Meal Music – Part 2 (Second Course)
By Patrick O’Neill

Photo by E. Laignel

Are you listening? In our previous article on music in restaurants and bars http://insidefandb.com/2010/08/meal-music/), several successful restaurateurs pointed out that a strong, structured playlist is a key element in defining the atmosphere and even the overall image of an eating establishment. If you’re still tossing whatever tunes strike your fancy onto your sound system, it’s time to start taking your music programming seriously.

Lori Hon of Gray V, (www.grayv.com), which curates music for restaurants, hotels and retailers, says that means designing a playlist that fits your restaurant’s mood, not yours or your staff’s. “It may sound pretty obvious, but you shouldn’t go into a restaurant hearing hip hop one night and jazz the next. As a consumer, I appreciate a consistent audio experience, just like the food. For restaurants in general, the idea is to manage those expectations.”

Music is a crucial part of that process, says Brittany Lyke, Social Media and Public Relations at Muzak (www.muzak.com), because it helps create an underlying impression and set the stage for the meal. “In a restaurant, the dining experience typically starts about a half hour before the customer starts eating so the music contributes to the feeling about the restaurant long before the food arrives.”

In a bar, of course, the customer is typically served much sooner

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