Good restaurants are already full of pleasant aromas – roasting steaks, freshly baked bread, an open bottle of quality red wine, and other goodies – so how can the aromatization of restaurants make any sense? In general, the natural ability of food and drink to produce pleasant aromas means that it is better to leave the main dining room and kitchen without aromatization in terms of smell. However, there are also parts separated from the main restaurant in many restaurants that could benefit from subtle improvement – subtle is a pretty flexible word in this context.
Let’s say you run a steak house with a separate bar decorated in dark wood and leather and has a classic atmosphere. Adding the light scent of whiskey and tobacco to this environment can create the right atmosphere. Similarly, for a place called “Pink Room,” a delicate floral bouquet will be the right one.
We all love pleasant-smelling places, and research has confirmed that we associate scents with specific locations, products, and experiences. Have you ever smelled any scent from your childhood that induced a flood of memories? We shape lasting memories through the olfactory dimension, which is why hotels, resorts, and other traders aromatize their environment.
Restaurants can also use this technology to better connect with their customers. However, the opposite is true: studies also show that if a person experiences a foul odor in one place, they never want to return. Smell and purity go hand in hand. A bad-smelling toilet is associated with “dirtiness.” According to a survey conducted by Harris, 86% of US adults said that cleanliness in restaurant toilets reflects the degree of cleanliness in the kitchen.
And most restaurants have a strategic rule to neutralize odors in toilets, smoking facilities, waste facilities, etc. Often these places are too close to the dining areas of the restaurants and these odors to get inside.
Many restaurant managers do their best to eliminate these odors by suppressing them, using ineffective aerosol sprays, “plug-in” air fresheners, etc. These outdated technologies are problematic. Armed with an aerosol spray can, a customer or employee with a “heavy hand” can actually damage the environment and scare off the diners, especially the more sensitive ones, by overly spraying. This is partly due to allergens and/or harmful organic vapors often found in these products. In addition, from an operational point of view, employees routinely neglect to service these devices, and the empty aroma containers are often not even supplemented or replaced.
By contrast, advanced aroma technologies allow restaurant owners to vary the scent intensity as needed, thanks to professional aroma diffusers. These provide the ability to neutralize odors at the molecular level instead of forcibly suppressing them.
Modern technologies, such as the professional diffuser, can replace up to 10 traditional toilet air fresheners. The device is precisely programmable to the size of the room and even to the area around the entrance so that it produces a scent that removes odors and, at the same time, is not intrusive. This can be achieved thanks to patented technology and fragrances designed mainly to “erase” unwanted odors, just as headphones eliminate unwanted noise in aircraft.
Micro-droplet technology, unlike outdated technologies, allows these devices to create a consistent and even fragrant effect. Microdroplets are much smaller than the diameter of human hair, allowing them to float like clouds. The micro-droplets are also converted into very low concentrations of air-purifying particles (one in a million). In other words, no liquid residue in the air.
Will aromatization ever be as important for restaurants as, say, fitness centers or hotels? Some restaurants are satisfied that the aroma of their premises is created by the smell of coffee, cake, bacon, or other food and drink. However, as outlined above, a clever approach to aromatizing such spaces can be a strategic step for restaurant managers who want to protect the brand and remain competitive.
Author: Robert Barnett
Source: modernrestaurantmanagement.com
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