Restaurants and Institutions

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earth2table: Do You Want Earplugs with Your Soup?
September 21, 2006

Stu Stein

September 21, 2006
Twelve-foot tall ceilings and hard surfaces. A mix of stone, steel, wood and concrete elements. An open floor plan with an open kitchen. It all sounds good, right? A little too good, is what I am afraid of. According to the article “Do You Want Earplugs with Your Soup? The Importance of Acoustics in Restaurants” on acoustics.com, the average noise level of a typical restaurant during a dining rush is 80 decibels, with some reaching up to 110 decibels--the equivalent of a road-construction site or a lawnmower!

I’ve been told that researchers warn that loud dining establishments are a potential health hazard for employees, and the resulting cacophony can be deafening or at the very least, annoying to my guests. For me, if a restaurant is unpleasant to sit in because of the noise level, or I am unable to hold a conversation at a normal-speaking volume, it's going to negatively affect how I feel about the experience. Add my 70-something-year-old, hard-of-hearing mother-in-law to the mix and you’re asking for trouble.

I’m not particularly looking for a loud or a quiet restaurant. I want a restaurant where my patrons can hear and actually have a conversation without losing the excitement of the moment and that certain je ne sais quoi.

For me, building a restaurant with just the right sound level begins with having my architect be proactive and, at a minimum, having a conversation with a local acoustical engineer who specializes in hospitality establishments. I know I can put throw rugs on certain parts of the polished concrete floor. We can use sound-dampening materials as part of the ceiling and wall treatments. My question is not, “How do I think it will affect the sound level?” it’s “How exactly does this affect the sound level?” I want to know about specific changes, treatments and materials I should use and where--or at least be able to make an informed decision.

That seems to be my mantra lately, whether I’m speaking with POS-system companies, equipment manufacturers or food-and-wine purveyors. It’s all about gathering the details so I can make informed decisions.

We have a meeting scheduled later next week to go over the next round of front- and back-of-the-house design changes, including incorporating acoustical elements. I’ll let you know how it turns out.

As you may have heard, a lovely heat wave recently hit us out here in paradise. At the same time in Portland, I attended an annual conference on artisan cheeses. I urge--make that implore--you to seek out artisan cheeses because like most artisan products in general, it will be worth the effort on so many levels.

And the journey continues.

Cheers!

Stu

Posted by Stu Stein on September 21, 2006 | Comments (0)