Dept. of Cool v. Warm. One of the rules for decorating restaurants and eating spaces is to keep the color palette warm, as in reds, oranges, yellows, etc. Green - typically a cool color - doesn't do well in these spaces, but we found it working very well in Tribeca yesterday.
In Pecan, a new cafe on Franklin and West Broadway, where the interior is so large and clean you might think you were in San Francisco, they have artfully paired green ultrasuede banquets with dark wood and brick to create a very stylish and warm little interior.
Part of the reason the green works here, waking up the space, is that ultrasuede has a very lush texture and the green chosen is in the warm, yellow direction. It is a great accent (and they could actually use a little more of it on the other side of the room). MGR
Restaurants use green when they want faster turn-over, so you are apt to see it in restaurants that don't want you to linger. That's why there is very often green neon in Mall food courts... it subliminally makes people feel unattractive/uncomfortable, so they don't linger and tables are available quicker. (Hmmm, I've noticed that in some local Starbuck's refurbs, their palette is getting less ruddy and more sage-y.. could it be that the era of the 8-hour cup of coffee is coming to an end?!?!?)