I eat out a lot.
And I have one major pet peeve when I eat out. You’d think it’d be the quality of the food, or the decor, or the service. No. It’s the volume at which the establishment plays its music and/or the type of music the restaurant decides to play. Creating a positive experience in a restaurant is no easy task. There are so many factors that can make or break your experience…and ultimately, your decision to come back or not.
I mean, I get why. The music is probably the most overlooked aspect of the restauranteur’s duties. He/She has so much to tend to, that the music and the volume at which it is played is probably an after-thought. And it probably isn’t even considered in most cases. Whoever is on shift probably gets to control the company iPod….which can lead to havoc.
You don’t know how many times I’ve been sitting in a place, having a perfectly acceptable eating experience, then the music comes on and smashes away my contented heart like a tuning fork to fine China. It’s a shame. You don’t want to be that asshole that asks the manager to shut off or turn down the music. So you probably just walk out thinking “Too bad. I’ll never go back there again. It was quite good.” Often times, I’ve wanted to offer my services in helping them consult on this. I wonder if there are companies that do this?
Well, if any restaurant owners are reading this, I would love to offer our services—pro bono—for now at least. Consider it in exchange for services as we launch our new division: Audio Ideation & Consultation.
Here are some places that could really use our help:
- L’Express on Park Ave. Really? A French Bistro open 24 hrs a day playing ear-deafening Black Eyes Peas and Shakira?
- Momofuku Noodle Bar on 1st Ave. I get it. Rock and roll. Rebel yell. You’re a bad boy. But I like to actually talk to and listen to the person I am eating with!
- Ippudo on Lafayette. Great ramen. Too bad they are trying to make the place feel like a Berlin techno rave from 1992.
And here are some places that got it right:
- Cocoron on Delancey. This place goes to show variety is not necessarily the spice of life. This soba heaven plays ONE CD on repeat FOREVER. EVERY DAY. Sounds annoying right? But somehow, it works perfectly.
- Cheesecake Factory. They play some really good jams in this mega-chain. And at just the right volume. Usually steers on the side of Classic Soul, R+B, Funk…Not sure what the has to do with cheesecake…but I love it.
- Hill Country on 24th St: I don’t always love quiet. It can be loud…there just needs to be a reason for it. And the vibe at Hill Country befits the honkytonk country and bluegrass it pumps out.
- Roberta’s in Bushwick: Great soundtrack befitting it’s BK backward. Played at the perfect volume that straddles “good times” with “wow, I can hear you loud and clear!”
You got any favorites or non-favorites? Let me know…
MOMO’s around the corner from Roberta’s!
Superb.
PS this is a disgusting idea. Damn you! (shakes fist in mock consternation).
A friend and I were discussing such services a few days ago, however, restauraunts failed to come to mind. That said I feel like plenty of places could use some more soul, jazz, and funk. And even some reggae, granted it’s classy.
I do know that there are companies/individual consultants out there that do program ipods with specific playlists and what not. However most managers dont feel that its a warranted cost. Most think they can do it themselves. Most of the times they couldnt be more wrong.
First Food and Bar in the Palazzo