Over the last few years, Americans have spent more time eating out than ever before. The Freakonomics podcast has even shown that people are spending more money at restaurants than they are at the grocery store. With all that money circulating, restaurant owners are more thoughtful than ever of their customer’s experience at their venue. But there is an emerging community of concern about something often overlooked in a diner’s experience; noise. Restaurant noise levels are often loud, and for the last twenty years, they’ve been getting louder.
Apps like SoundPrint have come into play, which allow users to measure and publish the noise level in a restaurant using their phone. Like a Yelp review, but all about sound. When venues become too loud, it can begin to turn people off from visiting, and even cause hearing damage to those working there.
The threshold of “too noisy” in a restaurant tends to be 70 decibels. This is the point where people genuinely stop considering going altogether. In extreme cases, bars can average 80+ decibels. New York City bars are like this most of the time sadly. And that happens to also be the threshold of long term hearing damage.
Benchmark, a restaurant in the same town as Conwed’s headquarters, was experiencing this very issue. On the SoundPrint app, they were being marked with reviews at 79 decibels, just shy of that hearing damage mark. We went over to assess the situation and proposed a solution, Conwed Ceiling Panels.
The venue featured an open plenum ceiling, exposed joists, suspended lights, very tasteful. The downside people often to see to this style though, is the noise that comes with it. Thankfully, sliding Ceiling Panels into the joists is a fast, easy process.
Benchmark’s General Manager mentioned this when asked what he was most excited for. “I’m most looking forward to the impact that lessening the noise will have not only on the guests but on our team here. On top of that I’m looking forward to getting home at night and not having my wife ask, ‘why are you yelling at me?’ I think it will be quite an impact on the business.”
Today, Benchmark enjoys a nice 55 decibel rating on SoundPrint. Some say the restaurant is so fine-tuned, they enjoy simply listening to their steaks sizzle on the plate.
1445 Holland Rd
Maumee, OH 43537
