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My latest for The Atlantic: How Restaurants Got So Loud (Patreon)

Published:
2018-11-27 16:50:23
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Finally putting my acoustics degree to good use!

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How Restaurants Got So Loud

Fashionable minimalism replaced plush opulence. That's a recipe for commotion. Let me describe what I hear as I sit in a coffee shop writing this article. It's late morning on a Saturday, between the breakfast and lunch rushes. People talk in hushed voices at tables. The staff make pithy jokes amongst themselves, enjoying the downtime.

Comments

Anonymous

as a fellow designer (landscape architect) and acoustics-trained person (no bachelors but I have an associates in sound technology and have done lots of sound-treating in home studios for people), great article. I always try to take sound considerations into account when creating my own designs and I believe it should be a top priority for any designed environment. Even if its as simple as diffusion and some low-frequency absorption, it can go a long way towards taking a space from "garbled mess" to "pleasantly lively."

Anonymous

Oh my goodness, THANK YOU. Here's what these noisy restaurants have done for us - we rarely eat out anymore. This trend definitely started in the 80s when they ceased installing any type of acoustic ceiling and just painted everything a flat black all the way up to the HVAC ductwork. It's so annoying to go out for a meal and not be able to hear the person across the table. I am in the Kansas City area and there are very few restaurants we like, and it's primarily places that are quiet.