CREJ - Building Dialogue - March 2015
In some cultures, rather than asking someone to whom they were just introduced, “How are you”, they ask, “Have you eaten?” They figure that if you answer “yes,” you are relatively well and happy, but if you haven’t eaten, something is wrong. Sharing food is a very social activity that links to our basic need to survive. It is a common practice across all cultures and nations to share food, and it brings us together as families and friends. It gives us the opportunity to hopefully put down our smartphones and actually talk to each other. Unfortunately, this opportunity is being challenged by an ongoing trend. In the last few years, a study was done and distributed widely to the restaurant industry. The study justifies noisy restaurants because they encourage patrons to drink more and eat faster. This means more liquor sales and quicker turnover in the dining area. Both of these mean more money. In my opinion, this is shortsighted. Unless you intend for your business to last only a few years, noise will hurt sales in the long run and has a negative impact on the wait staff and other employees. When I say noisy, I don’t mean just slightly loud – I think some background noise is helpful. It helps to mask conversations and provides a sense of privacy. Normal human speech levels are between 55 and 60 decibels. If the background levels in the restaurant approach this, it is like being at a party where everyone talks louder and louder as the crowd size increases. In the acoustical industry, this is known as the “cocktail party effect” and its affects are well documented. Acoustical research has been done that allows us to calculate noise levels based on the number of people at the party. Eventually, it gets to the point where everyone is shouting and only a portion of what is said actually can be understood. There goes the social exchange that allows people to interact and connect. The industrial look is definitely a trend in restaurant design. Maybe it is perceived as modern or flexible, but I believe many decisions concerning the interior finishes have to do with reduced costs and ease of maintenance. New businesses are challenged with competition and I understand saving money, but restaurants with hard concrete floors, open ceilings with metal deck or painted gypsum board ceilings and lots of glass most likely will be too loud and noisy. The noise is the result of many of sound reflections that interfere with speech intelligibility. Spaces with all hard surfaces definitely would benefit from some acoustical finishes. The goal is not to be quiet like libraries with background noise levels between 30 and 35 dBA, because patrons would notice a loss of speech privacy. On the other hand, background noise levels of 40 to 45 dBA increase speech privacy and help mask conversations between tables. Reducing noise levels also benefits the restaurant staff. They can better serve the customers, actually carry on a friendly conversation and avoid incorrect orders because they couldn’t hear. I do not like having to repeat my order three times because the poor waiter or waitress is being bombarded with noise from all sides. Noise leads to stress and increases in heart rates and blood pressure. Less noise is healthier. The restaurant industry is stressful enough without the added self-induced noise. There are many acoustical products available to match almost any interior concept and at a wide range of costs, so there is no real excuse not to consider them. Turn down the noise and I believe, with good food and service, you will have loyal, long-term customers rather than being the proverbial “flash in the pan.”