Photo credit: G.M. Briggs
Betsy Andrews, SevenFiftyDaily, reports on “[n]ew research [that] is causing restaurant and bar owners to rethink noise control in their venues.” Andrews writes about Jim Meehan, a forward thinking bar owner, who “wanted a place where he could hear.” So Meehan hired Scott McNiece, the founder of the Chicago-based company Uncanned Music, who designs acoustics for restaurants.
The result was a space where “[t]he muted sound helps patrons relax and focus, not only on their companions but on Meehan’s cocktails.” Meehan is pleased as is his business partner, Kevin Heisner, who believes noise “dings not just moods but palates.” And Andrews dives into the world of the science of dining, introducing us to the researchers who are discovering that noise does affect taste.
But the most exciting bit of news from the piece comes at the end, when Andrews speaks to Dallas architect Rick Carrell, whose firm has designed spaces for large chain clients like Panera Bread and Starbucks. Carrell tells Andrews that, “[c]lients are very concerned with noise now. They don’t see it as a motivator like they did 10 years ago.”
Thank goodness. It’s about time.
Click the link above to read the entire article.
Originally posted at Silencity.com.
