As a restauranteur, you are probably mainly focused on appealing to people’s sense of taste. Well, that’s good, but when you own a restaurant, you will find better success if you were to focus on all five senses.
The reality of the situation is that all five senses are intricately linked. Each of your senses influences the others and can affect you in many ways. The total human experience calls for all five senses, which means you need to involve smell, touch, taste, sight and hearing when creating the perfect atmosphere for your restaurant.
Think about the last time you were at a restaurant, did you pay attention to the smells, sights and sounds?
Music plays a huge role in the overall guest experience. There is plenty of research that supports the theory that music impacts flavor perception, how much you drink and how much you eat. It’s not important to learn that higher pitches tend to bring out sweetness, what is important is that you discover music your patrons will like and play it at a volume that people enjoy. Loud music might make people drink more, but it will also scare some people away.
Custom Channels, your source for restaurant music, offers a few tips about restaurant music.
Adapt for the Time of Day
The time of day should dictate music tempo, volume and even genre. Your lunch crowd might call for music that is faster-paced that is at medium volume. People eat quickly so they can get back to work and fast-paced music makes people eat faster.
The medium volume adds to a private business conversation without being too overbearing.
At dinner, slow down the music a bit and turn up the volume just a bit more than during lunch. This will keep energy high and encourage patrons to stay and have another round of drinks.
Be Consistent with Music Choices
Your brand is heavily influenced by the type of music you play. If you choose to play classical music, you should see a surge in fine wine sales. Of course, you may not cater to such an uppity crowd and classical music might not be appreciated by your patrons.
In choosing music, think about what will fit with the overall vibe of your restaurant. Have common links in the music you choose, but make sure you have enough variety so that your music doesn’t get old and stale. Never compromise on variety.
Focus on Volume
Let us start with the obvious: If your music is too loud, it will drive customers away.
But, music played too quietly can drive customers away as well. This is because they think that your restaurant is getting ready to close up.
But between these two extremes, the effects of the volume are somewhat straightforward. Just as the volume is important, so is genre and pace. People expect certain music to be played loudly, like rock and roll or example. You should never play Led Zeppelin too quietly.
Age and gender also play a role in volume. Younger people tend to stick around in places that play louder music while older people enjoy soft music in the background.
Adjust the volume according to the type of crowd you have in your restaurant.
Speed and Tempo
Studies show that faster-paced music makes people eat faster. Making your patrons rush through dinner is never the goal, but a higher turnover does mean higher profits.
Slowing down the tempo of music can influence your patrons to linger a little longer and have another drink or dessert.
If you are tone-deaf or would just like help choosing the music for your restaurant, Custom Channels can help. Contact us today.