Do You Listen To Your Restaurant?
You want the dining experience in your establishment to be pleasing to the eye, nose, and palate…but what about the ear? Your choice of indoor dining furniture could be THE KEY to a great experience for your patrons.
ATTENTION TO DETAIL IS KEY
Try this, sit at a table in your restaurant at the height of a busy period. Close your eyes and listen to the sounds around you. Is what you’re hearing enhancing the dining experience, or is it a distraction?
Recently, I was dining at a favorite familiar spot and was seated near the swinging kitchen doors. Hearing at least some noise from the kitchen is difficult to avoid, but on this particular evening, along with the noise of dishes and pots clanging, the door itself was making a very irritating squeak. Needless to say, it affected our meal.
Credit: Shutterstock.com
TAKE EXTRA CARE
All sorts of things can cause unintended noise in your establishment, and many can be easily remedied. Extra care taken by those bussing tables can not only reduce noise but also cut down on breakage (something as simple as wrapping flatware in napkins can reduce unwanted noise, for example). Coasters and/or placemats on bare tables can save the table top as well as cut down on sounds.
SILENCE YOUR FURNITURE
As for indoor dining furniture, the type of glides used on the legs of chairs and stools can be a huge source of sounds, especially if your establishment has high ceilings and uncarpeted floors. The wrong glides (or no glides at all) in a metal or wood chair frame can make for very irritating distractions. They should be checked regularly along with the table’s glides. Even the type of finish used on a tile or laminate floor can contribute to sound for better or worse.
Depending on your type of operation and its size, you may wish to tactfully mention on the menu or strategically placed signage that patrons’ cell phone ringers should be silenced.
Are the sounds of your establishment contributing to an inviting dining experience, or is it cause for a headache?
Maybe it’s time to start listening to what your restaurant is communicating to you and your patrons.
To learn more about BFM Seating’s catalog of indoor dining furniture, please click here or call us at 215-289-5411.
Image Credits: Licensed by Shutterstock.com
