Do noisy restaurants damage hearing?

Many cafes and restaurants that you visit every day are noisy places. With people talking, background music and the sound of clattering plates coming from the kitchen, modern restaurants can be too noisy for our hearing. In a crowded restaurant, it can be difficult to hear even what your tablemates are saying, and you may have found yourself having to raise your voice to be heard more than once. Are noisy restaurants harmful to hearing?

Why are restaurants so noisy?

Designing a space with good acoustics is time-consuming , and building materials that absorb sound are more expensive, so they are simply saved when building the space.

Another reason why restaurants are so noisy is the fact that decorations that can dampen sounds, such as carpets, tapestries, heavy curtains or tablecloths, have fallen out of fashion in recent years in favor of sleeker designs and minimalism. Industrial spaces with high ceilings and minimal decoration may be trendy, but they make the space even louder.

The last reason is marketing. Restaurant owners want their place to live and bring positive feelings and a rush of energy to customers. They want to achieve all this with music. Thanks to the pleasant musical lubricant, the restaurant seems livelier and more interesting. In addition, the music also provides customers with a certain amount of privacy for their conversations and tries to mask the unpleasant sounds of clinking cutlery and plates.

Noise in a restaurant is harmful to health

Not only is restaurant noise annoying, but it can actually be a health hazard, and noisy restaurants damage your hearing. Very loud places can be so irritating to your hearing that they can even cause pain. Many restaurants have noise levels that reach up to 85 decibels. Prolonged exposure to sounds of this volume can cause hearing loss.

How to solve dangerous noise in a restaurant?

The ideal solution is the remodeling of the space combined with turnkey soundproofing. Hire a professional company that covers the entire restaurant soundproofing process - from noise measurements to custom implementation.

To protect the hearing of your employees and customers in the restaurant, consider adding carpets, tablecloths and curtains to the area that partially absorb sound, and you can also turn down the background music at least a little.