Eating in a loud restaurant
By kedralynn
@kedralynn (980)
United States
May 7, 2010 4:24pm CST
I just read an article on yahoo about people being drawn to loud restaurants and how the loud fast music is used to get us to eat and drink more. What?
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/food/3-reasons-why-restaurants-are-so-loud-1302266/
I don't know about you, but I don't like having to yell so the person at the table across from me can hear me. I also don't like a super quiet cave. I want something in between. I prefer the music to be a nice toned down background noise, rather than overpowering.
What do you guys think? Do you like a noisy restaurant or a quiet one?
3 people like this
15 responses
@tuyakiki (3016)
• India
7 May 10
Thanks for sharing this piece of news with all of us. In fact,there are many restaurants in my place,where we could find that loud music is always on. But certainly then lower the volume,if they are asked to do so.
I prefer eating in a cool, peaceful, calm and quiet place,with a very light music.. I don't find it comfortable with eating, when loud music is on,it actually hurts my ear.
1 person likes this
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
7 May 10
You're welcome. I found it interesting that they use music to try and "control" our eating and spending habits while there. I personally like some place calm and relaxing too :)
@Catkin (480)
• United States
8 May 10
It kind of depends where I'm eating and what kind of food I'm having, but I generally prefer a medium sound level, preferably dominated by music with light conversation as more of a background noise than obvious talking. I like to be able to hear what I'm saying, what anyone I'm with is saying, and not everything the person at the next table is going on about...loud neighbors are the worst (except on the rare occasion when you're at a booth in a restaurant and the adjacent conversation is amusing, so you sit and snicker to yourself, hoping they don't hear you, but knowing they can't see you :D). Loud, fast music will speed up just about anything I'm doing, including eating, so that method would work on me...if I ate at places that played loud, fast music!
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
I like medium sound levels too. I want to be able to speak with the people I'm there with. But not hear the person on the other side of the room (although that can be amusing sometimes, but usually just annoying). Omg I've done that before where you can hear the conversation next to you and you're trying not to laugh at them. But sometimes you overhear some very weird stuff and can't help it!
I think the fast music thing worked on me in a bar before. I know I drank faster and more. Now I'll always sit there and wonder if it's me or the music...
I've also eaten rather fast at a place before just to get away from some loud person who was complaining about everything. He ate all his food and then said "this was bad, I'm not paying for it." Um but you ate it all? How bad could it have been? He was mean to his waitress. I think I was chewing angrily and quickly so I could leave before I punched him lol.
@Catkin (480)
• United States
8 May 10
Heh heh, I'm getting some amusing mental images from your last paragraph...
Rude man: *complain loudly*
You: ( *glare...chewchewchew!*
Rude man: "this was bad, I'm not paying for it"
You: (!! *CHEWCHEWCHEW*
Or something like that. Man, I'm way too easily amused...but I wouldn't have it any other way! XD
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
There's nothing wrong with that. It means you'll never be bored!
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
12 May 10
Same here sweetie. I want to enjoy my food. Especially if it's something really yummy! :)
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
8 May 10
I used to their being some kind of background noise while I'm eating like the televistion or the buzz of conversation so a place with some quiet music is nice. I can't say I've ever had the misfortune of dining at a place that was very loud and hopefully I never do.
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
Yes when I eat at home, I usually have a tv on. It's not super loud, but loud enough that I can hear over my own chewing and know what's going on. So a little sound is perfectly normal to me. I would hate to eat in total silence. I think that would be weird! The only place I last ate at that was very loud kind of upset my stomach a little. I think all the noises were bad for my eating and I had a stomach ache the rest of the night :/
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
8 May 10
Hear hear.. I am with you on this. I am not into very noisy restaurants either.
But I don't like food joints that are too quiet. They need to be alive and have a good ambiance. But loud restaurants that would give me a ear ache? No thanks! lol.
I read the article at the link you had posted. That is quite interesting and makes sense too. But such a restaurant is not for me ;)
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
Yeah I agree their reasons for the loud fast music makes sense. But it's not for a lot of people. Sure I don't want it too quiet either... I don't want strangers on the other side of the room hearing me talk! But I don't want headaches over too much noise either. Heh and what if it was a song I couldn't stand? I would want to have that super loud blasting in my ears.
1 person likes this
@cbeee3 (2061)
• India
9 May 10
Oh yeah! The ear ache, the headache and then imagine having the song you can't stand get stuck in your head. You know that feeling, yeah? Then you will keep playing that song in your head over and over again, and curse yourself for it.
@nessosamu (193)
• Japan
8 May 10
Hi, kedralynn. it is OK or sometimes fun for me to eat in a loud restrant.
it all depends on what kind of music you can hear there.
even if it is loud, if the music suits the restaurant and i like the song, it doesn't bother me so much. plus if the song is one of my favorites, i would like them to turn it up!
but if the song is not my cap of tea and loud, i do not want to eat there.
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
Yeah I think if it was an annoying song, I'd be out of there too. It's hard to please everyone with music tho. If you like a song, there might be someone else there who doesn't like it. I think it might be hard picking music if you want to make everyone happy with it.
@nessosamu (193)
• Japan
8 May 10
yeah i agree. in that sense, like as you mentioned before, moderately volumed music might be a good idea. if you like the song, you can listen to it all ears. if don't, you just can ignore it. as long as it is not loud, it is much less annoying.
@GardenGerty (157551)
• United States
8 May 10
This is exactly the reason I do not like some popular chains of restaurants. They either have loud music or loud sports on, and you cannot have a good conversation. I want enough background sound, preferably music, that I do not feel that the whole world can hear what I am saying. I also think fast, loud music makes you eat faster, leave faster and they can put more people at that table and make more money.
@chimrani (1426)
• India
8 May 10
i prefer only peaceful environment for eating and drinking.In India most of the restaurants are not noisy because more than 70 % peoples here prefer quiet place for the meals..
its very hard for me to eat and drink in noisy place because we cannot get that taste that we want..
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
That's good. I mean I don't need total silence but I sure would like something calm and peaceful. It does sort of mess up the taste of the food when it's loud... It can ruin the whole experience.
@zzyw87 (1254)
• Philippines
8 May 10
I also read that article earlier. I agree with you. I don't like loud restaurants. When I enter one, I immediately exit. I especially don't like loud people who act like they are the only ones inside. Sometimes, I like quiet restaurants. Sometimes, I like having some sort of background music and a bit of chattering people around.
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
I don't mind hearing people talking. But I really don't like being able to hear EVERY word the people on the other side of the place are saying. Like you said, some people are just too loud. I like some background noise tho as I find it comforting. But not too much.
@cowboyofhell (3063)
• Philippines
8 May 10
When it comes to eating for me silence is the best policy. I need to pay attention to the taste of the food and not about the loud music. If the partially deaf need to hear music it should not be loud because it will further damage the ear. It's better to hear less noise than to hear more music.
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
Yeah I think I'd miss out on the food if the music was too loud. I'd be eating fast trying to get out of there. I want to be able to relax when I eat. I hear it's better for your health to eat slower and in peace anyway. I don't know if that's true but it's how I prefer to eat. And yeah too loud music will hurt your ears and your hearing. I don't want that.
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
I like to be able to hear the person I'm there with so we can talk too. Because otherwise you're just sitting there staring at each other and that could get weird. Especially if it was your boss!
@nehmer (607)
• Philippines
8 May 10
hi kedralynn, i prefer eating on a quiet restaurant because in a noisy restaurant it makes feel anoid and angry... it destroys my mood. i want to have a smooth music. a music that would make my day great... cause when i go to restaurants go with a date.. the girls want to have a quiet place to eat... how could you talk to each other if the restaurant is noisy hehehe =)
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
That makes sense. You want the experience to be relaxing. And yes on a date, it's better if you can hear what she's saying! Don't want each other to get mad when you can't hear what you're saying.
@CynicalStephen (283)
• New Zealand
8 May 10
Yea , I prefer the in between. Eating in a loud restaurant just discourages conversation between the people ur eating with. However in a quiet restaurant , you don't want to speak too loudly for fear of being the odd one out of all the diners.
Also I like it when my head isn't hurting from excess noise :/
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
Yeah too much noise gives me a headache too. And I wouldn't want the place to be too quiet either. I'm kinda shy about having everyone hear what I'm saying.
@cloud31 (5809)
•
7 May 10
Hello lynn,
I certainly like a quiet restaurant,here in my place we can find a lot of those restaurant, playing such loudly music but I really avoid myself to get into I prefer a place where there is a peace of mind, chat with friends and even reading some books while eating or drinking.I love music but at least not playing that loud.
Nice day lynn
@kedralynn (980)
• United States
8 May 10
Hi hun!
I have friends who go to night clubs and the music is so loud that you can't hear your friends talking to you. I don't like those places. They give me a headache. I like quiet cafes where I can read too. Or at least be able to chat with my friends and catch up with each other.
1 person likes this
