AIBU to think that too many restaurants play their music ridiculously loud

[DingDongDenny]

We were visiting a small touristy village in Scotland last week with relatives and stopped to have lunch at a restaurant by the river.

When we walked in, there was only two other people there, despite it being lunch time. I had picked it because I liked the menu online, the view was good and the seating area was lovely, with comfy chairs overlooking the water. But as we sat down we realised the music was really loud, like nightclub levels, and we couldn't hear each other speak. The other couple were just glued to their phones.

I asked the waiter if he could please turn it down a bit and he said he gets asked that a lot, but the Manager won't let them. We decided to not to stay and on the way out I said to one of the staff that we were leaving as the music was too loud and she didn't reply, just looked at me like I was something stuck to the bottom of her shoe. We clearly weren't the demographic they were aiming for 🙄but then most of the tourists were either families or middle aged folk like us.

We ended up going to the cafe next door, which was heaving with folk and even there you could still hear their music.

AIBU to think that the comfort of your customers is more important than the 'vibe' you are trying to create. And that far too many restaurants have music that is way too loud and ruins the experience for most people, who are there to chat and enjoy the company of friends and family.

I always lie and say that I have hearing impairment, they actually have to turn it down or be in breach of disability legislation.

What restaurants so I can avoid lol

Totally agree. Isn't the whole point in going out to dinner to enjoy conversation, which is nigh on impossible when there is music blasting.

I was beginning to think it was just me though, for example I went to the cinema yesterday and it was SO LOUD! Why do they have to turn up the volume so that your seat is vibrating?! I just don't get it?

How loud is too loud as everyone has a different perception.
Places without atmosphere can seem ABIT dead
Maybe they should let you turn it down to exactly the right comfort level for you and then hope that's the right volume for EVERYONE.

I think they do it deter people from loitering! It's not just restaurants that do this though,I've had to ask them a couple of times to turn down the music a bit in the Costa's that I regularly visit.. I felt like I was sitting in a night club,not a coffee shop. It was impossible to hold a conversation without shouting.

Loud music at the gym is pretty annoying too when there's different music being played for different classes and areas - it can feel like absolute torment. Thankfully when we fed it back to them they turned off the music in the gym when the cycle class was running, it was still bad but not as bad.

I 💯 agree! Not just the volume, either, but the type of music. People will settle down, order drinks, coffee or desserts, if they are relaxed and happy. The 'vibe' is about keeping the staff happy in many cases. Personally I like the sound of people talking and laughing.

Our town festival/fete is very good- food village, stalls, fairground rides, dog show, crafts & stalls, brilliant day out. However, the last couple of years there have been very loud (karaoke style) singers in the bandstand all day.
Feel so sorry for the children's dance group, drumming circle and cooking demos trying to carry on through it!
Hope I don't come across as a killjoy as I do like most music really but the sheer volume makes it very difficult to even shop the stalls!
It used to feel ever so much more friendly when you could chat with everyone too.

I find this with pubs, particularly. Not sure if its me getting old(er) and having less patience but I find often that the music in pubs is so loud I have to shout to have a conversation while sitting at a table. I don't want to pick up blokes or dance so having my conversation drowned out by music is just a waste of an evening. Isn't this what nightclubs are for?

Maybe I'm just getting old and crabby but there must me a middle ground between hearing a pin drop and the sort of volume you'd expect at a Metallica gig?

I have noticed this fairly often. Often it's at lunch time when it's just a few couples and old ladies like me! Not sure what vibe they are trying to create with the too loud music when the customer base is mostly older/retired people but perhaps they don't want old folks filling their chairs? One was in a garden centre restaurant/cafe of all places just last week - 10.30am and the music was unpleasantly loud. Two older ladies came in and were trying to find the table that was furthest away from the speaker. Sadly for them, I'd already bagged that space!

My sister is recovering from a brain injury and if we go for a meal out and its too loud we ask them to turn it down, they’ve always said yes. I’m happy because I absolutely hate loud music it stresses me out so much

We went to a restaurant recently and (as we were abroad, on holiday) asked if they had wifi. The answer was "no, we prefer our guests to talk to each other". Fair enough, don't have a problem with that. However, the music was deafening and we had to shout to be heard. It was 7pm. We asked if we could sit outside because of the deafening music. We weren't the only people who moved outside, and it wasn't a particularly warm evening.

We mentioned it to the waitress at the end of the evening and she said "yes, we get that all the time, but the owner likes the music and we aren't allowed to turn it down". The food was lovely, but I would never suggest that anybody go there!

We go to a local social club every 2 weeks - the music is always ridiculously loud. We ask for it to be turned down every single time so that we can hear each other and, to be fair, they always happily do this, but why not consider not having it that loud in the first place?

😆

Was the restaurant in France and run by Rene Artois?

Sulgari
Was it in Dunkeld, ? There’s a very weird “Ibiza style bar “ there on the river

Yes it was 😄

Loud music doesn’t usually bother me but I was in wingstop with my daughter last week and the music was so loud that we actually ended up asking for take out containers and left.

I don’t know how the people working there were coping. Customers were having to actually shout their orders to the poor girl on the till, who was also dealing with a language barrier, and she looked like she was about to explode

I loathe loud music in restaurants and alway check out where the speakers are when taking a table.
The other one I pull is say I'm hearing impaired and can't hear my dining partner speak. I'm early 70s, so get a result. My hearing is excellent by the way.

I wondered the same. I was in Truman's recently having lovely afternoon drinks and we were about to order food when on came live music at 4pm. I was getting a sore throat from shouting by the time we finished our drinks. Other people hastily left too. I felt sorry for the guy playing, he was good but just sooo loud. Wondered if that was the place.

There's research that people eat more and quicker when there's loud music . They want a high turnover of quick eaters . Hence why some chains are noisy with uncomfortable seating, its deliberate

I completely agree.

I don't use shops, restaurants, pubs or coffee shops that have loud music on.

It is also really bad for the staff to have to be subjected to this all day.

In my case it just means I don't eat there at all! so they lose my custom.

Never understood music in cafes, restaurants or pubs*. They are not clubs, and people go there to socialise, which funnily enough because near impossible against other background noise. I’ve always hated it, it’s bed enough when places have crap acoustics, add in the music and forget and verbal communication.
*I know some pubs are more like clubs and have a dance area, but I’m referring to the average ‘drinkers’ pub.