Restaurant and Bar Acoustics
Optimum acoustics for customers
There is always a tension between a restaurant or bar that sounds vibrant and one that sounds too noisy. Ideally, it is quiet enough that customers can hear their friends but noisy enough that they can’t understand other conversations. In this case it will have good ambience and customers will want to come back. Reliable acoustic engineering calculations are more cost effective than the “try it and see” approach.
Important factors
Acoustic panels of any type that are used in a restaurant or bar need to meet some critical criteria;
They must have compliance to the Building Code of Australia for Fire Hazard Safety (BCA C1.10)
They should be mould and bacteria resistant
They should be cleanable
They should have a good absorption coefficient that covers the range of speech
They should not fade or collapse over time
What does it look like?
The common foam or glasswool panels used in studios stand out like cheap, tardy after thoughts. The best option is to either make something that is hidden or make custom absorbers that fit with the decor. They can even be made into a feature combined with lighting, surface finishes etc.