Choose quality, not quantity, for foodservice lighting

Nation's Restaurant News, Oct 30, 1995 by Foster Frable, Jr.

One of the most important yet often under-utilized elements of a successful foodservice facility is the proper lighting. The positive or negative effects of lighting affect both dining and kitchen areas.

Properly designed foodservice lighting ensures that:

* The food is always presented in the most natural and positive light. That includes dessert displays, buffets, display kitchens and the dining environment.

* The guest feels comfortable and has his appearance enhanced.

* All guests, including those who are vision challenged, can read menus, signs on buffets, menu boards and so on.

* Preparation and cooking areas are well lit to ensure off-color product, and doneness is easily and correctly viewed.

* Lighting intensity should be consistent; significant changes in light levels are well baffled. One of the most objectionable dining experiences is to have a flash of bright light occur each time a kitchen door opens.

The quality of lighting is related to the temperature class of the lighting expressed in "Kelvin." In general, the higher the K[degree] rating, the more natural the lighting and the more positively the food is presented. One of the best lighting systems for food is defused tungsten incandescent lighting. Following very close to incandescent is halogen. Such bulb. have a longer life and usually lower energy requirements than do incandescent bulbs, and they are the light of choice for many new restaurant interiors. New halogen lamp technology continues to improve energy efficiency.

Energy-efficient fluorescent lighting is available in a variety of color temperatures, including some that almost equal the quality of incandescent or halogen lights. Unfortunately, the quality of color accuracy is directly related to cost. The most common and cheapest tubes are those with the poorest color rendition, and therein lies a dilemma for lighting specifiers. Since the high-quality, color-corrected fluorescent lamps can be from three to five times the cost of the lowest generic lamps, they are often replaced with cheaper bulbs, diminishing the light quality and color rendition.

Therefore unless you can fully control the relamping, it is safer to start with halogen and incandescent lights. Through creative design you can often achieve the same energy consumption with higher-temperature lights as with fluorescent.

Steps you can take to maximize the value and effect of lighting in your operation:

* Focus the lighting on the table tops, the food displays, the work areas, not on the walls, ceilings and floors. Soffit, cove and wall washer lights may provide architectural interest, but they usually prove too have little value in lighting the areas of primary importance. Track and adjustable recessed lighting provides flexibility and focus lacking with accent lighting.

Often the architectural or accent lighting is

in conflict with good display and merchandising

practice. For example, a common lighting technique

is to have fluorescent light under the overhang

or tray slides of buffets or cafeterias. That

approach focuses light on the floor, which in a

self-service area is the last place you want a customer's

eyes to focus.

* If a dining environment has low light levels, be very careful not to use display cases with exposed bulb fixtures that can cause a glare or bright spots in the room or food display. Wine-and-dessert display refrigerators, underbar lighting and so on often use inexpensive, low-grade fluorescent lights that emit a blue glow over the dining room. Insist that the cases be equipped with the newer low-temperature halogen lights; fiber optics, which eliminate heat completely in refrigerated display cases; or high-quality, color-corrected fluorescent tubes like those made by Promolux of Shawnigan Lake, British Columbia, Canada, (800) 519-1222.

* Display kitchens are a challenge since the light levels are usually higher than in the dining room. Lighting can be focused on work areas through recessed -- not surface-mounted -- incandescent fixtures in hoods and service areas. If fluorescent lighting is used over visible work areas, be sure they are completely hidden from the public views by soffits or bulkheads. At pickup stations install incandescent lighting strips under the overshelves. Most food warmers are available with optional lighting strips integrated into the fixtures.

* The challenge of properly lighting bar areas can be simplified by installing plug strips or "Plugmold" under the inside of the bar die. That allows plugging modular incandescent lights wherever the light is needed. Be sure to provide a switch and dimmer on the circuit to provide a single point of control.

* Dimmers allow a wide range of adjustment to provide different atmospheres depending on the time of day. They also allow high lighting levels for setup and cleanup. A new generation of programmable dimmers can be programmed to preset levels that require only a single touch of a button to change from lunch to dinner.

* If you must utilize fluorescent lighting to meet energy codes or standards, consider alternating fluorescent and incandescent or halogen lighting to achieve a blend of color temperature and rendition.