Rethinking Restaurant Noise: The Case for Equal Access for Noise-Sensitive People

Recent commentaries in the New York Post1 and on the Salon digital media website2 highlight the ongoing problem of restaurant noise. But restaurants weren't always noisy. Only 30 years ago, a study conducted by Battelle on behalf of the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (the predecessor federal agency to the U.S. Access Board) found that restaurant noise at the busiest time of day ranged from 55 to 68 -A-weighted decibels*, about the typical sound level of speech.3 Unfortunately, a restaurant that quiet is hard to find today.4www.shutterstock.com. Restaurant noise, noise, Quiet CommunitiesWhy are restaurants so much noisier now? In the past, many restaurants were furnished with heavy curtains, upholstered banquettes, and linen tablecloths, with a door separating the kitchen from the dining area. Nowadays many contain hard surfaces, loud background music, big-screen televisions, and open kitchens. Diners have noticed the change, with noise alternating with poor service as the leading complaint in the Zagat restaurant surveys.5 Why does restaurant noise matter? People don't go to restaurants only for the food; they want to talk with family or friends while they dine. For people with hearing loss and those with noise-sensitive conditions such as tinnitus, hyperacusis, autism, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), ambient noise is a disability rights issue.6 Loud restaurant noise make it difficult if not impossible to converse, exacerbates tinnitus and hyperacusis, and is intolerable for those with autism or PTSD. Additionally, restaurant noise is probably contributing to America's epidemic of loneliness and isolation, recently highlighted by the U.S. Surgeon General.7 Almost one-third of Americans over age 65 live alone.8 Loneliness and social isolation contribute to an increased risk of heart disease, stroke, dementia, and death.9 About half of Americans over age 65 have hearing loss, a figure that increases to at least 80% in those 80 and older.10 Hearing loss is associated with social isolation and loneliness.11 Speech-in-noise difficulty, the inability to follow one conversation among many, is also common in older people, for whom a restaurant meal may be the only time to meaningfully converse face to face with another human being. If people can't understand what others are saying, they eventually start declining invitations because it's just too frustrating or too embarrassing, to be unable to converse with their dining companions. Loneliness increases. Loud noise in restaurants, bars, and banquet venues may pose risks for restaurant staff as well as patrons. The American Public Health Association policy statement on noise12 discusses the hazards of noise. The new Academy of Pediatrics policy statement on noise and children13 states, "Noise affects people of all ages. Noise-induced hearing loss, a major problem for adults, is also a problem for young people… Noise exposure is underrecognized as a serious public health issue in the United States. Greater awareness of noise hazards is needed at a societal level." TAKING ACTION What can be done to make restaurants quieter? Designing quiet restaurants poses unique challenges.14 A restaurant has to look good. Ambient noise has to be low enough to allow diners at each table to converse, but sufficient to mask conversations at nearby tables. And because restaurants operate in a difficult regulatory and business environment, often with low profit margins, costs of design modifications matter. In two recent Zoom meetings, the Quiet Communities Working Group on Restaurant Noise discussed ways in which restaurants could be made quieter. The simplest way costs nothing: turn down the volume of any amplified music. There are several other no-cost and low-cost ways to make restaurants quieter. In our discussions, we borrowed ideas from retailers like Walmart, which recently took the initiative to reduce noise and lighting one day a week so that noise- and light-sensitive persons would be able to comfortably shop there.15 Examples of ideas proposed by the group include: Designating a quiet day once a week. Because Tuesday tends to be the slowest day for restaurants, it might be a good day to try quiet hours. Introducing daily quiet hours, for example, 5-6:30 p.m. People with auditory disabilities, PTSD, autism, and speech-in-noise difficulty might choose to dine early in a quiet restaurant. Creating a quiet space. Larger restaurants with multiple rooms could make one of these a quieter room, simply by turning down the background music. Reducing equipment noise. Coffee shops and restaurants could enclose coffee grinders or operate them in a separate room. Steps could be taken to reduce or eliminate the clanging of silver and the clink of dishes being stacked, a problem especially for those with hyperacusis. For restaurants with open kitchens, the selection of quieter equipment and exhaust fans, as well as treating the ceiling of the kitchens with durable, cleanable acoustic panels can have a dramatic effect on reducing the noise without significant cost. THE CASE FOR QUIET It's impossible to predict what restaurant noise levels will be without doing an acoustic analysis, but ambient noise is usually not a major planning consideration for the restaurateur, architect, and interior designer. Working Group member and acoustics consultant Steve Haas noted that for new restaurants, integrating acoustics into the design can be a cost-effective investment. There are a wide range of sound-absorbing finish materials that can significantly reduce the overall sound levels in dining areas, some of which can be applied to surfaces in existing restaurants. Controlling noise in restaurants is not an all-or-nothing endeavor. It's more about "taming" sound as opposed to "killing" it – setting a sonic ambiance in the same way that lighting can be adjusted to alter a mood with just the right level of control. Implementing some combination of the no-cost solutions described above combined with a modest level of acoustical treatment can markedly reduce noise levels. Our aim is to align the interests of restaurateurs with initiatives to create quiet. Some will say, "A quiet restaurant is a dying restaurant." History suggests otherwise, however, that making restaurants quieter will not result in revenue loss, but may instead result in a revenue gain. It may be hard to remember, but only 30 years ago, most restaurants still allowed smoking. A few had established no-smoking dining areas, but unfortunately secondhand smoke invariably seeped into the no-smoking area. In 1993, the Environmental Protection Agency determined that environmental tobacco smoke—the technical term for secondhand smoke—was a Class A carcinogen.16 No-smoking ordinances for restaurants were quickly passed in many cities, and then were expanded to cover retail stores, offices, public spaces, planes, and trains. Restaurateurs and bar owners voiced concerns about the revenue impact of no-smoking ordinances, but multiple studies showed that most restaurants suffered no loss of revenues and some even experienced small gains.17 Possible explanations include smokers adapting to no-smoking ordinances by stepping outside to smoke and non-smokers, who were staying home because they didn't want a side order of secondhand smoke with their meals, dining out more often. The transition to smoke-free dining may have gone smoothly because restaurateurs and bar owners noticed strong demand for seating in no-smoking areas even before smoking was disallowed. A SMOOTH TRANSITON Given the high level of customer dissatisfaction with restaurant noise levels, a transition to quieter restaurants may also go more smoothly than expected. Making restaurants quieter can also demonstrate commitment to inclusion, diversity, and equal opportunity by cultivating an environment where differences are embraced, building a culture that fosters a sense of belonging.18 Offering quiet hours or a quiet day would be a good way to start including those with auditory disorders, autism, or PTSD. These simple measures will cost restaurants little or nothing, and may even help grow their businesses. Quieter restaurants will contribute to a quieter, healthier, and better world for all. Disclosure: Quiet Communities, Inc. is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization that promotes quiet as a valuable natural resource and works to reduce harmful noise and related pollution. The Quiet Communities Working Group on Restaurant Noise includes Neil D, Donnenfeld MBA, Chair, and Jamie Banks, PhD, Chuck Elkins, JD, Daniel Fink, MD, Tricia Glass MSJ, Steve Haas, MSME, and Rick Reibstein, JD. The issue of restaurant noise is a personal one for members of the Working Group and for members of Quiet Communities, Inc., some of whom have hearing loss, tinnitus, hyperacusis, and/or speech-in-noise difficulty. *A-weighting adjusts unweighted sound measurements to approximate the frequencies heard in human speech. A-weighting undermeasures low frequency noise, such as heavy base notes in music or HVAC noise.