Restaurants part 3: The acoustics of dining spaces

Abstract

Restaurants are spaces where people gather to eat, talk, share, and spend time. They are also facilities where food is prepared and served to others. Restaurants have garnered much attention over the last several years as having high sound levels with some customers having difficulty in communication among patrons and staff. However, spaces such as cafeterias, dining rooms in country clubs, retirement centers, and hospitals serve similar functions as restaurants and suffer from similar acoustic issues. Acoustic measurements of alpha bar, reverberation time, reflected sound energy, noise reduction, and STI were made in various types of dining spaces that have required acoustic treatment. Data from these types of spaces have been added to the data previously collected at restaurants, to provide general information about the acoustics of dining spaces. The results show that dining spaces can be broken into similar treatment categories, regardless of the specific type of space. The sample of rooms was also analyzed by architectural and interior design style to identify design trends that affect the acoustical metrics in dining spaces.