restaurant development + design is a user-driven resource for restaurant professionals charged with building new locations and remodeling existing units.
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"Little by little, we are switching over because there is an energy-cost savings, but also a maintenance one," says Am- ber Moshakos, president of LM Restau- rants, operator of 9 restaurant concepts including the 25-unit Carolina Ale House. "Our buildings are big, and not having to get on a ladder or lift to change lightbulbs is a huge savings for us. It's great to know we're doing something to help the environment as well." Carolina Ale House also looks to maximize natural light, a concept some refer to as daylighting, to reduce lighting costs. Its fagship location in Raleigh, N.C., for instance, features a retractable roof in order to enable rooftop dining and open up the restaurant with more natural light. "We want open, airy and natural lighting, but at the same time we have to balance it with our televisions," Mosha- kos says. "It's a delicate play because we have to match the lighting coming through the windows. Lighting is one of those things in this business that's all about the detailing." The Trick is in the Details Getting the detailing right is a central theme that weaves design and technol- ogy together. Paul Gregory and his team helped to do the lighting redesign of New York City's Tavern on the Green, located in Central Park. In the outdoor courtyard, a new design was necessary due to the city's removal of several London plane trees, which had been wrapped in thou- sands of twinkling lights. To keep the nature element in place, Gregory and his team strung together 500 LED chande- lier bulbs to make it appear as if the roof of a tent is over the outdoor courtyard. "We needed to create something that was the centerpiece — beautiful and better than what was there before," he says. "We were trying to create a memorable image. If we can create an emotion in the diner, the memory is stronger." While the Tavern on the Green provides a naturally theatrical setting in which to feature such creative lighting systems, Gregory advises restaurant operators to view their own locations in the same way — namely as a stage where light can bounce off tables to create the kind of atmosphere each restaurant operator wants to convey. "We analyze all of the impressions a restaurant can make, and then we add the task of sitting at a table and looking at the person across from us," Gregory says. "In theater, you make the performer of the show look beautiful, and that's the same kind of thing you do with someone at the table. The person should be more impor- tant than the surroundings. It's lighting a person as if they are an actor on a stage, and that's the key to real success." "Lighting, at its best, is something you don't explicitly notice. It adds to the environment and creates a mood and ambiance that is pleasant," Albert adds. "The only way you get there is by really close collaboration with the entire design team. It's about the dance between the different design disciplines all moving toward the same goal." + Our exclusive Cross-Sheen ® easy-clean finish effortlessly protects from scuffs, stains, even graffiti, allowing the day's dirt to wipe free with just mild cleanser and water. Permanently invisible and available on most any Crossville ® tile—including our classically rectilinear Shades and traffic-friendly Main Street Porcelain Stone ® collections—it's a smart surface solution that lets your style shine. Meet Hand in Glove from the Ready to Wear Collection Distinctly American. Advantageously Crossville. CrossvilleInc.com | 931-456-3136 US ADVANTA