It’s a Friday night and the nine-to-five crowd is just getting out of work. Many of them are looking to go out for a meal with their friends or family to catch up, vent, kick off the weekend, or simply relax and wind down. All that’s left is to pick the right spot. But the question is: what’s the right restaurant for the occasion? The food, pricing, and service quality all factor into that decision, but there’s another key part of the equation — the restaurant’s atmosphere.

There might be dozens of Italian restaurants in the area, but only one of them has the authentic decor and music that brings back memories of that post-college backpacking trip with friends. Or maybe someone wants to celebrate an anniversary at the gastropub where they met their significant other. Regardless of the occasion, the most memorable dining experiences are often tied closely to the ambiance within the restaurant.

In fact, recent surveys find that nearly 60% of Americans believe the atmosphere is the most important factor for determining where to eat — more so than recommendations from family and friends, positive online reviews, or even the speed of service. Clearly, curating a great restaurant experience is essential to long-term success.

In this post, we’ll take a look at what goes into creating the ideal atmosphere and how the  music you play is central to this process.

• How to create the perfect atmosphere in a restaurant
• Provide a visual experience with decor, lighting, and furniture
• Establish your restaurant brand with a theme
• Elevate the ambiance with background music
• How the right background music amplifies your atmosphere
• The presence of music makes food taste better
• Tempo determines the pace of a meal
• Genre increases both spending and perceived authenticity
• Volume determines the quality of the experience
• Create the perfect restaurant atmosphere with Sonos Pro

Unforgettable dining experiences begin with your restaurant atmosphere

The late chef Anthony Bourdain once said, “I think food, culture, people, and landscape are all absolutely inseparable.” What he outlines here is that the dining experience is about much more than just the food itself — it’s about the thoughts, memories, feelings, and sensations it elicits.

The atmosphere in your restaurant is created by combining tangible and intangible elements to influence the dining experience of each customer. Tangible components like the food, decor, lighting, and music interact with intangible elements like culture, theme, and the overall “vibe” of the restaurant.

For instance, a fine-dining French restaurant may create a luxurious ambiance using dim lighting, elegant decor, and the soothing melodies of classical music. A trendy brunch spot, on the other hand, might embrace natural light, colorful decor, and vibrant sounds to inspire a lively crowd.

As a restaurateur, you already have the food and service figured out — here’s how you can make sure your visuals, theme, and music work together with the rest to improve your restaurant experience.

How to create the perfect atmosphere in a restaurant

There’s an art to creating the perfect ambience in your restaurant. From the lighting and decor to the restaurant name and theme, all of these components work together to set the stage for a particular experience.

In addition to the food itself, the decor should align with a central theme to represent the restaurant’s identity, its personality. From there, the background music you play helps bring the experience to life.

Here’s how you do it.

This includes art, cutlery, glass and tableware, lighting, and anything else they see that will impact the customers’ perception of the restaurant.

For example, a fusion restaurant might recreate the energy and cultural authenticity of the Thai floating markets by using boat-shaped decor, brightly colored umbrellas, hanging lanterns, and blue lighting to create the effect of being on a river in Bangkok.

Music plays a vital role in shaping the theme and brand of your restaurant. But even more importantly, it shapes the customer’s perception of the dining experience in a variety of ways.

How the right background music amplifies the restaurant atmosphere

Music is one of the most important, yet often overlooked, parts of a restaurant’s ambiance. It accentuates the sensory experiences from the food and influences how much time and money customers spend. Studies have even indicated that the right background music can affect tipping behavior in certain demographics.

The presence of music makes food taste better

Layering sensory experiences on top of one another can have an additive effect on our perception of experiences. Sound and taste are one of those powerful combinations. Research from the Psychology of Music finds that people’s rating of deserts increases across a variety of flavors in the presence of their preferred music versus its absence.

Positive music decreases the impact of long wait times

Having a long wait list during peak hours is a great problem for any restaurant owner to have, but it’s also the cause of poor dining experiences. Standing around in a waiting area is a frustrating experience, but you can reduce those negative emotions by playing positive music to diffuse the situation and create a relaxing atmosphere for your customers.

Tempo determines the pace and size of a meal

Restaurants can use the tempo of background music to set the pace of a meal. Studies show that high-tempo music increases the overall duration of the meal and the amount of food and drink they order.  So, whether you want to lengthen meals for more upselling opportunities or drive turnover to generate more business, the music’s tempo can significantly influence the dining speed of your patrons.

Genre increases both spending and perceived authenticity

It’s not just the mere presence of music that impacts your customers; the genre has a specific influence on both how much they spend and how authentic they believe your restaurant is. For restaurants offering cuisine from a specific region or culture, playing music from that area enhances patrons’ perception of the food’s authenticity.

Volume determines the quality of the experience

Naturally, the volume of background music greatly impacts diners and their perception of your restaurant. You need to identify a volume level that enhances the dining experience without becoming a distraction. For instance, research shows that cafes and coffee shops with both loud music and full tables increases the likelihood of negative customer experiences.

Create the perfect restaurant atmosphere with Sonos Pro

Since background music is so important to your restaurant experience, investing in a complete sound solution will help you easily set the tone of your space. As a pioneer in multi-room audio, Sonos has revolutionized how listeners experience their favorite music in the comfort of their own homes. Now Sonos is taking its expertise and premium speakers to enhance the soundscapes of restaurants, cafes, and other businesses with Sonos Pro.

Sonos Pro provides business owners with a complete sound solution that includes best-in-class speakers, commercially-licensed music, and an online dashboard that lets you easily control the system from anywhere. Together, these elements give you control over the atmosphere in your restaurant and also provide you with the following:

• Remote monitoring and management: Gain a high-level view of the playlist, volume, and other settings across each location with the Sonos Pro Dashboard, so you can monitor and manage your restaurant sound from anywhere.
• Music and control that work for you: Explore Sonos’s catalog of commercially-licensed music and find the playlist that perfectly accentuates your restaurant brand and theme.
• Premium product support: Access a success manager or on-demand product specialists to quickly resolve issues, minimize downtime, and bring the vibes that create memorable dining experiences for your customers.
• Unrivaled sound experience: Amplify your atmosphere with best-in-class sound quality from Sonos speakers, and create memorable experiences that keep customers coming back.

Check out the Sonos Pro plan and pricing and find that perfect playlist to accentuate your food, brand, and atmosphere.

*Sonos Pro is only available in certain territories.