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Why So Many Restaurants Use A Red And Yellow Color Palette
What do McDonald's, Carl's Jr., Five Guys, and Chick-fil-A have in common? The easy answer is they're all fast food restaurants, but they share another common thread: Each chain uses a red and yellow color scheme. There are a ton of theories on why this is, but Chowhound spoke to Eddie Fahmy, franchise director of German kebab chain Döner Haus, to understand the true reasoning behind this phenomenon.
"There's an old myth that red and yellow are colors that make people hungry and want to eat more," Fahmy said. "But, if that's the case, then every restaurant that isn't those colors would be out of business. Choosing a color palette is more about continuity with the restaurant's branding without creating a dizzying look." The atmosphere of a restaurant does play a role in perceiving food differently, but the correlation is not so direct. Rather than decorating the interior with a ton of red and yellow décor and paint, the color of the food is actually more impactful when it comes to appeal and increasing appetite. A study published via Research Gate found that when participants were shown photos of food with either a warm (red, yellow, orange) or cool (blue, green, purple) tone, the majority went for the warm filter.
Read more: 12 Fast Food Burgers, Ranked
Color Psychology And Restaurant Color Palettes
It's true that exposure to the color red can increase your heart rate and make you feel excited, while yellow is generally thought of as pleasing and upbeat. These feelings and sensations don't directly translate to making you hungrier, though. Some studies that have analyzed this, such as one (via the National Library of Medicine) that showed participants images of food colored differently to see if it garnered more appeal, were inconclusive, stating that further research was needed.
When it comes to all of the best fast food chains in America, those using red and yellow know that, at the very least, these colors are bound to grab our attention. Stop signs are bright red after all, and it's the first thing we notice when driving. If you're driving and a big red fast food sign is on the side of the road, chances are you're going to look at it. Sometimes, a quick look is all restaurants need for you to make a split-second decision to stop for a burger.
Read the original article on Chowhound.
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