Acoustics in Your Tea Room

I've dined in a few restaurants lately that were so uncomfortable that I probably won't be back. The food and service were good to great, and the ambient temperature was fine. The tables weren't crowded, and the decor was fine too. The problem? The noise level was over the top.

The music wasn't loud. The other customers weren't yelling. There wasn't a playoff game blaring on the TVs. There wasn't clanking and banging coming from the kitchen. The HVAC wasn't roaring overhead. There wasn't a busy interstate running past the front door. There was just simply little to no effort put into sound dampening in the space. The dining room was an echo chamber.

There has been such a trend toward clean lines, minimalism and simplicity of late, that we're left with dining spaces that are full of hard surfaces. There's nothing there to absorb sound, so it bounces all around the space and drives customers out. Times are too tough and margins are too tight for restaurants to be doing this.

There are a ton of ways to reduce the noise level in your tea room. Some are cheap, some are expensive. Some will fit with the atmosphere you are trying to create, and some won't work for you.

Here they are, in no particular order:

I've never loved carpeting in a restaurant--just imagine how dirty the carpet must get when food is spilled on it daily. But strategic placement of washable floor mats at the entrance and runners in hallways or in front of restrooms is a good compromise.

Acoustical ceiling tiles can be really ugly, but they don't have to be.

Fabric folding screens can divide up space, hide unsightly things, add a decorative element, and absorb sound.

Art acoustic wall panels come in designs ranging from sculpted geometrics to antique Chinese illustrations to watercolor landscapes to botanical prints to replica oil paintings to maps to photo landscapes to landmarks, to cows, impressionist art prints. There are options to blend in with any restaurant style or theme, and they are really, really affordable.

Fabric window treatments obviously don't fit every restaurant theme, but if you can make them work with yours, they are worth considering. It doesn't have to be curtains either. It could be as simple (which isn't to say it will be cheap) as replacing your vinyl blinds with fabric cellular blinds. Even a simple upholstered cornice treatment can help.

Sound dampening options

Plants, whether real or fake can help dampen sound too. This includes wreaths, swags, vases and centerpieces.

Acoustic foam can be affixed to the underside of tables and chair seats.

Even changing your seating upholstery from vinyl to fabric can help.

If your theme allows, tablecloths and cloth napkins also help dampen sound.

tablecloths, cloth napkins and upholstered chairs

Playing soft background music can give your guests a subtle hint that quiet conversation is appropriate in your dining room. Just make sure that if you're streaming, you pay for licensing to use the music in your business so the music mafia doesn't come for you. This is no joke. I've worked for a couple of businesses (one small, one large) that learned the hard way about copyright, licenses and potential fines. Don't let it be you.

If you find that a lot of noise from your kitchen makes its way into the dining room, you can try placing a white noise machine near the kitchen door.

More than likely, you will need to use a combination of tools to bring the noise level down, but it's totally worth it. Afternoon tea is supposed to be a time of relaxation and good conversation. You can take steps to help your guests enjoy both.