The lighting group Fordergemeinschaft has written extensively about lighting in restaurants. Their key points are that lighting relates to a patron's psychology and can affect moods. For light levels, the group recommends well-lit reception areas. For the dining room, the table should be well lit, but the rest of the room should be slightly dimmer. The reasoning behind this is since the food is the focal point, the tabletop should stand out.
Lighting placement is all important as well. You do not want lights to shine directly into a patron's eyes, but at the same time you want to illuminate very dim areas. A professional interior designer usually looks at the layout and places lights accordingly. For example, a wall may have an interesting painting, and light is directed to highlight it.
Designers use four basic types of artificial lighting to accommodate various areas of the restaurant, according to Thomas Quinn, a District Extension Leader for Resource Development at Michigan State University. Uplights shine light on areas above them, while downlights shine light below on focal features like tabletops or floors. Uplights and downlights can be either spotlights, which provide focused accent lighting, or floodlights, which provide less-intense lighting over a wider area.
Color, or tint, of the lights is another aspect that must be investigated by the owner. Michigan State University's Thomas Quinn notes that candlelight, with red to orange tints, makes food look more appealing. If the owner wants a relaxed atmosphere, softer orange, red and yellow lighting hues should be used. Bright white lighting encourages a stimulating atmosphere and a more fast-paced feel for high-traffic restaurants with quick customer turnover.
The lighting in the kitchen is completely different than the dining room. In the dining room, patrons should feel relaxed, partially achieved by artificial lighting. On the other hand, chefs, cooks and all personnel have to see what they are doing in the kitchen, behind the scenes. Lighting in the food preparation areas should be bright, with a neutral white color. This is so the true nature of the food on the plate is seen. The light in the kitchen should be functional and utilitarian.