Totally agreed! I have worked in the restaurant industry for nearly 15 years. I am a "foodie," avid eater-outer, and aspirational restauranteur. I spend a lot of time observing and thinking about the importance of restaurant ambience. Currently, I serve in two restaurants. I love them both, and have made strong management suggestions to both in regards to sound.
One restaurant is an old-school supper club with a rolling playlist of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dusty Springfield, etc. Gorgeous! The issue is that one of our dining rooms has all tables (no padded booths), minimal wall ornaments, and plastic flooring. Once there are twenty people in this room, I find myself having to shout the dinner specials as I speak to the people inches away from me. The restaurant owner is apparently opposed to any kind of sound absorbing wall panels, but I think they could be installed and covered with cute vintage art that remains consistent with the concept of the place.
The other restaurant I work in is very large, chic, and trendy, but has the most generic, corporate, department-store playlist I've ever heard. There aren't even any known artists.. just store-brand sounds that slightly resemble the Billboard top hits. With the sleek and sensual ambience of the dining room, I think they could get away with muzac or slow jazz, amplifying the guests' experience and adding to the sensuality.
ANYWAYYYS. I am thrilled to have found a newsletter that speaks about restaurant culture in the way that you do! Beautiful writing, as well. I look forward to reading more! :)
Thank you for this reflection, no pun intended. I'm a musician who's lost her hearing in one ear, and every time I dine at a hard restaurant, my ears literally hurt at every burst of laughter, drop of a plate or silverware, or ambient buzzing of compressors. Not sure how to get this point across, but it's so important to our experience in a restaurant. Listen up, restaurateurs!
Baby Boomer here: Thank you so much! I just got home from a two-week driving vacation to visit friends I hadn't seen since before COVID. On my days between friends, I opted for take out EVERY time. I could hardly ever hear what my friends were saying, no matter what class of dining we chose. The best place in the two weeks was an outdoor table in Savannah, where the street traffic noise was quieter than that inside the accompanying restaurant.
Totally agreed! I have worked in the restaurant industry for nearly 15 years. I am a "foodie," avid eater-outer, and aspirational restauranteur. I spend a lot of time observing and thinking about the importance of restaurant ambience. Currently, I serve in two restaurants. I love them both, and have made strong management suggestions to both in regards to sound.
One restaurant is an old-school supper club with a rolling playlist of Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr, Dusty Springfield, etc. Gorgeous! The issue is that one of our dining rooms has all tables (no padded booths), minimal wall ornaments, and plastic flooring. Once there are twenty people in this room, I find myself having to shout the dinner specials as I speak to the people inches away from me. The restaurant owner is apparently opposed to any kind of sound absorbing wall panels, but I think they could be installed and covered with cute vintage art that remains consistent with the concept of the place.
The other restaurant I work in is very large, chic, and trendy, but has the most generic, corporate, department-store playlist I've ever heard. There aren't even any known artists.. just store-brand sounds that slightly resemble the Billboard top hits. With the sleek and sensual ambience of the dining room, I think they could get away with muzac or slow jazz, amplifying the guests' experience and adding to the sensuality.
ANYWAYYYS. I am thrilled to have found a newsletter that speaks about restaurant culture in the way that you do! Beautiful writing, as well. I look forward to reading more! :)
And thanks! Now to dig into yours
You understand… yes!
Thank you for this reflection, no pun intended. I'm a musician who's lost her hearing in one ear, and every time I dine at a hard restaurant, my ears literally hurt at every burst of laughter, drop of a plate or silverware, or ambient buzzing of compressors. Not sure how to get this point across, but it's so important to our experience in a restaurant. Listen up, restaurateurs!
Could not agree more strongly! Excessive noise (except in those rare occasions) has been a real deterrent to enjoying an otherwise great evening!
Hear hear!
Baby Boomer here: Thank you so much! I just got home from a two-week driving vacation to visit friends I hadn't seen since before COVID. On my days between friends, I opted for take out EVERY time. I could hardly ever hear what my friends were saying, no matter what class of dining we chose. The best place in the two weeks was an outdoor table in Savannah, where the street traffic noise was quieter than that inside the accompanying restaurant.