Today, we are going to talk about coffee shop lighting. The purpose of coffee shop lighting is mainly to create a perfect atmosphere, which is the key to attracting customers and make them feel comfortable. It also plays a vital role in enhancing the aesthetics of the store and influencing customer behavior. In this article, we will explore 15 coffee shop lighting design tips to help you create a comfortable and attractive dining environment. Because the right lighting can not only make the coffee shop more attractive and warm, but also make customers want to stay in the store longer, whether they are working or relaxing.
1. Use a combination of multiple lighting types
Ideal cafe shop lighting usually consists of three types of lighting: top basic lighting, task lighting, and mood lighting.
Top basic lighting provides overall brightness, and ceiling lights and track lights can be considered. Task lighting is used in specific areas (such as counters or desktops), and chandeliers, spotlights, etc. can be selected. Mood lighting is used to highlight architectural details or decorations, and light strips, wall lamps, and floor lamps are used to create warm, relaxing, and photo-friendly corners.
Therefore, the combination of these types of lighting can give the cafe space a sense of hierarchy and depth. It also meets functional and emotional needs.
2. Choosing the color temperature of coffee shop lighting
When choosing the right LED lighting, we should also consider its color temperature. Because different color temperatures will bring different feelings to customers.
The main color of cafe lighting is warm light, especially the light source with a color temperature between 2700K-3000K, which can create a warm environment. It is especially suitable for the lounge area of the cafe, making customers feel relaxed and comfortable.
You can also choose bulbs that emit soft, slightly yellow light, which can fill the whole space with intimacy and make people want to stay there for a long time.
3. Maximise the use of natural light
During the day, we still recommend that you don’t need to turn on the lights. You need to make reasonable use of the large windows, patios or glass doors of the store. You can turn off the lights in some areas during the day to save energy.
Maximizing the use of natural light not only improves the overall brightness of the cafe, but also saves energy and creates a bright and pleasant atmosphere. Especially during the day, natural light allows customers to enjoy the tranquility and comfort brought by the sun.
Of course, if there are some areas where natural light cannot reach. We can use dimming spotlights or soft wall lights as fill light to improve the consistency of the brightness of the space.
4. Highlight the Coffee shop lighting counter area
The counter is the main area where customers place orders and interact, so lighting here is particularly important. Bright and clear lighting is needed at the counter to help customers easily view menus, display items and payment methods.
Pendant lights are a popular choice for counter areas in coffee shops because they can highlight the counter area without making the space too bright.
5. Use low-hanging lamps
In the dining area of the coffee shop, low-hanging lamps such as chandeliers or chandeliers can be used to create private seating areas. It is recommended to use frosted glass or metal shades to avoid glare
These lamps focus light downward, attracting customers’ attention and focusing on the small surrounding environment, creating a warm and private atmosphere. This arrangement is especially suitable for single tables or reading corners.
6. Avoid direct light in the eyes
No matter what lamps we choose, when we arrange the lighting in the seating area. Avoid using too bright or glaring lights to avoid making customers feel uncomfortable. It is recommended to choose soft lights, such as wall lamps.
Or choose lamps with shading hoods or beam angle control, such as honeycomb mesh lamp cups, frosted hoods, half-shaded wall lamps, etc.
Be sure to pay attention to the state of customers when dining and chatting, and whether they will feel uncomfortable.
7. Use high color rendering lights (CRI > 90)
Many people ignore the importance of CRI when choosing LED lights. In fact, with high-definition light with a CRI of more than 90, customers can clearly see the menu. It can also speed up the ordering process and improve customer satisfaction.
The color of desserts and drinks with high color rendering will greatly affect customers’ appetite. It is recommended to use LED light strips or recessed small spotlights with a color rendering index of more than 90 above the display area and menu to make the dessert color natural and attractive, and the menu font legible.
8. Use dimmers to adjust your lighting
Installing dimmers is a great option to adjust the lighting level based on the time of day or mood. It also saves energy and money on your electricity bill.
Use bright lights during busy mornings or dim them to create a cozy atmosphere in the evenings. This flexibility allows you to adapt to your customers’ needs and changing moods.
9. Hidden LED strip lights outline the outline
We can choose LED strip lights to decorate the coffee shop, which can enhance the visual design sense. Place hidden light strips at the edge of the ceiling, the groove of the wall, the bottom of the bar, the back of the bookshelf, etc., so that the light can quietly “flow”, outline the space outline, and increase the sense of layering.
We can consider bi-color temperature LED strip lights. RGB or CCT LED strips can also achieve color/color temperature changes to increase nighttime appeal.
10. Use colored lights to create a unique atmosphere
Whether your coffee shop is modern or creative, you can boldly consider using colored lights to create a unique atmosphere.
Soft blue or pink lights can add an unexpected creative element to the space while maintaining a comfortable atmosphere.
Colored LED lights are one of the best choices because they can easily switch different colors to add more variety. At the same time, they can also attract customers’ attention.
11. The entrance of the coffee shop should be bright
The entrance of the coffee shop lighting must be clean and bright. Use a backlit sign light or LED light box at the door head, and add underground lights or welcome lamp posts at the door to improve night recognition.
Avoid the entrance area being too dark, and make it bright and spacious. Let passers-by recognize your brand at a glance and create a first impression of “welcome”.
12. Keep the same lighting style in the restroom and walkway
The lighting of the restroom and walkway is also very important. Although it is an auxiliary space, the restroom and walkway also need to maintain the same overall style.
You can use waterproof wall lamps, small spotlights or recessed downlights to keep the color temperature and brightness coordinated with the main space to enhance brand integrity and user favorability.
13. Guide customers with lights
We need to remind the areas in the coffee shop so that customers who come in for the first time can get familiar with it as soon as possible, so that they will feel familiar and not unfamiliar.
This can guide customers to come to familiar places again and increase the time they stay. Be sure to use accent lighting to guide customers’ sight.
Use different light intensities or focal lighting in the path from the door → order counter → pick-up area → seating area to clarify the functional areas. Light strips can also be used to divide the queue route and navigation underfoot.
14. Light up your outdoor seating area with light strings
If your coffee shop has an outdoor seating area, don’t ignore the lighting design of this area. Light strings are a simple and fashionable way to create a warm atmosphere for the outdoor area.
Especially at night, light strings can attract many customers to rest and provide customers with a relaxing and pleasant outdoor dining environment.
15. Keep the style of lamps consistent
Lamps are not just lighting tools, but also part of the decoration and brand style. So we need to keep the style of lamps consistent.
Simple metal/wooden lamps are suitable for Nordic style, old copper chandeliers or Edison bulbs are suitable for retro style, and black pipe lamps are suitable for industrial style. A unified style can enhance customers’ brand memory.
Summary
Lighting design in coffee shop is essential to create atmosphere and enhance customer experience. So it is necessary to reasonably select and superimpose different types of lights, and combine warm tones and energy-saving lighting to create a comfortable and warm environment, so that customers can stay in the store longer and enjoy the food.
If you are considering choosing coffee shop lighting or designing from scratch, please choose our LED strip lights and LED neon tubes. We have an R25 360 degree Neon strip that is very suitable for coffee shop lighting and adds brilliance to your coffee shop!