Faculty & Research
Examining the Effects of Full-Spectrum Lighting in a Restaurant
Vol 7 No 12
By: Stephani K. A. Robson and Sheryl E. Kimes Ph.D.
Executive Summary: A simple test of full-spectrum light found that changing the lamps in a restaurant's dining room had no noticeable effect on diners' purchases or the length of time at table. The study was motivated by the common perception that full-spectrum light increases people's sense of well-being, which should, in turn, result in behavioral changes. With the cooperation of a table-service restaurant that has two similar dining rooms, the study involved changing the lights in one of those dining rooms. With the lamps replaced, the researchers compared average checks and meal durations between the dining rooms, and also compared the main dining room sales when it had regular incandescent light with sales during the full-spectrum light test. None of the comparisons showed any difference between the regular lighting and the full-spectrum lighting with regard to customers' purchases. Because the change to full-spectrum light in this study was intentionally subtle to conform to the operator's needs, future research should involve a more controlled study that also manipulates and takes into account changes in the brightness of the light. However, the results of this study do not support claims that full-spectrum light affects diners' activities.
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- Examining the Effects of Full-Spectrum Lighting in a Restaurant By: Stephani K. A. Robson and Sheryl E. Kimes Ph.D.
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Other Reports or Articles You May Find of Interest
- Short-term Liquidity Measures for Restaurant Firms: Static Measures Don't Tell the Full Story, by Linda Canina and Steven Carvell
- The Effects of Organizational Standards and Support Functions on Guest Service and Guest Satisfaction in Restaurants, by Alex M. Susskind, K. Michele Kacmar, and Carl P. Borchgrevink
- Restaurant Capacity Effectiveness: Leaving Money on the Tables, by Gary M. Thompson
About Stephani K. A. Robson
Stephani Robson, senior lecturer, worked for several years in restaurants and retail food operations in her native Canada before deciding to pursue a college degree in the field. She graduated from the School of Hotel Administration in 1988, and began her career as a foodservice designer with Cini-Little International and subsequently with Marrack Watts in Toronto, Ontario. As a professional foodservice designer, she has designed kitchen facilities for hotels, restaurants, airports, hospitals, universities and catering halls. She joined the school’s faculty in 1993; and in 1999, she completed a master of science degree in Human-Environment Relations from Cornell’s Department of Design and Environmental Analysis. Her academic interests and current doctoral studies center on how environments affect preferences and behavior, with a particular focus on hospitality settings. She is a specialist in restaurant design psychology, and has presented and published her research in a wide range of industry and academic forums around the world.
For more information visit http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/facultybios/faculty.html?id=68
About Sheryl E. Kimes Ph.D.
Dr. Sheryl E. Kimes is a professor of operations management at the School of Hotel Administration. From 2005–2006, she served as interim dean of the Hotel School and from 2001-2005, she served as the school’s director of graduate studies. Kimes teaches restaurant revenue management, yield management and food and beverage management. She has been named the school’s graduate teacher of the year three times. Her research interests include revenue management and forecasting in the restaurant, hotel and golf industries. She has published over 50 articles in leading journals such as Interfaces, Journal of Operations Management, Journal of Service Research, Decision Sciences, and the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly. She has served as a consultant to many hospitality enterprises around the world, including Chevy’s FreshMex Restaurants, Walt Disney World Resorts, Ruby’s Diners, Starwood Asia-Pacific and Troon Golf. Kimes earned her doctorate in Operations Management in 1987 from the University of Texas at Austin.
For more information visit http://www.hotelschool.cornell.edu/research/facultybios/faculty.html?id=43
