Dining out is about more than just the food for many people. The music is a big part of the overall atmosphere and experience. Finding or making the ideal playlist can set the mood. Some eateries blast music, others let wait staff pick, and still others play inappropriate tunes at inappropriate times. Each of these factors has the potential to detract from the customer’s overall experience.
Multiple studies have shown that playing music in a restaurant can draw in more diners and boost sales; specifically, slow music can encourage diners to linger and spend more money. This is because patrons are more likely to rush through their meals when upbeat music is playing. Listening to slow music has the same effect on diners; they sip their drinks more slowly, eat less quickly, and are more likely to finish their meal with dessert and coffee.
Characteristics of Dining Establishments
You should use the character of your restaurant as a guiding principle when selecting the tunes to play in your eatery. This in no way reflects the character of the employees or the business owner. Surely it’s due to the restaurant’s unique character. Think about how you’ll decorate it and where you’ll put things. To what extent does the restaurant have a buzz? Does the menu have any distinct characteristics? Think about all this and other relevant details, and then ask yourself what genre of music best captures the mood you’ve just created.
Hour of the Day
In your opinion, what types of music would be appropriate for your bar or restaurant? Choose music for the bar or restaurant with the time of day in mind. Fridays are lively, exciting, and busy, while lunchtime diners may prefer a more relaxed atmosphere. Weekend brunch calls for a more relaxed atmosphere, and the evening can feature throwback tunes from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s.
Customers have already selected or chosen
To play music or not to play music in a bar or restaurant presents a dilemma. Never assume that everyone in the establishment will enjoy a customer’s musical selection. A negative response should be expected if the wrong song is played. This is not likely to occur if you have a jukebox set to play music in styles appropriate for your company. Never let the pursuit of perfection consume you as you compile your own playlist. Stream some tunes from your favorite online music service, like Pandora, Spotify, or any of the others. These sites offer a large catalog of songs from a specific style of music.
Set ground rules if employees will be allowed to pick their own tunes. The music in your business should not be offensive or annoying to your clientele. This includes songs with explicit lyrics, heavy metal, and rap, unless they are appropriate for a restaurant or bar.
Constantly keep the volume of any musical accompaniment to a minimum. Diners would rather be friends with your eatery than enemies.