Your Food May Be Great . . . But How Does Your Restaurant SOUND?
Perhaps this is the first time this subject has been bought to your attention – but more than likely it’s a topic that has at least been in the back of most restaurateur’s collective minds. Aural Exchange has been in the acoustics industry for well over a decade and we are well aware that the volume level of your establishment is not usually an urgent concern. Even after that knowledge, we would like to make the case that once you’ve secured staffing and nailed down the menu maybe you should consider the sound and volume level of your restaurant.
Acoustics Matter to Customers
Although your customers may not use the term or be aware of the science behind the problem – A quick search for “Great Food, but too loud” will return multiple pages of reviews of users on Zomato. Unsurprisingly, even many professional reviewers on Zomato and other food apps use “Noise Level” as a metric in a user overall starred rating. A recent survey in Mumbai found
“…restaurant noise level to be the number-one irritant about dining out, more irksome than service and price, according to online survey results. Over 70 percent of those surveyed avoid restaurants that are too loud. The results were similar in New Delhi, as well as Bangalore.”
We’ve all been in bars and restaurants in India where you have to shout to be heard. Not only is excess noise annoying to guests, but it has a negative effect on a restaurant’s profitability and bottom line. In noisy environments servers and bartenders are 3 times more likely to make order errors leading to waste and a negative customer experience. Speech privacy is also a major concern among patrons.
One study found that the average noise level in restaurants measured about 70 decibels even though the volume needed for comfortable conversation is around 60 decibels.
In Mumbai restaurants, noise levels are regularly measured at 90 decibels and sometimes higher, which makes it impossible to have a proper conversation without shouting.
Yet restaurant owners and managers don’t always know how to go about mitigating the unwanted noise.
WE DO.
Aural Exchange has helped restaurants across India tame their noisy dining rooms. Contact us and we will prepare an acoustic solution customized to your space. It’s not expensive, and it will give your restaurant experience an edge that will keep your patrons coming back.