How Restaurants Got So Loud

[JHan]

I've wondered about this, having to shout to talk to friends defeats the purpose of dining out. I avoid loud restaurants, even if the food is okay.

According to Architectural Digest, mid-century modern and minimalism are both here to stay. That means sparse, modern decor; high, exposed ceilings; and almost no soft goods, such as curtains, upholstery, or carpets. These design features are a feast for the eyes, but a nightmare for the ears. No soft goods and tall ceilings mean nothing is absorbing sound energy, and a room full of hard surfaces serves as a big sonic mirror, reflecting sound around the room.

The result is a loud space that renders speech unintelligible. Now that it’s so commonplace, the din of a loud restaurant is unavoidable. That’s bad for your health—and worse for the staff who works there. But it also degrades the thing that eating out is meant to culture: a shared social experience that rejuvenates, rather than harms, its participants. Luxury didn’t always mean loud, and there are lessons to be learned from the glamorous restaurants of the past, including actual mid-century-modern eateries. From the 1940s through the early 1990s, fine-dining establishments expressed luxury through generous seating, plush interiors, and ornate decor. But more important, acoustic treatments themselves were a big part of that luxury.

.... the haute-casual dining trend also helps restaurateurs run bigger and more successful businesses. Constructing interiors out of hard surfaces makes them easier (and thus cheaper) to clean. Eschewing ornate decor, linens, table settings, and dishware makes for fewer items to wash or replace. Reducing table service means fewer employees and thus lower overhead. And as many writers have noted, loud restaurants also encourage profitable dining behavior. Noise encourages increased alcohol consumption and produces faster diner turnover. More people drinking more booze produces more revenue. Knowing this, some restaurateurs even make their establishments louder than necessary in an attempt to maximize profits.

Architectural acoustics—a field that integrates architecture, building construction, and the physics of sound—is part building engineering (mitigating noise and vibrations) and part design. In the latter, more glamorous role, acousticians deploy a wide range of materials and construction techniques to sculpt pleasant-sounding spaces that service a building’s function, be it a restaurant or a concert hall. Unfortunately, acoustics is often an afterthought, something used to correct errors after construction if noise proves annoying. By then, it’s too late.

https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/11/how-restaurants-got-so-loud/576715/

[hlthe2b]

1. Yes.. me too. It isn't like I want a whispering "library" with only soft classical music environ

But, geez. The volume and chaos of conversations and background noice is stressful. How can anyone enjoy eating out--what has become an increasingly overly expensive experience-- in that kind of enivironment?

[JHan]

5. It's a real turn off, some of my friends don't seem to mind the excitement but I can't.

Sometimes I just know the suck will be great if I see the bar area crowded with loud people AND loud music. On top of loud chatter.

[Sherman A1]

2. Thanks for posting.

I often find it difficult to hear in restaurants. We generally go at off hours in order to avoid the crowd and the noise. I find that it does help some with improving the dining experience.

[JHan]

8. Yep, that's a safe-ish bet, tho I remember once choosing a real quiet spot, at the right time..

in this restaurant's "open area" outside...

My group and I were forgotten about as people started trickling in.

[Submariner]

3. Gets obnoxiously loud when they do that

happy birthday thing with about 10 waiters loudly clapping and singing happy birthday drowning out all other conversation.

A couple of those a night next to ones table are annoying.

If that sounds like a get off my lawn type rant, so be it.

[JHan]

7. yes, that's a bit much for me too, though I get why they do it

it's the general loudness which makes those moments ingratiating, making dining a drag.

[Sedona]

4. Nine times out of ten I can prepare a better meal at home

Loud restaurants are my pet peeve. Not surprised they're doing it on purpose. If only I could open a damn oyster, I'd never eat out at all.

[Deb]

6. We wonder why acoustics are not considered part of building accessibility.

My husband has a severe hearing deficit and those buildings make communication extremely difficult.

[PJMcK]

9. If a restaurant is loud, I'll walk out

I don’t want to hear the conversation at the table next to me. I’m interested in my dining companions.

This is a trend, obviously, but I don’t have to participate. I don’t like Facebook,either!

[hlthe2b]

17. Some people can't modulate their laughter either--as though the louder the environ, the louder

they feel they need to laugh. I try not to let that get to me, but with some it becomes really grating.

[PJMcK]

18. Yeah, like drama queens!

You know, "Look at me! Look at me!"

Jeez.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

34. My buddy jumped up out of our booth and shushed the people behind us.

And it worked too!

I didn’t see it coming probably because I’m half deaf anyway. They must have really been getting on his nerves. He’s usually very mild mannered and polite. Lol.

[brer cat]

10. ITA

I can't enjoy the food when there is too much noise.

[Major Nikon]

11. It's more than just acoustics. Americans never learned how to use inside voices

That's the one thing I noticed right away at restaurants in Germany and France. People speak just loud enough to hear each other at the table and value less noise pollution.

[GoneOffShore]

31. Absolutely - One can almost always hear the Americans in Europe.

Followed closely by the Brits.

Conversation is valued in Europe, particularly when going out.

Sure, one encounters loud French, Italians, and Germans, particularly when there's a bachelor or bachelorette party, but for the most part, restaurants are much quieter here.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

12. I'm an HSP and that's particularly frustrating.

As a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP), we hear every sound as the one in charge, LOL. Therefore many sounds are a distraction, and especially other conversations and loud or shrill sounds.

It's very difficult to concentrate on a friend's conversation in most restaurants, particularly those with bad acoustics (meaning most restaurants). Other conversations and noise distracts and scrambles my mind, so that many times I show annoyance to my friends and have to ask them to repeat things.

Therefore, I have only a select few restaurants where I enjoy dining out. The OP is correct that this situation has gotten worse in the last decade or two. They're just not spending money on proper acoustic design, and people in public are far less considerate these days.

..........

[PasadenaTrudy]

15. Hello fellow HSP!

I can totally relate. I don't even go out to eat anymore. I live in SoCal and everything is loud! Here's to earplugs

[KY_EnviroGuy]

19. Earplugs and soothing music!

Have you read the book by Elaine Aron, Ph. D. with the title "The Highly Sensitive Person"? Having only found out that my difference from other people is a known evolutionary thing at a fairly late age (70), this book is really helping me cope.

I used to hear trains coming from many miles away before anyone else did and though I had exceptionally sensitive ears but now I know otherwise. Our brains are just wired a little different.

One of my largest challenges is being with one of my best friends, an older lady who has two Shih Tzu dogs that drive me nuts with their barking. In addition, she is hard of hearing and always has her TV loud. I am learning to cope though, and she has learned to help reduce the noise while I visit.

Thanks for sharing!.........

[PasadenaTrudy]

21. Yes

I read it years ago. Really clicked with me. I have trouble with noise, crowds, bright lights, etc. I get overstimulated easily and feel like I lose my sense of self. Really weird. I'm still trying to learn to cope; it's not easy, since I live in a very busy city. Rush hour never really ends. Sigh...wish I could live somewhere closer to nature and quieter Maybe some day ( I'm 54 now).

Good luck with keeping the stimuli out, lol. DM me anytime

[KY_EnviroGuy]

25. Thanks, Trudy. I know how you feel.

I was raised in a small country farming town in the 60s and went to college in a country town as well, so I never felt the problems until I moved to the big city. I've honestly always felt out of place here and hate traffic but too old to move now.

Was working in my yard yesterday and had to wear ear plugs because of all the noise in my neighborhood (small gas engines, a leaf sucker truck, the neighbor's dogs and some trains. Very annoying thing to do on your own property.

This personal trait is hard to explain to others because most think we should be able to learn better. However, it's really something we can't change but instead as you say - learn to cope and take precautions to avoid annoyance. For example, one friend has learned to turn down her TV when I'm there trying to help her and discussing her problems.

I have found that listening to low-density music such as country acoustic guitar with a small backing band is very soothing for me. That's one form of escape for me, LOL. I cannot deal with saturated or high-distortion rock.

Thanks again for sharing and DM me anytime as well..........

[nancy1942]

30. I have the same problem.

I find myself becoming a hermit as I get older; noise make me FURIOUS and sometimes I feel as though I am losing my mind. I find it easier to just avoid being around people in general. It's very unpleasant.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

35. Thanks, Nancy1942. You're in good company here.

Like you, as I've gotten older, I need more time alone to re-charge my sanity battery. I was raised by very quiet depression-era mountain folk who said very little - only what was needed. Today's world seems like a constant buzz of noise and information that keeps my head spinning. I'm prone to be a night-owl because of that problem.

For me, I fear it's dangerous to isolate too much, so I need just a few good friends I can have quite civil conversation with.

If you have not already, I suggest reading the book mentioned in the other posts by Ms. Aron. Just like writings on some other problems I've had in my life, reading the first few pages brought some emotional relief.

............ ..........

[GoneOffShore]

32. Check out the music of Adrian Legg.

He might be something that you would like and be soothing as well.

http://adrianlegg.com/

[KY_EnviroGuy]

33. Thanks, will do!

Thank goodness there's a bountiful supply of good music available from around the globe........

[smirkymonkey]

22. Hey KY_Enviro Guy!

So am I. I can't stand loud restaurants. I get so distracted that I can't focus or enjoy my meal at all. I just get very agitated and usually can't wait to get out of there.

I love cozy high booths, low music, lots of fabric and sound absorbing tiles on the ceiling. I always preferred older restaurants as opposed to modern, starkly furnished, open, high ceiling, minimalist restaurants with loud music and even louder patrons.

I can't understand why some people find that enjoyable. It's so obnoxious to me.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

23. Thanks, SM - I think we HSPs are more common than we think.

Most of us never knew we had a genetic condition and just struggled by for most of our lives. That's why it was such a relief to find Elaine Aron's book and I was getting those "that's me" feelings from every page. She says that somewhere between 10 and 20 percent of any population have this characteristic to some degree.

I'm also an introvert which is a double-whammy for feeling out of place in far too many situations.

When I learned that our brains don't process multiple unrelated sound sources very well, that explained the high annoyance I get in crowds and when I'm trying to concentrate on a person's conversation with a second conversation (or a TV) in the background.

Like you, I search for places with minimal glass and hard floors that produce echoes and that have absorbent surfaces. We have a restaurant called Mimi's here in Louisville that I love because it's just as you described. I always ask for tables away from the high traffic areas and the kitchen.

I'm continually searching for new ways to adapt and thank goodness, I have friends that understand......

[smirkymonkey]

24. I have read Elaine Aron's books as well.

It was a relief to know that I wasn't just a freak and that there were other people out there like us. I am an introvert as well. My family doesn't get me. They think I must be lonely and they have no idea how much I love being alone on weekends after being at work all week around people. I have alienated a lot of people by making excuses to get out of social situations just because I would rather be alone, but it's hard to tell them "It's not you, it's me".

Anyway, it's nice to know that we are not alone in the world!

[KY_EnviroGuy]

27. SM, that's our re-charge time!

I often wonder if being an HSP brings on introversion, or if they truly are separate genetic conditions. I do know that being an HSP tends to make one more introverted and that is indeed hard for our friends and families to understand.

After I finish Ms. Aron's book, as a way to take this issue outside myself, I'm thinking of sharing my knowledge with my daughter who is a kind, gentle soul. One reason for doing that is because she is a middle school teacher and might benefit from knowing about this personality type in order to better understand her pupils!

I feel we're actually very special people and are known to be some of the deepest thinkers. Sometimes, my extreme attention to detail annoys some folk just a bit though, LOL. Thanks again for sharing!

[FakeNoose]

13. And tables are jammed too close together

... in addition to no carpets, drapes or upholstery. How many restaurants even have tablecloths any more? Very few! Peace and quiet aren't considered valuable commodities any more.

[Jim Lane]

14. There's an app for that

I've downloaded it because it looks promising, but I haven't yet tried it.

It's called iHEARu (see http://ihearu.co for info). The idea is to create crowdsourced evaluations, similar to those in Yelp but focused specifically on noise levels. Users measure the noise in restaurants and other venues and then upload the information. With enough people participating, diners who care about noise would be able to choose the quieter sites, or at least avoid the noisiest ones.

If it really catches on, it could even provide an incentive for restaurateurs to take steps to improve their rankings.

[JHan]

20. very cool!

[crazycatlady]

16. According to family in the restaurant industry

There's a reason why many dining chairs are not very comfortable. They don't want someone getting that comfortable that they're overstaying their welcome. The restaurant has to turn that table.

[Hoyt]

26. Sells lot of hearing aids too. Every hearing aid ad asks "trouble hearing in restaurants?"

I'm sure I have some hearing loss, but it is heck in modern restaurants. Of course after a few bourbons or mescal, I yell like everyone else.

[doc03]

28. I like the food at Cracker Barrel but rarely eat there

because of the noise. Everything is hard surfaced and it is like the sound is amplified.

[Dave in VA]

29. Yes

And the blast the music too! I often ask the person seating us or the person at the cash register if they forgot to hang the disco ball today. I didn't realize that I was going to be eating in a dance hall. Geezzzus!