Modern lighting concepts for the catering trade

In the restaurant, good food and modern gastronomic design come together to create a successful evening. A professional lighting concept creates an ambience that invites you to linger and return. The restaurant lighting uses a sophisticated mix of direct and indirect lighting.

Areas of application

Restaurant & guest room

Flicker-free, pleasant light is used in the guest area of the restaurant to create privacy in the public area. Selected light colors & intensities also set the perfect stage for the dishes. Lights.ie Professional recommends color rendering values of at least Ra 90 and illuminances of around 200 lux. In addition, the lighting in the restaurant - if dimmable - is optimally prepared for changing scenarios such as celebrations.

Bar and counter

Especially in bars and cafés, the first contact with the guest is established and communicated at the bar and counter. LED trunking lights are an example of an illumination that is engaging right from the start. Either on the underside of the worktop, in a recess in the lower part of the counter or behind translucent materials such as opal glass or acrylic glass.

Outdoor lighting for driveway and grounds

Attractive exterior lighting is an integral part of the restaurant's lighting concept, as it is the first thing a guest notices. As a rule, guests also decide whether a restaurant is worth a visit based on their external impression. Among other things, path lights also provide more safety for guests and staff.

Outdoor lighting for patio and garden

The exterior lighting of the restaurant reflects the identity of the interior spaces. Plain building facades can be visually enhanced with design-oriented gastronomy lighting. We also recommend luminaires made of stainless steel, which can withstand extreme weather conditions and are corrosion-resistant and easy to clean.

Kitchen

The lights in the kitchen are exposed to hot grease, vapors and high temperatures. Moisture-proof lights with IP code IP54 are therefore the minimum. For reasons of convenient use of the lighting, we recommend group-switchable and dimmable lights and a color rendering of Ra ≥ 90 for perfect food preparation.

Toilets

Guest toilets are essential for restaurants if they serve alcoholic beverages, are larger than 50 m² and/or have more than 50 seats. Functional bathroom lighting in the restaurant's toilet area ensures that guests are completely satisfied.

Our recommendations

Legal requirements

As with any public or commercial location, clearly defined regulations also apply to lighting in the catering industry to ensure that guests and employees can stay there safely. Workplace regulation A 3.4 and DIN EN 12464-1, among others, are important. These are recommended for lighting in the restaurant:

100 lux: Corridors
200 lux: entrance, dining room, toilets
300 lux: cash desk and buffet

In pubs and bars, illuminance below 100 lux is part of the concept. This makes it clear that the right lighting in restaurants cannot be calculated using formulas, but is designed as an overall lighting concept that reflects the identity of the restaurant.

A general rule: the higher the rooms, the higher the mounting of the lights and the more powerful and numerous the light sources.

Technical aspects of good lighting

Restaurant lamps ideally have a CRI > 90 to make food look delicious. A comfortable color temperature of 1,200 - 2,700 Kelvin underlines the feel-good ambience in the catering area. A highly dynamic light image that guides the eye is particularly appealing and pleasing to the eye. One example is a strikingly illuminated bar back wall and a discreet seating and lounge area.

To the matching light selection

Lighting design for gastronomy & restaurants

Lights.ie Professional has been working very closely with the coffee house chain "Coffee Fellows" for several years. Even in smaller cafés, as can be seen here in Braunschweig, for example, professional lighting design creates an atmospheric ambience and a cozy atmosphere.

To our reference projects