Photo credit: Navjot Singh licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
by Daniel Fink, MD, Chair, The Quiet Coalition
This recent article in the Chicago Tribune discusses the problem of restaurant noise, and what can be done to solve it.
Controlling restaurant noise can be a challenge. There has to be a balance between a reasonable amount of noise, and the ability of patrons to converse each other, but not so much quiet that everyone can hear what others are saying at the next table.
Some restaurant noise is unavoidable, e.g., the conversation of patrons, noise from the street, and the clatter of dishes at the tables, but kitchen noise can be isolated by an interior window if a visible kitchen is desired, and background music doesn’t have to be turned up to rock concert levels.
There is no “one size fits all” solution to restaurant noise. But acoustic science is up to the challenge and quieter restaurants are entirely feasible.
DISCLOSURE. Dr. Fink serves as Medical Advisor to SoundPrint, which is mentioned in this article.
