A study by Gueguen and Petr (2006) studied the effects different smells have on how much time and money people spend in restaurants. Instead of observing the effect the smell of food had on people, they observed the effects the smell of lavender had. A small pizzeria in France, was where the experiment took place on three Saturdays during the month of May. Three different experimental conditions were tested, the first with no aroma was dispersed other than that coming from the food being served. The second, the smell of lemon was diffused into the atmosphere of the restaurant and the third lavender.
When lemon used the amount of money spent increased but not by a statistically significant amount, but when the scent of lavender was used not only did the spending per person increased from 17.5 Euros to 21.1 Euros on average, but so did the average amount of time spent in the restaurant from 91.3 minutes to 105.7 minutes. In busy restaurants, owners often want a high throughput of diners. More covers equals more cash and more lavender equals more cash intake but people drinking coffee with the sent of lavender in the air is not necessarily going to increase profits. For small restaurants and cafes that are mostly empty the sent of lavender might help increase their profits in the poor economy.
Gueguen, N., & Petr, C. (2006). Odors and consumer behavior in a restaurant. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 25, 335-339.
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