FAQ: How Can I Make My Restaurant Quieter?

Restaurants and kitchens are often particularly loud rooms, in addition to the actual activities within them.   A desire for easy to sanitize surfaces can often lead to too many hard surfaces, that do not absorb enough sound.  As a result, the room has a long reverberation time, which makes the noises in the room last longer, overlapping with one another, leading to a louder room overall.  As a compounding effect, people will often talk louder to be heard through the din, making the situation even worse.  As an end result, restaurants can lose some customers, simply because the overall experience isn't a good one, simply due to the noise.

There are several possible solutions to cut down on the noise:

• Some noise can be reduced at the source:
• Clinking glassware, glassware, and plates can be reduced by switching to plastic or paper, if feasible.
• If not, noise can be reduced somewhat by adding tablecloths or placemats under dishes, but that won't address "fork-on-plate" noise.
• Of course, none of this addresses conversational noise.
• Several common solutions can be used to reduce the reverberation time in the room, and therefore the noise level in general:
• We go into acoustics and reverberation time in this post, but the simple version is to add as much absorptive area as possible.  Here are some possible solutions:
• An acoustical ceiling can be added
• Carpeting or rugs could be added on the floor (beware of tripping hazards)
• Upholstered seating can be installed.  Be careful, however, because when in use, the soft surfaces are covered by people.  The backsides and undersides of the seats could still be made soft.  Additionally, the chairs could be oversized (tall backs, etc)
• Tablecloths could be added
• Acoustic wall panels could be added (or disguised as artwork-paintings or drapes)
• A common solution is to add absorptive material, or to a lesser extent carpeting, to the undersides of tables and chairs.
• Another less intuitive solution is to add taller, reflective dividers within booths, to help people hear one another better within their table, and hopefully speak more quietly in general.
• Hanging acoustic elements can be added, whether they are panels or more sculptural.