Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/117069
Foster Frable Focus on Quality not Quantity in Foodservice and Retail Lighting By Foster Fr able, Cleven ger Fr able LaVallee foster f@ cfldesign .com ne of the most important, yet often underutilized, elements of a successful foodservice facility is proper lighting. Properly designed foodservice and retail lighting assures that food is always presented in the most natural light. This includes dessert displays, buffets, display kitchens, and the dining environment itself. It assists guests in reading menus, signs on buffets and menu boards, as well as keeps preparation and cooking areas well lit to assure off-color product and doneness of food is easily and correctly viewed. In essence, the quality of lighting can not only significantly affect the dining experience, but also either handicap or help those in the back of the house working to add to that experience. The quality of lighting is related to the temperature class of lighting expressed in ���Kelvin��� metrics. In general, the higher the ���K��� rating, the more natural the lighting, meaning the food is presented attractively. For many years, one of the best lighting choices for presenting food has been defused tungsten incandescent and halogen. Unfortunately, while some of the newer halogen bulbs have a longer life and lower energy requirements than incandescent, they are far less energy efficient than florescent and LED lighting. Energy-efficient florescent lighting is available in a variety of color temperatures, including some that almost equal the quality of incandescent or halogen. However, the downside is that the color accuracy is directly related to cost. For example, the most common and least expensive tubes have the poorest color rendition, which is a dilemma for lighting specifiers. Since the high-quality O 38 FEDA New s & View s color corrected florescent lamps can be three to five times the cost of the lowest generic lamps, they are often replaced with cheaper bulbs, diminishing the light quality and color rendition. Therefore, unless your customer can fully control the re-lamping, the result is a mixture of lighting colors that diminishes the guest experience in the front of house and makes it more difficult to view or inspect food in storage or food preparation. The Evolution of LED About 10 years ago, a radical new type of light was introduced that promised exceptional bulb life and unequalled energy savings. Developed using clusters of individual solid state LED (Light Emitting Diodes), these bulbs first came to market at an exceptionally high cost. For example, eight-watt LED bulbs that matched a 40-watt incandescent light were first marketed at costs ranging from $60-80 per bulb. At this price, the cost recovery from energy savings was 10 years or more, which was clearly not an economical choice. The only applications for these lamps in architectural or foodservice lighting were for locations where access required scaffolding or work lift���where the cost in installation was more valuable than the lamp. A series of improvements, however, have led to an explosion in foodservice applications over the past five years. LED lighting has evolved from strips of single bulbs to clusters packaged in a single bulb. They can be purchased at continued on page 40 Steps to Maximizing the Value and Effect of Lighting in Your Showroom and Customers��� Facilities: ��� Focus the lighting on table tops, food displays and work areas, not the walls, ceilings and floors. Soffit, cove and wall washer lights may provide architectural interest, but they don���t provide proper lighting to the areas of primary importance. Customers shouldn���t have to use flashlights to read a menu. Track and adjustable recessed lighting provide flexibility and focus that���s lacking in accent lighting. ��� Architectural or accent lighting is often in conflict with good display and merchandising practice. For example, a common technique is florescent lighting under the overhang or tray slides of buffets or cafeterias. This concentrates light on the floor, which in a self-service area is the last place you want a customer���s eye to focus. ��� If a dining environment has low light levels, be careful not to use display continued on page 40