We eat at restaurants on a regular basis. The food is primary; however, we find some aspects of restaurant ambience annoying. Sometimes these features can negate the quality of the meal. Here’s our list:
Noise. High ceilings and hard surfaces make for difficult conversations, especially for those who have hearing issues.
Music. Our favorite Vietnamese restaurant in Greensboro used to play the same CD over and over in an evening. I think it was a strategy to turn over the tables faster. “Oops, this is where we came in. Time to get the check.” At first it was the soundtrack from Dances with Wolves, then the Titanic CD got worn out. We had lunch today at a new Thai restaurant in downtown Seattle. The soundtrack was slow techno music, which drives me nuts.
Lighting. Aging eyes and dimly-lit restaurants make reading menus difficult. The most important reason to bring one’s cell phone to a restaurant is the flashlight app.
Seating. Some restaurant chairs may look stylish, but are highly uncomfortable. Think of the hard plastic booths in a fast food restaurant. They’re not meant for dawdling over your french fries. Even some high-end restaurants have chairs that are difficult to sit in for any length of time. The trend of barstool-height chairs and tables are off-putting to folks who are short or who get around in wheelchairs.
We’ve left restaurants because some of these issues. We looked into a new Mexican restaurant near our home. The noise was so overwhelming at the entrance that we didn’t bother trying to be seated. Potential restaurateurs would do well to consider the environment in which their food is served. If people aren’t comfortable when eating, they won’t return.
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