Minimalist design trends usually to blame for noisy restaurants, audio expert says - Sensationalist Headlines

I've suppressed all memories of school lunch rooms and this is bringing them back.

Sometimes in busy restaurants when there's families who don't know how to quiet their wailing babies I just get my food to go and leave instead.

[QUOTE=Pascall;52624475]Anyway, back on topic: Is it because restaurants are so much larger and have so little furniture/decorations in them that sound echoes in there more loudly? I've had some issues in some restaurants but it's usually just because I caught them at their rush hour. But I don't think I've been in a restaurant that, on a normal operating day, is excessive. But then again, I can't say I've really been into any higher end "modern" restaurants lately either.[/QUOTE] The design of restaurants have changed in recent times. They are now more likely to feature open-plan designs, meaning a sound made in one area of the restaurant can easily travel throughout the whole restaurant, compared to compartmentalised plans, where sounds can be somewhat contained. Also, the materials used in construction differs compared to the past - eg correct me if I'm wrong, but materials such as wood and fabrics can somewhat absorb sound waves, rather than the materials that they are constructed from now (steel etc), which reflect much more of the sound. Why is it done? Cheaper to build and maintain, apparently. There's also a theory that restaurant managers use the terrible acoustics to their advantage, in the belief that customers will try to get through their meals faster, so they can spend up seating more customers in a single night.

I typically don't mind noise since my brain filters it very well, but there's times where I [I]notice[/I] how loud things are and then it's impossible to notice anything else. Restaurants are one of the places where that happened to me and it's the worst. It doesn't cause any anxiety or anything, it's just fucking jarring how one minute you can be minding your own business and the second that follows all you can think about is how you actually haven't been able to hear a single coherent sound in the cacophony that surrounds you.

[QUOTE=Vitisus;52624318]There's a difference between 'wah I dislike being uncomfortable and not pandered to' and 'holy fuck, my brain feels like it's collapsing in on itself from all of this sheer, chaotic sensory input'. The latter is a legitimate mental issue prevalent in people with attention disorders or on the autistic spectrum (regardless of level of functionality) and it really fucks with them. Unmanaged noise can be stressful even to people with standard cognition and senses because it's shitty loud noises and nobody likes being half-deaf when they're trying to just relax. also this is a pretty shitty place for a "society is going to the dogs!!" screed regardless[/QUOTE] Yeah noise is extremely painful for me, and while I've mostly gotten used to it (used to break down and cry all the time in noisy places as a child), I still despise loud environments to death. Didn't know that this was something that was common for those with ADD and autism, thanks for the insight! [QUOTE=DinoJesus;52624322]He's being a dick about it, but almost crying over a loud restaurant is really overdramatic.[/QUOTE] It's not about being dramatic. Being in a loud restaurant, for me, is one of the most painful things in the world. I'd rather break all my fingers and toes before I'd willingly be in such a place (and I've broken my toes several times in the past). It's one of the most overwhelming, stressful, and outright painful experiences out there, and it gives me a little comfort that I'm not alone or some kind of baby and it's a legitimate mental disorder.

[QUOTE=Pascall;52624475]Anyway, back on topic: Is it because restaurants are so much larger and have so little furniture/decorations in them that sound echoes in there more loudly? I've had some issues in some restaurants but it's usually just because I caught them at their rush hour. But I don't think I've been in a restaurant that, on a normal operating day, is excessive. But then again, I can't say I've really been into any higher end "modern" restaurants lately either.[/QUOTE] A place by me called Bakers square was a prime example, as they used to have a nice secluded feel to the booths, with high wooden backs and acoustic tile on the ceiling. It was like cozy cubicles for dining, a very nice atmosphere and good place to go for good food and a relaxing chat. The place got the bold idea to modernize, and removed the high booths in favor of low backs, and ripped out the booth cluster in the center of the place in favor of a bunch of open round tables. Place was instantly screaming children and guests talking over other guests forever. Beyond this, they changed a lot of the menu around, and nothing ever sits right when you eat there anymore, it's awful and a bit heardbreaking given how fondly I remember the place The worst offender of the design, but they've always been like this, is cracker barrel. Fucking place is wood floors, wood ceilings, wood walls, and open tables. Echo chamber in the most literal sense

Whenever I go out to resturaunts here, even the open space minimalist ones are quiet. Perhaps it's just a cultural/regional thing?

A lot of the minimalist space businesses i've been to also have sound deadening or absorbing materials or installations in place to prevent this. Though, high-noise minimalist buildings are quite annoying to be in when they're slammed. Maybe we'll see a shift towards more absorbent materials in the future, because I love the minimalist look.

As I have tinnitus I am able to drone out any loud noises so when I am at a place where it gets loud, such as a restaurant, I just tune out the noise That doesn't mean it is less annoying to experience, I would vastly prefer is restaurants took measures to reduce the excessive volume

I am one of the people who suffer from sensory overload in ultra loud places like this (and especially from bright lights as well, I pretty much always have to have a hat on to keep those fluorescent lights schools and such have out of my eyes), but whatever, that's why I'm making this post. So, let me ask you a question. When you think of "Taco Bell Building", what do you think of? You'd think of something like this, right? [t]https://deadseriousness.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/taco-bell.jpg[/t] [t]http://dininginthesmokies.com/_pigforge/taco_bell_pigeon_forge_3310_peek_inside_photo3of4b.jpg[/t] Well, apparently that's not "hip" or "stylish" enough for Taco Bell, so instead they make their joints look like this now, which is just fucking trash. [t]http://www.mmecarchitecture.com/page_elements/467_1200_900.jpg[/t] They tore down an old style Taco Bell near where I lived and replaced it with one of the new ones that look like that. They don't put any fucking effort into making the place's insides look good at all anymore, either. Like, maybe it's different then other ones around, but the only one I've went too in years had no decorations at all and looked like they where running it out of a miniature abandoned factory building, and I'm not even kidding. All they had was a bunch of metal chairs and tables in a room with no paint on the drywall and a metal, high ceiling. I've never gotten the impression of "give us your money then go fuck off" like this from a fucking fast food place before and it felt awful. And I'm sure it isn't "they're still setting the place up" because if so holy shit they are slow as fuck doing so because it's been over a year and a half now. I really don't understand this trend by fast food corps at all. You're fucking Taco Bell, you're fucking McDonald's, you're fucking KFC. You don't need to make your damn buildings look "sleek", because absolutely no one gives a god damn shit and just wants to get their food and leave.

[QUOTE=BF;52624489]There's also a theory that restaurant managers use the terrible acoustics to their advantage, in the belief that customers will try to get through their meals faster, so they can spend up seating more customers in a single night.[/QUOTE] definitely not just a theory. coffee shops and bars in the US go so far as to deliberately get uncomfortable furniture to keep people from overstaying. [editline]28th August 2017[/editline] if you've ever closed out a bar you'll probably have noticed the bartender(s) turn the music waaaay up just after last call, same deal

I can't say I've ever noticed this anywhere, but maybe I haven't been to a "minimalist" restaurant. Usually when I'm out eating, the voices of other people or the music just blend into a sort of atmosphere of sound that makes it more comfortable. Especially if the restaurant has booth, bonus points for corner booth.

[QUOTE=grob;52624326]Well, my point was that everyone goes through tough shit in their lifetime, we all do. It's just it seems like more people make mountains out of mole-hills when telling other people about it, lately. For pity bucks, or to say "I've been through some shit man"; when in reality you just dealt with a loud noise.[/QUOTE] This is the type of shit why mental health issues are so bad in this country.

[QUOTE=Megadave;52624857]This is the type of shit why mental health issues are so bad in this country.[/QUOTE] It's why anxiety attacks are usually so bad. You get anxious about something, and then you get more anxious about people looking at you wrong and it just intensifies from there.

[QUOTE=BF;52624489] Why is it done? Cheaper to build and maintain, apparently. There's also a theory that restaurant managers use the terrible acoustics to their advantage, in the belief that customers will try to get through their meals faster, so they can spend up seating more customers in a single night.[/QUOTE] If I'm stressed I will definitely eat faster. Especially if the music is super loud.

I don't know whether it's just the nature of forums providing anonymity that allows people to open up with their issues, or if forums / the internet attracts people with issues (as people without don't spend as much time on the internet). I find it a bit shocking that so many FPers have sensory overload problems. And seeing how many of you are saying loud restaurants make you uneasy as well. But then correlation =/= causation. Maybe people in day to day life don't open up about these things cause of social taboo or whatever, but it'd be crazy to think a lot of people around me suffer with tonnes of issues I'm not even aware of.

[QUOTE=loopoo;52625086]I don't know whether it's just the nature of forums providing anonymity that allows people to open up with their issues, or if forums / the internet attracts people with issues (as people without don't spend as much time on the internet). I find it a bit shocking that so many FPers have sensory overload problems. And seeing how many of you are saying loud restaurants make you uneasy as well. But then correlation =/= causation. Maybe people in day to day life don't open up about these things cause of social taboo or whatever, but it'd be crazy to think a lot of people around me suffer with tonnes of issues I'm not even aware of.[/QUOTE] This thread has about 2,200 views but only 50 posts, with half of those posts being people arguing about someone being insensitive. Given that there's more of a reason to share a negative experience relevant to the thread rather than stating that they themselves are not adversely impacted, people who suffer from anxiety or similar are rather overrepresented. But even then, there have been studies of restaurants all around the world, including upmarket restaurants in the UK, where restaurant noise regularly exceeds 100 decibels, which is not very healthy for anyone (without hearing protection) at all.

the places i go to are usual on quiet nights if i do go out. i'd much rather order food for takeaway and eat with friends at a park or at home but not everywhere lets you do that.

-Actually, I don't want to be part of this discussion-

Couldn't they just get something like this [t]http://i.imgur.com/ltN2yZN.jpg[/t] We had those at my classroom at my first school, and they were crazy good at removing noise

In Israel there's this new bizarre fashion of having really loud music playing at the restaurant so that people who come to eat can't even talk to each other. But whenever I'm at a restaurant 90% of the people I see are just eating and staring at their phones anyway, so it's hardly surprising.

[QUOTE=The golden;52624054]Noise is one of the big reasons that I don't like going to restaurants anymore. They are just so fucking loud inside that my sensitive ears cannot take it. Just about broke down crying at one because it was stressing me out so much. You can't even talk to the person across the table from you. It's fucking ridiculous.[/QUOTE] I don't know why this is being rated dumb. Social anxiety or not I can imagine this being very stressful Now imagine working at a restaurant and being forced to walk past the live band 5 feet in front of their amps with the volume maxed out. Being a server at a bar is fucking terrible

I just hate it because I just want to chill and talk with whoever I'm there with. The whole open room shit sucks at office jobs as well.

[QUOTE=grob;52624255]You know, I hate to be rude; but why are people becoming so complacent with not able to handle things? I see it a lot recently; as if people are fishing for pity bucks. If you wanna talk about something being ridiculous, the noise in restaurants is not it. You started crying in public while out with friends/family because other people talking was "stressing you out too much"? Come on. Really?[/QUOTE] People have different stress triggers. Have some damn tact.

Minimalist design is bad in almost every way. Not just noise, its the fact that no place or company has uniqueness to it anymore, its just gotta be white and square!

I'm fine with loud ambient droning but loud unexpected noises stress me out.

[QUOTE=AtomicSans;52624231]Anxiety caused by sensory overload is totally real, and I've had to deal with it at restaurants before. It sucks and makes it impossible to hold a conversation when you're just trying to keep yourself together[/QUOTE] Can confirm, have hypersensitivity issues in my neck. Decided it was a good idea at one point to go see fireworks with my ex, and the awkward situation and visual/auditory stimuli ended up causing me to focus on my neck and I ended up causing a massive anxiety attack because my neck felt so weird that I no longer had enough mental capacity to focus on literally anything else. I don't normally suffer from visual/auditory sensory overload, but that shit just hits out of nowhere and is far and beyond physically draining and lasts hours at a time even after the visual/auditory stimuli is removed. I have no idea if people who claim that it is one of the most stressful events they can possibly imagine have experienced it to the same degree as the couple of times I have, so I can only assume that it can be worse. But if you haven't experienced a sensory overload attack, please don't assume that its just a 'the world is ending because it was loud in a restaurant'. It is a massively different situation than you think it is.

I despise loud noises. If I'm in a situation where it's just constant, sustained noise with no hope for relief, I'll usually find some excuse to leave. Thankfully I haven't experienced this in restaurants, but there are a ton of other situations where noise is unbearable. My biggest peeve is when someone drives by with a super loud truck or motorcycle. It's just so miserably loud and it completely wrecks my train of thought. All your attempts to compensate are just making me hate you more, buddy. But now watch, someone who likes to make his engine roar as loud as possible is probably going to insult me for being overly sensitive.

This could easily be fixed with some proper acoustic treatment on the walls. I live next to a main road, nearly every single day i wake up with fucking police/fire truck sirens and then go to sleep with, again, fucking police and fire truck sirens. Then yes, there are also those overcompensating assholes who think they're super cool for having loud exhaust systems on their bikes/cars. Now I'm not one to be affected by loud noises too much, but I can definitely see the problem with sound pollution. And not fixing sound pollution in restaurants is a straight up bitch move on the owners part.

[QUOTE=DinoJesus;52624424]Don't get me wrong I believe it's real. I just have a hard time believing a restaurant can be so overwhelmingly loud. Like sure it's annoying, but it's a level of noise that's fairly common, in my life atleast.[/QUOTE] Going to Pizzahut here is nearly unbearable with the ammount of noise people make inside, and I hear pretty well. Same thing go for bars.