Client: Mendocino Farms
Location: Multiple locations across California
At Mendocino Farms, the mission is simple: Eat Happy. With their fresh ingredients, flavorful menu items, and welcoming atmosphere, Mendocino Farms offers more than just a meal—it’s a place where community and creativity come together. As they expanded across California, Mendocino Farms recognized the importance of creating an environment that mirrors their culinary philosophy—a space that’s vibrant, welcoming, and engaging. That’s where CLI Design stepped in.
Working with Mendocino Farms on multiple locations, we collaborated to design lighting solutions that enhance their brand identity and create the perfect dining experience. From highlighting their fresh food to fostering an inviting atmosphere, CLI Design was proud to help bring their vision to life.
Project Goals
Mendocino Farms’ approach is all about creating a community-driven dining experience, one that invites guests to explore new flavors and engage with the space. The goal for this lighting project was to enhance the welcoming atmosphere while aligning with the restaurant’s vibrant identity. A balanced, dynamic lighting design was needed to support multiple functions—whether customers were enjoying a casual meal with friends or discovering new menu items in a relaxed, energizing environment.
The challenge? To bring the restaurant’s unique ambiance to life with lighting solutions that worked across various spaces, ensuring consistency between locations while maintaining each restaurant’s distinct atmosphere.
Lighting Strategy: Enhancing the Mendocino Experience
1. Creating a Welcoming Ambiance with Warm Lighting
At CLI Design, we understand the importance of lighting in creating a warm, inviting environment. For Mendocino Farms, we utilized warm color temperatures (around 3000K) to ensure that the dining areas had a comfortable, cozy feel. This subtle warmth encouraged customers to relax, linger, and connect with one another—key elements of the Mendocino Farms experience.
In high-traffic areas like countertops and service areas, we used brighter lights to ensure the space felt energized without being harsh. This approach helped foster an inviting yet dynamic atmosphere, with lighting that could easily transition throughout the day.
2. Accentuating the Food and Design with Task Lighting
Food is the heart of Mendocino Farms, and we wanted to highlight the fresh, vibrant ingredients that define their menu. To do so, we integrated task lighting in key areas such as display counters, food preparation areas, and menu boards. Track lights and pendant fixtures were strategically placed to accentuate the fresh food offerings, ensuring that each dish was beautifully illuminated, inviting customers to explore the menu with curiosity and delight.
3. Incorporating Stylish and Functional Fixtures
Mendocino Farms’ brand is characterized by its focus on creativity and unexpected flavor combinations, and it was essential that the lighting design reflect this aesthetic. Stylish fixtures that married function and design were key to elevating the atmosphere while complementing the modern yet rustic décor of the space. The lighting design was chosen to integrate seamlessly with the spaces’ open layouts, contemporary lines, and playful throwback elements, reinforcing Mendocino Farms’ unique brand identity across locations.
4. Flexible Lighting Controls for Dynamic Spaces
As Mendocino Farms continues to evolve, their lighting design needs to adapt as well. Smart lighting controls were incorporated into the design, allowing staff to adjust the lighting based on the time of day, customer traffic, or specific events. Whether transitioning from a busy lunch rush to a quieter evening shift or adjusting the ambiance for private events or seasonal promotions, adaptive lighting gives the staff full control over the space.
Challenges and Solutions
With multiple locations across California, each Mendocino Farms restaurant had its unique characteristics. Some spaces had high ceilings and inherent airiness, while others were smaller and cozier. The challenge was to create lighting solutions that worked across a wide range of layouts while maintaining a cohesive brand experience.
CLI Design worked closely with the Mendocino Farms team to ensure that the lighting was flexible enough to meet the needs of each space. The lighting design remained consistent in terms of warmth and functionality, but we used different fixtures and intensities to accommodate the size and layout of each restaurant.
The Result: A Unified Yet Dynamic Lighting Experience
The result of our collaboration with Mendocino Farms is a cohesive, welcoming atmosphere that reflects the company’s mission to create community and connection. Lighting plays an integral role in bringing the restaurant’s brand to life, supporting both function and aesthetic appeal. Whether it’s inviting guests in with a soft, glowing ambiance or highlighting the vibrant, fresh ingredients, the lighting sets the tone for the entire dining experience.
Each Mendocino Farms location now boasts a dynamic, energy-efficient lighting system that not only enhances the atmosphere but also improves operational efficiency. From energy-saving LED fixtures to smart lighting controls, the new lighting system helps reduce costs while increasing the overall satisfaction of guests.
Bringing the Vision to Light
At CLI Design, we’re proud to have been part of this journey with Mendocino Farms, bringing their vision of a welcoming and vibrant dining experience to life through expert lighting design. The result is a space where guests can connect, relax, and enjoy a delightful meal, all while experiencing an environment that complements the restaurant’s dynamic food offerings.
Whether you’re designing a new restaurant or upgrading an existing space, lighting plays a vital role in creating the perfect ambiance. At CLI Design, we specialize in crafting custom lighting solutions that reflect your brand’s identity and elevate your guest experience.
Ready to bring your restaurant’s vision to life with expert lighting design? Contact CLI Design today for a consultation and let us help you illuminate your space with creativity and purpose.
Gabriella Halcovich is the National Account Manager at Commercial Lighting Industries, specializing in commercial lighting solutions for hospitality, restaurant, retail, and architectural projects nationwide. She partners with architects, interior designers, and developers to deliver lighting that brings spaces to life.
