, but most certainly not least, pleasant staff.

Let’s run through those points in more detail:

Music – This will undoubtedly be dependent on the sort of customers, and also the type of food items being served. The music is a restaurant can either complement and boost the restaurant’s ambience but can also draw the customers attention too much if done incorrectly. If you are doubtful of this, try different songs with staff that provide an honest viewpoint. Bear in mind, music is subjective so you can’t always cater to everyone’s tastes and opinions.

Lighting – Just as no-one want’s to be in a restaurant that is badly lit they also don’t want it too bright. Lighting must closely reflect the mood you want your customers to feel. You need to also reveal to the best aspects of your restaurant, excuse the pun, in an excellent light.

Decor – The decoration is your chance to create an environment that reflects the environment of the restaurant. Get this aspect wrong and it’ll be hard to create an atmosphere that truly meets the image you want to convey. If in doubt, hire an expert if need be; it’s better to get it right the first time than to have to do it again (or even several times).

Food – This is the most essential element to creating a great atmosphere; it can easily make or break a business. It’s isn’t just about creating great food, it also comes down to the presentation too.

Customers – If you’ve got great food in place, happy customers should easily follow. As with food, customers can make or break a restaurant business; after all, customers want an enjoyable experience not just good food.

Staff – Happy staff are a fantastic asset to any sort of restaurant; happy staff make customers feel welcome and relaxed. With friendly, smiley staff customers are sure to enjoy their experience to maximum and more importantly, they’ll tell their friends and family about the enjoyable experience.

This article was brought to you by Nathen Smith who writes for the Mobile Food Guide, creators of the premier mobile app to help you find great restaurants whilst you’re out and about. Whether you’re looking for a restaurant in London or anywhere else in the world; with easy online booking, maps and directions and a selection of local ‘hidden gems’ you can be sure to find the best restaurants around.