Does sound affect taste? If you work in a restaurant, you know that smell and taste are closely related, but what about the effect of noise on food perception? Is it real?
It is, and it’s one of the reasons why it’s so important to soundproof a restaurant to maximize your opportunity for success.
How Does Sound Impact Taste/Dining Experience?
Sound can impact both taste and dining experience. There is a part of our nervous system where taste bud stimulation crosses the eardrum, which means certain sounds may stimulate certain taste buds. Furthermore, high levels of sound tend to suppress our perceptions of sweet and salty flavors, while enhancing umami flavors. That might be okay if you manage a Japanese restaurant, but it’s not so great if you serve dessert.
Furthermore, a loud, noisy restaurant is simply distracting and makes it difficult for diners to enjoy their food. Most diners tend to say that they have a better experience in a less noisy restaurant environment, despite the propensity of some restaurants to turn up the music as loud as possible.
How Soundproofing Can Help Improve the Dining Experience
How can soundproofing help improve the dining experience, and what are the right materials to use for soundproofing restaurants? There are a number of ways you can deal with the noise problem in restaurants through sound control solutions. One easy solution that can make a big change is to invest in some of Soundproof Cow’s EchoAbsorber™ Hanging Baffles.
These are attractive baffles that hang unobtrusively from the ceiling and capture many of the reverberating sounds that bounce back and forth in a busy restaurant. This will allow clearer communication between diners and make it easier for wait staff to hear and take orders. This can make a dramatic difference in the dining experience.
You may also wish to try a quality floor underlayment for your restaurant floor like our Impact QT Floor Underlayment. This is a soundproofing barrier that can go under just about any floor, from hardwood floors to vinyl floors, and can cushion and dampen sounds like people walking or dancing across your floor, dropped plates, scraping chairs and other unpleasant sounds that restaurants can sometimes experience.
Contact Soundproof Cow to Learn More About Soundproofing Restaurants
Soundproof Cow has the perfect solution to handle all of your restaurant’s soundproofing issues. We have acoustic panels, floor underlayments, soundproofing insulation and complete soundproofing systems to satisfy your needs. If you’d like us to help you figure out just what your soundproofing requirements are, get in touch with us for a free acoustical analysis of your establishment.