The Telegraph’s article looks at the affects of music and the taste of food within the hospitality industry following Nigella Lawson declaring that she is “allergic to all noise”.
According to a new study by the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Oxford (co-authored by Charles Spence, an expert in sensory science and the author of Gastrophysics: The New Science of Eating), auditory stimuli can impact both our experience and our consumer behaviour more than we realise (more on which later).
And there’s no doubt that the UK’s restaurants are noisy. According to charity Action on Hearing Loss, 79 per cent of people – both with and without hearing loss – have experienced difficulty holding a conversation while eating out, thus sabotaging the social aspect of the occasion.
According to Professor Charles Spence, there’s a line for restaurateurs to tread – since sales go up as noise volume increases. This is because it causes excitement, encouraging people to spend, drink and consume more (however, in extremes this can be unconsciously perceived as danger, making us feel anxious or threatened and leading us into fight or flight mode). Read more, click here.
Call us today to discuss how we can help you provide an entertaining and engaging customer experience in your restaurant brand.
