Noise in restaurants. Is it more important than food & service?
Consumer surveys have found that excessive noise in restaurants is the top complaint diners have ahead of service, crowds, or even food issues.
Coffee shops and restaurants strive to create an atmosphere with a unique identity. Their focus is mainly on the menu, quality of food, service, decor, location and target clientele. Acoustics and noise control only becomes a consideration when there is a problem.
Large glass facades, hard floors, reflective walls, ceilings and bare tables is the current trend today. The minimalistic open plan decor allows for sound to reflect off many hard surfaces resulting in a buildup of noise due to a sustained reverberant field.
When a restaurant becomes busier and more people try to communicate the noise levels increase. To compensate diners begin to raise their voices in order to be heard. This is referred to as the Lombard Effect.
Whilst noise conveys a sense of energy and creates a vibrant atmosphere the effort and concentration required to communicate leaves one feeling exhausted and mentally fatigued.
This could result in diners leaving without dessert or coffee and repeat business becoming more difficult to attain. Poor acoustics can have financial implications on restaurants and not the quality of the food or service. The experience is often the deciding factor as to whether patrons frequent a restaurant.
Factors that significantly impact on a customers dining experience.
How easy is is to hold a conversation:
Excessive noise in restaurants can impair speech intelligibility, making it difficult for diners to understand and communicate with one another. This leads to increased effort and frustration, and can reduce satisfaction with the dining experience.
Perceived quality of the meal:
Loud environments can effect the perceived quality of the meal by masking the subtle sounds of eating, such as the crunchiness of food, leading to a misperception.
Customer Satisfaction:
Kitchen noise and noise from other tables can create discomfort, stress, and annoyance.
Recommendations and return patronage.
Restaurants with quieter atmospheres tend to attract more satisfied customers who are more likely to return and recommend the establishment to others whilst noisy environments are often associated with negative experiences which result in lower customer loyalty, repeat visits and recommendations.
Revenue as a result of short Dining Duration.
Diners tend to leave noisier restaurants more quickly which can have the potential to affect the restaurants revenue.
Factors to consider when designing or renovating a restaurant.
During the design or renovation phase, incorporating acoustic design principles can help control noise levels. This includes using sound-absorbing materials on walls, ceilings, and floors to reduce sound reflections and reverberation.
The layout and arrangement of tables and seating can impact noise levels. Spacing tables appropriately and providing comfortable distances between diners can help minimize noise interference and create a more pleasant dining atmosphere.
Effective Acoustic treatment on the ceiling, such as acoustic panels or baffles, can help absorb sound and reduce noise propagation. This can help prevent sound from bouncing off the ceiling and contributing to overall noise levels.
Installing partitions or dividers between seating areas can act as noise barriers, helping to reduce sound transmission between tables and creating more intimate spaces.
Installing acoustic panels or acoustic prints on walls to reduce reflections will reduce noise levels.
It’s important for restaurant owners and managers to strike a balance between creating a vibrant and lively atmosphere while ensuring a comfortable and enjoyable dining experience for customers. Implementing some or all of these measures can help control noise levels and create a more pleasant dining environment.