'Restaurants are just too loud': Diners complain about music noise when eating out

Author image for Ally Perry
Ally Perry • Writer and Editor
Feb 11, 2024 6:00 PM EST

By and large, most people want similar things when they go to eat out at a restaurant. They desire nice food, a welcoming ambiance, and the ability to converse with whoever they are dining with. 

Unfortunately, there is one common complaint that can put at least two of these wishes in jeopardy. It comes down to one factor: the background music in restaurants is just too darn loud. Theoretically, this should be a problem that is easy to fix, but it appears that a lot of establishments don't want to think about that.

The topic was recently the subject of a Twitter thread that bemoaned the unpleasantness of trying to eat in a noisy environment. Some suggested that this loudness could be the result of changing interior design trends affecting the acoustics, but all most knew was that it was very annoying. If it's painful for the customers, it can't be fun for anyone working in these places, either. 

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  • 01
    Guillaume Duteaud @g_duteaud Follow Cranky old guy moment: why is the music in restaurants so loud these days???
    via g_duteaud
  • 02
    Lau Gah Mah @MGIdeafix6 - 2d Replying to @g_duteaud I'm 22, and why is this otherwise very well decorated and ambiance-y cafe playing radioactive by imagine dragons at 1.2x normal speaking volume?
    via MGIdeafix6
  • 03
    le_renarde_amer @LeRenarde Amer Follow .... Replying to @g_duteaud I've asked and the restaurant said they were trying to "create a lively atmosphere". It was so f-ing "lively" we cut our meal short and didn't order drinks or dessert so they're losing money. I asked younger people and they said they hate it too.
    via LeRenardeAmer
  • 04
    @nearpoetics. 2d Replying to @g_duteaud LAX really doesn't need to play a bunch of Bad Bunny remixes at 6am
    via nearpoetics
  • 05
    Jacques-Larry David @Jean Luc_Lemur Replying to @g_duteaud Promotes turnover Follow
    via JeanLuc_Lemur
  • 06
    Wiz Kid @wizardmeister 2d Replying to @g_duteaud Not an old guy moment at all. Restaurants are just too loud in general unless there's no one there. Can't stand indoor areas with cement flooring. And then the music is turned up to cover the chatter. Sucks.
    via wizardmeister
  • 07
    Chewie 호주 츄바카 @seoulsurvivor68 Replying to @g_duteaud Nevermind restaurants. Follow Why are TV commercials 10x louder than the TV programs? Why is the background music in shows loud enough to drown out some of the dialogue?
    via seoulsurvivor68
  • 08
    Fignys @Fignys1.2d Replying to @g_duteaud I will leave a restaurant if the music is too loud Stopped caring about the sunk cost of making my way over there
    via Fignys1
  • 09
    Kemp @kempedmonds - 2d Replying to @g_duteaud Starting feeling that way in my mid 30s!
    via kempedmonds
  • 10
    | fash sorry, just saw this @fashy 2d Replying to @g_duteaud The same reason it always has been. People free up tables, make less mess, and tip more.
    via fashy
  • 11
    03 radek @RadekCdydd • 2d Replying to @g_duteaud I often ask restaurants to turn the music down
    via RadekCdydd
  • 12
    kate wagner @mcmansionhell. 3d the eradication of soft surfaces from restaurants for both stylistic and efficiency reasons created acoustic environments that are inherently reflective and inchoate and so people talk louder to hear each other and owners jack up the music as a response and a feedback loop begins
    via mcmansionhell
  • 13
    lousy smarch weather @craig_rangoon Follow One of my favorite things our local restaurant critic does is sneak a decibel meter into the restaurants he reviews So that he can measure how much current interior design trends have ruined the acoustics of new restaurants.
    via craig_rangoon
  • 14
    Kate @katebevan. 3d I too am this cranky old guy - can't stand loud music in restaurants, and I often ask them to turn it down. I want to be able to hear the people I'm eating with, please
    via katebevan
  • 15
    vivek @vivek_s2000-2d it's me I'm the cranky old guy and restaurants who do this can liquidate
    via vivek_s2000
  • 16
    : Ice Spice Tethered @ughjoonxie. 2d When did we as a society decide hiring djs to play at restaurants was okay?
    via ughjoonxie
  • 17
    Telissa @cutefont. 3d Its hard for those w sensory issues/ Autism too cause places are SO LOUD these days
    via cutefont
  • 18
    Boof Bader Ginsburg @GarfBoof 2d Please god someone listen to this guy
    via GarfBoof
  • 19
    O Scoish Velociraptor... @Requisitys Follow Nah I hate this so much cuz it's so unnecessary. Everyone is literally shouting to talk it's ridiculous
    via Requisitys
  • 20
    Thus with a kiss i die AndaliteBandit @AndaliteBandit 2d For that matter, why have retail stores all turned into dance clubs that blast jangly pop music at you? Supermarkets are only briefly tolerable, Target can be a downright pain in the neck, but Macy's and Michaels (the craft store) are the worst.
    via AndaliteBandit

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complaining Music twitter hospitality Twitter Thread restaurant customer noise complaint loud dining
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