How Color Can Impact Your Restaurant

How color can impact your restaurant

Color is an important part of the retail and restaurant experience, according to Allan McNabb, founder of Image Building Media. “Color can be used to attract customers,” he said. “Bright, bold colors are more likely to get attention than soft, muted tones.”

Color can also indicate what a restaurant is trying to achieve. “For example, if you have a lot of reds and oranges in your restaurant, it might be because you want to create an atmosphere of celebration or excitement,” McNabb explained. “If you have bright greens, yellow and blue items on your menu, however, this might indicate you are trying to attract health-conscious customers by using these colors.”

Beyond creating an attention-grabbing atmosphere, color has the potential to increase your restaurant’s profits. It can influence how long customers stay, what they order and how much they spend. Here’s a look at how different color categories can impact your restaurant:

• Warm colors: Reds, oranges and yellows are energizing and stimulating. They can boost appetite and encourage conversation, making them ideal for fast-casual eateries and restaurants looking for a quick table turnover.
• Cool colors: Blues and greens have a calming effect. They can create a more relaxed atmosphere, ideal for fine dining establishments or cafes that encourage customers to linger.
• Neutrals: Whites, beiges and grays provide a clean and sophisticated backdrop. They can also be used to create a sense of spaciousness, which is beneficial for smaller restaurants.

Remember, colors work best in combination with one another. Consider using accent colors to add pops of personality or vibrancy or create a layered effect that balances stimulation and relaxation.

Here’s a breakdown of all the different color categories:

• Neutral: Whites, tans and light grays
• Earthy: Greens and browns
• Deep: Blues, purples and black
• Brights: Yellow and bright red
• Warm: Dark red, orange and brown

“Color subtly influences customers’ emotions, which is a significant driver of decision-making,” according to Kevin Huang, CEO of Ambient Home. “Knowing this, it makes sense to know which colors create certain feelings and use those colors judiciously in the appropriate areas of your restaurant.”

How to use color in your restaurant

From the first glance at your decor to the final bite off of a beautifully plated dish, you can use color to subtly influence customers and create the atmosphere of your choice.

Menus

Don’t underestimate the power of color on your menu. Warm hues like red, orange and yellow can trigger a person’s appetite. Think about using them for your signature items and premium dishes. Cooler colors like blue and green can create a calming ambiance, ideal for lighter fare or vegetarian options.

When it comes to color, it isn’t just about setting a mood on your menu, according to branding expert and marketing manager at The Big Phone Store, Brandon Wilkes. It can also be a strategic tool to highlight specific dishes or specials. Wilkes suggests using pops of color, such as red text for a particular dish, to grab diners’ attention subconsciously and make them more likely to order it.

Plating

Presentation is everything. Just like a well-written menu description can tantalize taste buds, the visual appeal of your dishes plays a huge role in a diner’s first impression. Consider using color strategically on the plate itself. Think of vibrant sauces against a neutral backdrop or colorful garnishes that pop against a monochromatic plate. Remember, color on the plate isn’t just about aesthetics — it can also be a creative way to tie your dishes to your overall restaurant theme.

“Color can be used to create a cohesive look or to add a personal touch [to table settings],” Wilkes said. “For example, using a specific color scheme for the tablecloths and napkins can create a polished look while adding a colorful table runner or placemats can add a bit of personality.”

Decor

Color plays a starring role in your restaurant’s decor, setting the mood and influencing customers’ dining experience. White walls are a popular base for their clean and airy feel, but don’t be afraid to add decorative accents that add interest and variety. Try vibrant artwork that reflects your brand identity, cheerful potted plants that add a touch of nature or unique decorative pieces that tie into your color scheme. Remember, color isn’t about overwhelming the space — it’s about using accents to tell your restaurant’s story and create a memorable atmosphere.

Best practices for using color

Now that you’ve explored the color palette possibilities, let’s navigate the do’s and don’ts. We’ll dive into best practices for using color in your restaurant, including knowing which colors to avoid, which ones to embrace and when it’s OK to throw out those rules in favor of what works for your design vision.

Know what colors to avoid.

Restaurant owners should avoid blues and purples for company branding, dining rooms and plate presentations. In addition to blues and purples, restaurant owners should avoid using overly bright or neon-like colors, such as bright yellow, orange or green. These can bombard the diner and create a rushed, anxious feeling. Rosalin Anderson, chief branding officer for Just Salad, said that it’s important not to overdo your decor with overly vibrant colors.

“We avoid using high-energy colors, such as orange, red, neon colors, etc., as they vibrate to the eye and can be unsettling, especially with food,” she emphasized.

Color psychology can get tricky, but the overall idea is that extremely bright, vibrant colors create a sense of urgency and speed in your restaurant that may go too far and cause distress.

Know how to break the rules.

As with any good design rule, there are some exceptions. An example of a brand properly using blue or purple is Just Salad, which features navy blue in its logo to give a relaxing and professional feel. “We use a saturated navy blue for our logo to further differentiate ourselves from our competitors that use a lot of green,” Anderson said.

Another great example is The Taco Stand, a taqueria inspired by the taco stands of Tijuana. Julian Hakim, founder of The Taco Stand, said that vibrant colors help relay the cultural feel of the restaurant.

“Vibrant and lively colors paint a ‘fun’ place image in someone’s mind,” Hakim said in an email. “The Taco Stand intends to recreate what it feels like to eat in Mexico at a taqueria. It’s casual, vibrant and fun.”

Knowing when to break the rules can take your restaurant to the next level.

Know what colors work well.

Outside of blues and purples, just about every other color ─ if used properly ─ can be incorporated to create an ideal restaurant experience. In the case of Just Salad, Anderson said that calming colors are ideal for a restaurant focused on a healthy lunch or dinner option.

“Classic colors will be timeless and elegant ─ soft whites, grays and taupes make for a good base and then you can add one or two fun colors as an accent for contrast,” she said. “We strategically use calming colors (gray and taupe interiors) to offset the ordering experience, which during the lunch rush can be hectic.”

Think about your brand.

The best thing you can do as a restaurant owner is think about your restaurant and how you want your diners to feel when they are eating there. Set a clear goal and think about how design, color and layout can get you closer to the feeling you want to evoke.

As you begin to research, think about color and how it will impact your restaurant design, try not to overdo it. “There’s a line to be drawn,” Hakim said. “You can easily overdo it and saturate a place with unnecessary images and colors, which will lead to a place feeling like they tried too hard and have no concept at all.”

Avoid this by doing the right research and building color into your brand, not the other way around. Color should accent a diner’s overall experience ─ it shouldn’t be the main event.

A big part of branding is consistency across the restaurant’s website design, social platforms and logos. Select a few colors that match well together and use them in the right places so those colors become associated with your restaurant. Some of the best restaurant point-of-sale systems also allow you to customize the color and design of what your customer sees when placing an online order or checking out with a tablet at the table.

Consider other factors.

Color is only part of the equation for your restaurant, so think about how it will fit into your overall restaurant idea. This should include decor, location and other important factors.

“Your surroundings play a big role in how you feel. Being in a lively place with lots of color sets your mind up for a fun experience,” Hakim said. “Have a clear concept in mind and execute it. It’s easy to want to incorporate 100 different ideas and bring them all into one space, but that is dangerous. The key is in the details and, many times, less is more.”

Experiment.

Once you have a clear strategy in mind, start incorporating different design elements into your restaurant and see how your guests react. Leo Kremer, co-founder of Dos Toros Taqueria, said his restaurant is currently changing some of the design elements in its Chicago and New York City locations. Kremer emphasized approaching a redesign with a certain flexibility.

“You can test it and if you paint your wall white and it’s the wrong color white, you can repaint it,” he said. “These decisions aren’t set in stone … I think people feel like they make a decision and they’re stuck with that result whether they like it or not and that’s not always the case.”

While color is an important aspect of your restaurant and the customers’ dining experience, your whole business doesn’t hinge on it. If you’re just starting out or thinking about changing your restaurant’s interior or rebranding, research and think critically about the look and feel of your restaurant. Color should contribute to an overall atmosphere. Achieving that feeling and showcasing that atmosphere should be your ultimate goal.

Matt D’Angelo and Jennifer Post contributed to this article. ​​Source interviews were conducted for a previous version of this article.