As I was sitting at a table in Kerbey Lane around 1:30 or so on Saturday night (or perhaps more accurately Sunday morning), I wondered what had drawn me there. Certainly it had to do a lot with the fact that it’s open around the clock, but is that the only reason it’s frequented by hundreds of college students at all hours of the night? I came to the obvious conclusion that I was mainly there for some delicious queso; however, almost as important was the restaurant’s comfortable environment. Kerbey is always full of energy, yet paradoxically provides a place to relax at the same time. It has a cozy diner feel, but has enough rooms, nooks, and booths to seem somewhat private if one is looking for conversation. I then realized just how important the atmosphere and setup of a restaurant is, and thought back to our class discussion on the matter. Kerbey Lane is a restaurant that invites you in for a long visit, but in a society driven by convenience many eateries fail to do the same. For instance, I for some reason feel obligated to eat quickly and then leave if I’m eating at any of the Asian restaurants on the drag. I decided to consider why this might be, and the answers came almost as fast as their food. The service is speedy, the lighting is fairly bright, and the tables are positioned close together. Though these restaurants feel nothing like a cafeteria, these particular aspects of the establishments do to some degree seem oddly familiar. Perhaps this is what subconsciously compels me to get in and out in a timely manner. Restaurant environment affects customers more than they can imagine. Unless the features are striking though, such as a fountain at an expensive Italian place, or a playscape at a McDonalds, one doesn’t necessarily associate certain surroundings with the restaurants he or she frequents, but I think the atmosphere influences people in countless unseen ways.
