‘Good food isn’t the only ingredient of an enjoyable dining experience’. This quote, taken from BBC Good Food, resonates heavily with the majority of diners who regularly frequent bars and eateries.
In fact, the Food & Beverage Market Research Handbook found that noise from loud customers and crowded tables was the complaint cited most often in their recent survey of 70,403 customers who made 158,744 visits to 101 restaurant chains.
And numerous consumer reports have ‘echoed’ much the same, highlighting ‘excessive noise levels’ as being one of the top complaints amongst consumers.
This post aims to identify the root cause of our noisy restaurants, whilst giving architects and specifiers the solutions, in the form of acoustic panels, to improve customers’ dining experiences.
What causes a noisy restaurant?
Restaurants come in all shapes and sizes: some are large, open spaces whilst others are smaller and more intimate.
With larger, more open environments, you’re battling against all sorts of acoustical challenges. From heavily glassed surfaces to vast ceiling spaces, there’s a myriad of potential discomfort for both diners and employees.
In contrast, smaller venues will house a large number of people in a more compact space, causing sound to quickly travel around the room.
What all restaurants have in common is that they’re social environments.
People go to catch up with loved ones.
People laugh, and yes, people cry.
Cutlery clatters.
And the nervous first-time waiter will inevitably drop the expensive wine glasses.
There’s certainly a need for designers, architects and specifiers to provide diners with a more comfortable social experience, which is why the incorporation of acoustic panels shouldn’t be overlooked during the design phase of a project.
Read More:
- How to customise your ceilings and walls with acoustic panels
- Keep the noise down with acoustic panels
- The different types of acoustic panels
- What are acoustic panels and why do we use them?
Are acoustic panels attractive?
Of course, when considering the design of a restaurant, there’s a heavy emphasis on its overall aesthetics. Historically, acoustic panels (or acoustic treatment in general) consisted of misplaced sound panels that “don’t look like a beautifully finished material”, as quoted by Greg Keffer, a partner with the Rockwell Group.
Critics compared acoustic panels to a sound studio, which is great-for a sound studio…
But not so great for an exclusive restaurant with high-end design expectations.
A shift in acoustic design
Sound Zero is at the heart of this ‘shift’ in acoustic design, applying innovative concepts to their acoustic panels, masquerading them as stylish art pieces and ‘part of the architectural design’.
Our acoustic panels can be disguised as authentic art pieces
What acoustic panel solutions are there for restaurants?
There are a variety of wall and ceiling-mounted acoustic panels that can be strategically placed to absorb sound from their first point of reflection.
For sound absorption, the Wall Panel pro can be placed on walls, disguised as an art piece
Treating the ceilings with acoustic panels can be one of the most effective solutions to controlling the room’s acoustics, as ceilings occupy such a large surface area.
Acoustic panel wall partitions
Many restaurants recognise the importance of ‘quiet booths’, which adds an element of separation for diners wanting a more intimate experience.
Why not clad your booths with Sound Zero’s CorkBee panels?
The acoustic properties of cork are substantial. Cork reduces sound and noise vibration by trapping it in its cell structure. It reduces the sound transmission of sound through walls, allowing diners to converse in ultimate privacy.
Conclusion
For your next restaurant project, we recommend that you consider the variety of acoustic treatment available that-not only improves the dining experience-but looks fantastic, too.
From consultation through to install, Sound Zero has got you covered. For any more information on how we can transform your restaurant’s acoustics, get in touch with one of our experts today.
