Improving the Acoustic environment in our restaurants
Our restaurants are a meeting place for family, friends, colleagues and business associates to socialize and talk in a normal conversational tone. Unfortunately, a visit to a restaurant is often ruined by kitchen noise, unwanted background noise and excessively loud music. The recommended noise level in restaurants is 55dB (AFS 2005:16). This corresponds to normal conversation at a distance of one meter.
Many restaurants are dominated by modern architecture i.e. hard floors, large glass surfaces, bare walls and high ceilings. Often the importance of both sound environment and acoustics is neglected, therefore sound absorbers should be considered already in the design phase. This is to eliminate as much "noise" as possible. Optimally, 10 - 20% of the floor area should be covered, depending on the other furnishings.
Sound absorbers dampen sound, reduce reverberation time and create a pleasant sound environment. The choice is wide, both in terms of shape and material. They are available as wall absorbers, floor screens and ceiling panels. Depending on their appearance and material, they can also be a modern and aesthetically pleasing interior design feature - Beautiful Silence.
Other tips in brief:
- Decorate with textiles and upholstered furniture.
- Put furniture pads on chair and table legs.
- Decorate with plants, they absorb sound and create a pleasant atmosphere.
- Keep as big distance between tables as possible and screen off coffee machines etc.
- Create different acoustic zones, one at the tables with subdued music and one at the bar that allows more buzz and pulse. The right acoustic will improve the working environment for the staff and guests will enjoy themselves, which will keep them coming back.
