If you've tried all the typical strategies to increase your profits and nothing's working, you may be surprised to learn that your lighting could be holding you back. The right lighting can boost sales in a number of ways, boosting your bank balance in turn. Before you call in a qualified commercial electrician to handle your lighting renovations, take a look at these 3 tips that will light the way to better café profits.

Better Lighting for Cooking

Whether you're making sandwiches or baking pastries at your café, it's important that your light your food preparation area well. Poor lighting can lead to a range of problems that affect sales. If you can't properly see what you're doing, you could misread a scale, get eggshell in your cake batter, put the wrong toppings on a baguette, and much more. The main cause of poor food prep lighting is relying on overhead lights alone. While they may be able to brighten large spaces, they can also cast shadows on the food you're preparing when you lean over it. For the best results, you need lighting on multiple levels—overhead and on the walls above your counters. This will reduce shadows and, thus, reduce mistakes made while cooking.

Better Lighting for Sales

If you have pre-prepared food on display in your café, you need to light it well if you want customers to buy it. Poorly lit food can look very unappetising, and shadows are easily mistaken for mould and bruising. The wrong lighting colour can also be a problem, making snacks and dishes look they're nearing expiry. To combat these issues, make sure your display case is brightly lit from multiple angles to ensure that food can be seen in all its glory without shadows. On top of that, select the right colouration for the food you're selling. For example, warm white lighting can make sandwich bread and pastries look crispy, fresh and delicious. Fresh salads, on the other hand, look better under a more neutral lighting temperature.

Better Lighting for Preservation

The wrong lighting doesn't just make foods look like they've gone bad. In some circumstances, it can actually make the food go bad, and customers who buy expired or stale food from you are unlikely to return to spend more money. Certain menu items in your café might be on display all day, so it's important to choose lighting that doesn't accelerate the deterioration process. Look for specialist LED bulbs for fresh food when choosing display lighting. These lights are specially made to reduce oxidation and discolouration as well as preserve nutrients and yummy aromas.

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