The sight of smoke lingering from the fajitas. The sound of vegetables sizzling. The smell of the meat and the taste of it with the onions and peppers together in a tortilla. All of our senses govern how we experience the world and enhance the food and ambiance of a restaurant.
Music and sound in a restaurant is an afterthought to many — and yet, sounds can affect the dining experience almost as much as the taste of the food. Sounds can make us anxious, relaxed, excited or upset.
Restaurants have a seasoning of sounds — music, talking, kitchen bustle, all contained in the general acoustics of the space. And every restaurant has a different recipe.
Volume has an impact, whether it’s a shrill, shrieking female voice versus ambient sounds. It all affects your mood and psychology and translates into how you see and taste. It’s all part of a bigger picture.
Tim has helped restaurants and venues match their atmosphere, food and ambiance with the right music.
At Brew Bistro, which is a restaurant by day and one of the leading Night Clubs by night in Nairobi, music was significant to the owners — customers during the day noticed the effort:
“I had quite a few people during the day mention, specifically, that the music was really fitting the atmosphere well, and they’ve never thought about the music, really, when they’re eating,” she said.
Music and sound can trigger physical and emotional responses. With the dining experience, the ambiance on a Friday night at a bar varies drastically from a Tuesday lunch at a diner.
Music is going to make people do something, likely, but it will be very different, depending on who the person is and what their experiences have been with music,” Jason Bowers said, a professor of music education at Louisiana State University, teaching music psychology.