A professional restaurant owner will be the first to tell you that the atmosphere is probably at least half of the reason people are drawn to a certain place to eat. They'll probably also agree that lighting is crucial and essential for creating just the right warmth and ambiance for any restaurant. Whether your establishment is elegant, fun, whimsical, or romantic, decorating your restaurant with several different types of lights will not only draw in customers, but will get them talking to their friends and keep them coming back time and again just for the atmosphere (assuming your food is good too!).

What else says all American like excellent BBQ? Well, red, white and blue lights spell American too, right? Some restaurants that specialize in down home BBQ decorate their place with red, white, and blue lights year round. For outdoor decks and patio areas, C7 and C9 lights are a fantastic choice. You can choose from clear or opaque, depending on the amount of light you want in any given area. Inside the restaurant, decorate with individual color strands of mini lights. String them along large mirrors behind the bar, along a buffet table laden with delicious ribs and wings, or in artificial trees placed throughout your establishment. They would look fantastic and cast a soft, yet festive light when strung along the top of the ceiling around the main seating areas.

Restaurants typically take on longer hours to accommodate their customers throughout the busy holiday months. This is a time that can prove to be very expensive when decorating with lights, unless you use LED mini lights. These lights don't take as much power and they stay cool during long periods of use. Decorate your outside foliage, fountains, patios, trellises, banisters, and foyers with white mini lights to give your restaurant that extra special touch during the holidays and then continue to use them throughout the year for a festive and romantic atmosphere.

Do you have trees lining a path leading into your restaurant? Consider lighting your trees with C7 or C9 lights in your choice of colors, and you'll instantly transform the curb appeal of your restaurant. Tree trunks will look bright and inviting when wrapped with white mini lights.

The C7 and C9 bulbs come in strings of twinkle lights as well and work well for lining the path itself into your restaurant. Do you have pillars in front? Wind these pretty lights around the pillars and watch your guests' faces light up as they approach. Mini white lights work well for smaller bushes or foliage around your establishment.

Inside a restaurant, your customers look for a certain atmosphere when they arrive. Use white mini lights to outline a ceiling, around a fireplace, or in small artificial trees throughout the seating area. Buffet tables are stunning when adorned with mini lights, or C7 lights.

For cafe style seating out of doors, consider outlining the umbrellas above your tables with mini lights. If you have wrought iron fencing surrounding your seating area, wrap or intertwine mini lights along the length of the fence to create a warm and romantic atmosphere; one that your customers will likely not want to leave.

Imagination goes a long way when it comes to decorating your restaurant with lights. Try your ideas and then be seated in your own restaurant, eat a meal, and then decide if you need to make changes or leave the lights as they are. It might even be fun to have family and friends in for a night of great food and a big lighting ceremony. Get their opinions and then decorate your restaurant beautifully with all kinds of lights.