The atmosphere of a restaurant can make or break the success of the establishment. A restaurant can have the greatest food in the world, but if it is a bland and boring place to eat, no one is going to want to come back. Setting an atmosphere is going to do three things for the restaurant. It is going to help bring customers back and attract new customers, it is going to keep guests at the restaurant longer, and it is going to make the food taste that much better.
Bringing in Customers
Customers want to be a part of something that is considered to be socially enjoyable. If you have a restaurant that has that neighborhood atmosphere, people are going to want to spend time there. This is going to bring back customers on a more frequent basis. In turn, these customers will begin to bring in new people with them as well. Restaurants that are the most successful grow through basic word of mouth. This positive word of mouth typically stems from the great nights that people have had there. No one is going to bring their friends to a restaurant they had a terrible time at.
Keeping Customers Around Longer
Contrary to belief, restaurants want customers to hang around for as long as possible. Many people think restaurants are all about turning over tables. Getting customers in, getting them fed, and getting them out. This is far from the truth with the most successful restaurants. The successful ones want guests to stick around so that they take part in getting drinks, socializing, and really amplifying that family environment that so many restaurants try to artificially create. If it is encouraged at the restaurant, these positive vibes are going to be naturally created and the great atmosphere will be born.
Making All of the Food Taste Better
When people are happy at the time their meal arrives, chances are they are going to like their meal that much more. Happiness makes everything taste better. Chances are if you ate a meal at your home alone and then ate the same meal at a fun and energetic restaurant, you are going to think the meal tasted better at the restaurant. This is because of all of the perks that go along with being in such a wonderful land enjoyable environment. This does not mean that the food can be junk, it simply means that good food is going to taste that much better.
Restaurant atmosphere cannot be forced. It has to be born starting with the owners and fed down through the staff and to the customers. This cycle is what is going to organically create an energetic and infectious atmosphere in any restaurant of sheer happiness. The end result is a group of customers who will help you as a restaurant grow. They will want to hang out there for the laughter and smiles, as well as the tremendous food that is served.