Some time ago, I was talking with the owner of a restaurant who told me that they could not adjust the temperature of the air conditioning and that their establishment was too cold. They explained the employees were always happy because having low temperatures when they had to walk so much would get them less tired; however, female customers who came to the restaurant complained about how uncomfortable the icy environment was and didn’t want to come back a second time. Their concern was that they didn’t know whether to leave the low temperature to make their team more comfortable and perform better, or to make the place warmer so that customers would return.
From the point of view of neurogastronomy, we can give many recommendations on this topic. The main one would be that the temperature should range between 21 and 23º Celsius. This way you will have a pleasant climate that favors both clients and employees.
That said, a study published in 2018 offers us a revealing answer about what the ideal setting is depending on the type of food we offer in our establishment. After analyzing the final results, it was concluded that a warm environment promotes the consumption of low-calorie foods with a delicate flavor, such as salads and sushi. On the contrary, a cold environment would promote the desire to eat tasty dishes such as pizza or French fries. This is very interesting and revealing and it is thought that this occurs through a process of self-regulation of body temperature generated by the subconscious of the diner.
Now that we know this, it’s time to adjust the thermostat in our restaurant, encourage our customers to enjoy our experience in a more pleasant way and that all staff feel comfortable and willing to meet the business objectives.
We co-created this content with @neurogastronomo to help your business grow.