Restaurant Colors: Triggering Appetite With the Use of Colors

There is a good reason new parents avoid bright red when painting their babys room. Because red is a color of energy that stimulates a faster heartbeat and rapid breathing, its definitely not a color that could soothe a crying baby. Colors make a huge difference, because they evoke emotions in all of us, even animals. If youre opening a restaurant, you should pay special attention to the colors youre going to use in your logo, menu, website, and dining room because your choice will impact your customers more than you think. Countless studies have shown that colors greatly influence one's mind when making decisions, and you can use this knowledge to your advantage by using colors to their full potential to get customers to walk through your doors or to splurge on dessert.

Some colors are known to evoke hunger, and others are known to suppress appetite. Its important for you to use the right colors to put your customers in a comfortable mood while dining at your restaurant. Here is a short guide to which colors to use and which colors to avoid.

Colors to use
Red: In the restaurant industry, red is king. Have you ever noticed that most, if not all, fast food franchises use red in their logos? While red isnt baby-friendly, its a very valuable tool in drawing attention and getting people to crave food. Its associated with impulsiveness and excitement. Most importantly, red makes people hungry. Orange: Like red, orange is associated with energy and excitement. If you walk into a fast food franchise, youd be likely to see red and orange everywhere. Its no accident, since those two colors encourage people to eat quickly and leave. Orange is a very vibrant, lively color. Even though theres nothing calm about orange, its still a warm color that makes people comfortable... and hungry. Yellow: When you see yellow, your brain actually releases more seratonin (a chemical in the brain that makes you feel good). Yellow is a color that makes everyone feel good. The more optimistic a person feels, the more likely he will splurge on drinks, dessert, and a hearty meal. Green: Nowadays, green is associated with growth, nature, and wellness. Many organic food products use green in their packaging. Green is also a calming color. Green walls in a restaurant dining room gives

off the message that the food is healthy and wholesome, and they also make the place look more welcoming. Brown: Much like green, brown is most associated with reliability, friendship, and wellness. Its the color of the earth itself. Any shade of brown works great as an accent. Be careful not to overuse the color, though. A logo, menu, website, or dining room thats primarily brown may send off a negative message, because brown can also represent filth. Gold: Gold symbolizes prestige and good health. Many fancy restaurants use gold moderately. Using too much gold can make a restaurant come off as tacky, so be careful.

Colors to avoid
Research has suggested that people prefer to consume food in a room painted in warm colors rather than cold colors. Unnatural colors, such as blue, pink, and yellow-green, suppress appetite because theyre associated with rotten, spoiled, and toxic foods. Blue: Most foods arent blue, so the color serves as an appetite suppressant. Actually, many weight loss companies, exercise and diet programs, and gyms use the color blue to help people lose weight! Black: Black is the color of mystery, so people tend not to trust the food ordered from a primarily black menu. The color is also associated with negativity and authority. It can work great as an accent, but too much black may easily overwhelm your customers. Yellow-green: While yellow and green individually work great to stimulate hunger in people, combining those colors is a huge no-no. Yellow-green is an unnatural color thats usually associated with toxic chemicals. Pink: A variant of red, pink doesnt make people hungry. Its an unnatural color that symbolizes romance, love, and gentle feelings. However, when it comes to food, pink can conjure up images of raw meat, artificial preservatives, and a slew of other gross images. Now that you have an idea of which colors to use and avoid, you can successfully attract customers in this colorful world!

The Best Restaurant Colors, According to Color Experts

Pink walls, pink tablecloths, pink chairsthe love for Joe Marzillis Old Canteen in Providence, Rhode Island is unapologetically colorblind. Luckily, they can get away with it because its been a city favorite since 1956. It reminds you of sitting in your grandmothers living room if your grandmother catered several course meals and invited all the citys original Italians that fill the parking lot with low-ball license plates like number two and ten. Most restaurants cant get away with a fabulously pink decor though, in fact most shades of red are a no-no. When I consulted the experts, they pushed heavily against red in any sit-down restaurant, saying that red is appropriate only for fast food. Joe Marzilli gets a pass here because his light shade of pink evokes luxury and a bit of ironic decadence. In our research we found that shades make all the difference. Heres an analysis that we gathered from color and feng shui experts Cara Gallagher, Dana Claudat, Nancy Zeigler, Gina Mims and Judith Wendell along with Jonathan Raduns, food merchandising consultant at National Restaurant Consultants.

Almost all of our experts told us that red increases your heart rate, blood pressure, and stimulates impulse eating. While it does provoke hunger, Claudat says, we mistake red for being a prosperous feng shui color for foodit is not. Gallagher says the reason why red works so well for fast food is because their goal is volume. They want to get diners in and out quickly. The faster the people eat and move along the quicker they can get new diners in their establishment. Zeigler elaborated, saying that the hue of red matters. The brighter the red, the more it will repel your customers. Red stimulates conversation and raises heart rate, so people get excited, physically and emotionally, when they first enter a red room, she says. Accents arent all bad though, as you can see from this example of New Yorks Red Restaurant, who despite the name, only uses red as an accent color. While bright red is typically on the no-no list, Zeigler recently painted the walls of a restaurant a deep brick terracotta color still a version of red, but on the earthy and warm side. She says that other colors known to stimulate appetite include oranges, persimmon, deep yellows and fresh greens.

Sit down casual restaurants often benefit from soft natural colors and tones that encourage folks to relax and enjoy themselves, and hopefully order an appetizer and possibly stay awhile longer for dessert and coffee, says Raduns, green is a great color for restaurants trying to communicate freshness and healthy options. Silver is often added to this combination to add a new age feel, emphasizing the sense of freshness not only in taste but also in style. Health food restaurants have been focused on green and wood, says Claudat, but green works less well in bars and naturally dark places, where a bright, fresh green turns more dark and dismal, according to Zeiglers recent redesign of this old pub. Prasino, the greek word for green is a restaurant in Chicago who chose browns in the form of recycled woods and cardboard to evoke the feeling of health and sustainability. Warm earth tones are best for fine dining, says Mims. Use deep reds and rich tones combined with textures and woods. Soft lighting and fire is also an element of color that helps convey a more elegant experience.

Neutrals and colors that represent vegetables work best and despite red being on the blacklist, pumpkin oranges and squash-colored yellows work great. Claudat says that orange gives customers a stronger sense of physical attachment to live and promote more cheerful overall responses to a space. For example, look at Orange Leaf, a frozen yogurt chain that uses orange and white as their primary colors. The color orange makes them feel happy and less guilty about eating sweets, while the white contrast on their walls and tables makes the shop feel clean. Orange Hill Restaurant mixes orange, black and brown to create an upbeat yet formal dining experience. The combination of orange and green can also create a sense of happy and fresh, which is popular in vegetarian and vegan restaurants. Restaurants that emphasize vegetables tend to use a lot of green, while meat-centric restaurants, like steak houses, use more browns and blacks.

Blues arent common in restaurants because they dont evoke a feeling of hunger, but more of thirst. Blue provokes your kidneys, so it has more to do with elimination then digestion, says Wendell, who also notes the lack of blue-colored foods other than blueberries. She also mentions that even though blue doesnt make food look appealing (the reason why its not a popular restaurant color), moving water is associated with cash flow in a business and thus youll often see a fish tank in front of a Asian restaurant. It also propagates a sea theme in sushi and seafood restaurants. 5

Shark, a former hibachi restaurant in Providence, Rhode Island recently pivoted by taking their aquatic and blue-themed restaurant and turning it into a hookah/liquor bar while still serving sushi and small bites. The preexisting blue overtones will now help the restaurant evoke a feeling of relaxation while encouraging guests to buy more drinks. Purples are fun for coffee houses with a bohemian feel but are even better in a day spa, not restaurants, says Mims. Zeigler says theres really no one size fits all recipe for doing color design in restaurants. Its really all about balance. Mims concurs, saying, Sometimes people have a favorite color they like but the real key is to study a bit about color theory to make sure it relates to the concept. It is about the guests feelings, not about the owners favorite color. If the vibe is energetic, use bright colors, if it is casual, use warmer more relaxed tones. Color is a great way to help invoke a mood and create a more complete customer experience. - See more at: http://blog.swipely.com/marketing/the-best-restaurant-colors-according-to-colorexperts#sthash.7915HAEt.dpuf

30 RESTAURANT INTERIOR DESIGN COLOR SCHEMES

As we know, colors unconsciously shape many aspects of our daily lives. They influence peoples attitudes towards their surroundings as well as having an overwhelming effect on a persons comfort level in a particular situatio n.

When deciding on a color scheme for a restaurant, think about the type of mood you want people to be in at the restaurant, think about what kind of food is going to be served there, and what kind of customers are most likely to go there.

Different colors promote different moods. For instance, warm colors such as yellow, red and orange are very stimulating colors and tend to raise appetite. They promote a positive attitude and outlook on surroundings.

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Neutral colors, like grey, black, brown, and white, are taken as elegant and passive colors.

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Other more subtle colors, like pastels, green, or blue, are considered cool colors and are known to promote a more reassuring and inspiring mood. But, at the same time, blue can be an appetite suppressant, which is probably not what the chef is looking for! This makes blue an unusual color for restaurants, as you will notice.

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Finally, you will find that purples and golds are the colors of royalty and luxury, the ideal choice for a kind of gourmet or delicacy cuisine.

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Colors will reflect and determine the overall experience people expect at the restaurant, how they fit with the unique characteristics of the restaurant is a very important factor in interior design.

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Coloring your restaurant Dos and Donts

Colors set the overall mood in an environment. Choosing the right colors will not only help you tie the look together, but will also help your customers enjoy the ambiance as much as the food you are serving.

1.

Do

steal pre-selected color combos from the paint store. Many good looking color palettes

have already been put together by the paint designers. Do use them for free once you have found

the right combo.

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2.

Do

paint a color on your white T bar ceiling. T-bar ceilings look like an office ceiling. Get rid of

the office look by putting a coat of cool color on it to warm up the entire

space. 3.

Do

use vibrant and warm tones for fast food restaurants. Vibrant colors are appetizing; exactly

whats needed in fast food joints where up selling is a

must.

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4.

Do

use neutrals with brown and grays and a small touch of color for more gourmet type of

restaurants. Gourmet cooking is served best at a more elegant, soothing environment where food

remains the center of focus. 5.

Do

use greens and browns in a lunch caf, salad joint or any where healthy food is served.

Greens and browns mostly represent colors of nature, and can inspire a light and healthy feeling.

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6.

Do

paint an eye-popping color on an accent wall for contrast and fun.

7.

Do

use metallic colors as accents for a luxurious look.

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8.

Do

use stencils for bold patterns to add drama on the walls.

9.

Do

look on magazines and pictures of other restaurants for color inspiration.

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10.

Do

get color inspiration from a fabric you love. Do pull the different color tones from a fabric

that already has the perfect color palette you are

after. 11.

Dont

use light colors on high traffic walls and lower portions of the walls; the next thing

you know, you newly painted wall will be decorated with finger prints, ketchups and food remains.

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12.

Dont

be afraid of color! Restaurants are supposed to be vibrant environments. Dont use

tone on tone or neutral over neutral. Put some drama in your restaurant!

13.

Dont

use primary colors unless you are a pro. Primary colors usually are too bright for

adults taste. Stay away from them unless you know how to use them.

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Choosing the right colors sets the foundation to a wonderful restaurant design. Dont be afraid to get inspirations from things around you, such as nature, a piece of fabric, picture from a magazine, or even a piece of cake. Do use pre-selected color combo for safe choices. With good colors in your restaurant, your customers will be able savor your food and ambiance at the same time.

Your restaurant project: Interior Design Stage

A restaurant serves more than just food. Whether you own a hamburger shop with neon lights or a sports bar filled w/ plasma screens, your restaurant is where people will be emotionally and physically relaxed, entertained and stimulated. The popular Pizza Hut franchise chain and California Pizza Kitchen both serve pizza, but no one could confuse them. Its important that you create a physical environment that meets the needs of your customers. Its important to find out what type of environment is suitable for your target customers when building, decorating, or renovating your restaurant. When designing your restaurant interior, we will keep the following aspects in mind. Concept and brand development Functionality Color Design Flooring Design Lighting Design Ceiling Design Acoustics

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Concept and brand development.

Whats your concept? Who are your target customers? What are the demographics in the neighborhood? What design features can help your create a memorable and unique image?

Functionality
Whats the best flow of traffic for your restaurant? We will help you come up with a schematic plan and refine the plan with engineered thoughts. Please refer to interior space planning service for more details.

To create a pleasant restaurant environment, its the design teams goal to stimulate the diners five senses: visual, audio, smell, taste, and sensual. Being part of the design team, the owner works with the chef to present delicate meals that are appealing to both the smell and taste bud of the customers. Now, it is the designers job to complete the space with visual, audio and sensual elements.

Color. (visual)
Color is a key aspect of successful work in interior design. A space that delivers a pleasant impression through the use of color automatically produces a favorable reaction. Especially for restaurants, good color tunes will not only help your customers remember your space, they will also help to match with your food theme and promote appetites.

Flooring Design. (visual,sensual)

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Dont under-estimate the importance of flooring design. Other than working with other elements to complete the ambiance, the choice for flooring material contributes to the safety, comfort and durability of the built space. All flooring materials shall be commercial grade with slip resistance and stain resistance. Commercial grade materials are not always more costly, but definitely are more heavy duty and up to Ada codes. With creative patterns and uses, your commercial floor will add tremendous value to the over-all design and ambiance.

Lighting Design. (visual)

Lighting Plays a very important role in creating restaurant atmosphere. Well designed light sources will enhance the appearance of design elements, people and especially, your food. There are many types of light sources: fluorescent, halogen, recessed, pendants, track lights, neon lights, led lights, lighting panels, rope lights, programmed stage lighting and other custom lighting fixtures. Some are more energy saving while some are warmer, sharper, dimmer or brighter. Each type serves different functions in terms of lighting up your space. Our designers are specialized in designing restaurant lighting which may be unfamiliar to residential or other commercial designers outside of the field.

Ceiling Design (visual, audio)

Ceiling Design also plays a very important role in creating a pleasant restaurant atmosphere, because it defines the upper end of the ones visual sphere. Ceiling also helps to create sense of volume and scale in a space. Presenting a good sense of scale is very important in interior design. Objects that are too large will over power and intimidate human occupants while objects that are too small will create awkwardness and unbalanced visuals. A well designed ceiling will contribute to creating a pleasant space where people will enjoy occupying and moving through. A well designed ceiling will also enhence the acoustics and light reflections.

Acoustics. (audio)
A space with good acoustics are more social friendly. A space with good acoustics is not necessarily quieter, but is definitely more pleasant to the occupants hearing, because the sound is softer, and more absorbed. consequently, people are more likely to be able to hear each other clearer, and be able to enjoy their conversations more. Therefore, good acoustical design in very essential to the design of a successful restaurant, because restaurants are where people like to gather, talk to each other and enjoy their meals. Even for cafes and fine dining restaurants, musics can be played in softer tones and act as an elegant background to casual and relaxed conversations.

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