I wonder if there are numbers to prove that playing overly loud music in a restaurant brings in more profit, than should they play it at a normal level?

Are there actually more people who say "hmmm, I don’t want to go to Jimmy John’s because their music just isn’t loud enough"? And if so, where do these turned away customers go?

I guess age has finally kicked in for me and better look for a place like Luby's

This is worth complaining about? Really?

My wife and I have more or less stopped going to Jimmy John's because of the music. Same with Freebirds. I go to eat, not be deafened and scream at my wife; if I wanted that, I'd go to a concert.

robert

1 - First World Problems
2 - Complain to the manager, not us, if you want it to be fixed.

The original poster just brought up an interesting topic. Not a specific complaint about any one establishment. I too like to go into a restaurant and be able to talk to the people I'm with. Maybe a general discussion like this would make business owners aware of this to help their business. I also don't like to have to complain to the owner about every little thing. So basically.....get off his ass.

I've often wondered if the loud music was a mechanism to get people in and out of a restaurant faster so you turn over tables quicker. If there were soft easy listening music, you might be more inclined to linger over your meal. I know it makes me want to get out of there fast!

There have been studies proving that people drink more in bars with loud music simply because it's too hard to have conversations. I don't know about restaurants though.

Since you brought up Jimmy Johns specifically I have to add that even though I listen to loud music, more often than not they have that screaming heavy metal stuff playing. It really does make me want to avoid eating in there. Now on the occasion I have been in when they play Bob Seger...now that's okay by me.. FWIW...I was there 2 weeks ago and asked for some salt and pepper...the girl told me they are not allowed to have it anymore....now that will keep me from eating in....I have to take my veggie unwich home to S & P it....

They only had that one good song anyway.

Wife and I both enjoy jimmy johns but I agree the music is too loud. I have also wondered why do they not have salt and pepper available on the tables or the drink and napkin area?

I've been to a number of higher end restaurants that play music at very loud levels.
Really takes away from the atmosphere and ambience. Don't really understand it.
Maybe they are trying to cater to teenagers.

Many years ago I worked for a large retail company (now defunct) where the in-store Muzak was very loud. As the personnel manager haughtily stated in a staff meeting, "Customers complain about it all the time and it does them no good." As I said, the company long ago sank into bankruptcy.

At Christmas the volume pumped up to a point that sales staff and customers literally had to over it; the store manager maintained that it "created a buying atmosphere".

Is there any research supporting this one way or another? Anybody from the Business College, help us out here.

I have heard of restaurants playing faster paced music b/c there was some study that said that people ate faster when faster music was playing. Faster eaters = more eaters = more money.

But the loud music is annoying. I am talking to you Roadhouse and Chuys.

I constantly battle my employees about music volume. I try to explain that it is for ambiance and not necessarily our personal enjoyment.

Then again, the previous GM complained that the music was too quiet a lot. So, I dunno. I guess it just comes down to the choice of management/owner.

I like the loud music. Keeps the busy bodies on this board from complaining if they can hear my children speaking in the restaraunt and ruining their dining experience.

I think it's a college town thing. The younger demographic is supposed to like it.

Sweet Kitten made me laugh! I have to say though loud music is def. a turn off to an eatery for us.

So no dibs on guessing if loud music affects profitability of this particular (or others) restaurant?

For those who consider it a complaint worthy of going to management rather than ask the opinion thy holy of holies BCS forum, I say nah. Not a complaint. More of a curiosity for a business minded person. One beauty of owning one's business is the freedom of such decisions and being directly responsible for the success or failure of said business. Our BCS forum, despite its ugliness sometimes, is a great way to open up discussion and discover more opinions for the business owner to gauge the way the public may perceive his/her decisions.

I were a competitor to Jimmy John’s, I’d be a proponent of their loud music and suggest that anyone who disagreed was just a first world complainer.

I actually went to Jimmy John's website and sent an email to ask why no salt & pepper. Here is their reply:

"We used to carry salt/pepper packets but found that the product turned slowly, was often spilled onto the floor, and was abused by customers taking handfuls for personal use."

I had to laugh. Heaven forbid they have it behind the counter so you can't grab handfuls for yourself but hand it out with the sandwich if you ask for it. And often spilled on the floor, really? Hope my lettuce or sprouts didn't ever hit the floor there so they'd have to clean it up. My solution. I just quit going there. I won't even do take out.

quote:

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So no dibs on guessing if loud music affects profitability of this particular (or others) restaurant?

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Actually, I think Saratoga nailed it. When the music is playing loud. People tend to eat faster. The faster people eat and leave, then the more people the restaurant can rotate in and out of the dining room. So yes, the places with the loud music probably make more money on the "volume" of customer traffic.

Cheddars, Chuys, Roadhouse, Wings, they all do a great business, and they all play loud music. None of them are places where you'd want to linger over coffee, you know?

I had no idea you could actually eat at Jimmy Johns. I thought they just stood outside of my office waiting to bring me a sandwich.

Interesting theory, but I do not recall being at a "soft music" place and having to wait for a seat. The problem your theory is attempting to solve doesn't seem to generally exist.

robert

So, let me clarify what some are saying:

Loud music=customers eat faster=more turnover=more dinning space=more traffic=higher profits.

I could understand this rationale for bars or places that would otherwise have a seating problem, but for Jimmy John's? Given the feedback so far, obviously Jimmy John's (or places like it) loses business over their decision to play loud music, but I don't think they would otherwise be losing business to people being turned away because of seating issues.

But thanks for the insight. I hope other lunch/sandwich spots like Newk's, Jason's, or Subway doesn't adopt this business model.

I walked into Jimmy Johns.

The fella at the counter said "Hello Sir, Welcome to Jimmy Johns, how can I help you ?"

I said, "Thank you good sir, I will have your Philly Cheesesteak"

He said "We don't have a Philly Cheesesteak"

I looked at him quizzically, as I was sure I was in a shop the specialized in selling hot and cold sammiches, turned on my heal and left.

True Story.

Chuys and Roadhouse, and Wings and almost everyplace are too loud. However I find it as a result of equal parts music and people. I bet if none of ya'll were there, then they would lower the music volume. Perhaps a test would validate my theory. Next time I walk into a restaurant, everyone else leave, and I will come back and post about whether they turned down the music since it was only my party in the establishment.....

They've never advertised having hot sandwiches at Jimmy John's.

Those *******s!
http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig10/mercola40.1.html

This thread!

19 days til football season...

My biggest gripe is the places that play the music for their employees, not their CUSTOMERS!

Also, I don't like going into places that have a radio station (with commercials) blaring from their speaker system while they have TVs tuned in (with sound!) to two or more different stations. This is the entire reason I stopped going to Haiku a couple years ago. When it was the only place in town, I tried to cajole them into limiting the output to only ONE noise source. Finally, I just gave up going.

And for those who don't think noise is much of a problem, just wait. Either, a. you will lose a lot of your hearing early as the IPod generation already is doing, or b. you'll turn into an adult.

Back in the day when I worked at the Schlotzsky's here in town, we would turn it up if a cool song came on, or needed something to shake us out of our hangovers.

I recall several times customers saying something, and we would apologize and turn it down. No big deal.

Guess that's too simple these days.

Saratoga, my car turns up the steroe when I go vroom vroom.. so you may be onto something.

I like Jimmy John's salt-less theory. As a person who loves to create food, and balance flavors, there is nothing stranger than watching someone add salt or pepper to a food that they haven't tasted. If there's no salt, there's a *chance* that a person can actually taste what was intended to be..

Charlie, I think this is more of business best practices and ideas for running a successful operation, rather than a round-a-bout complaint thread.

As a business owner, if my employees are needing to apologize for their behavior several times, then I probably need to modify this behavior or accept that they are running off business.

I can easily bet that there are 10x the number of customers that feel that way who never complained. Furthermore, I suspect that customers choosing to not "speak up" to management but rather just not come back isn't something that only happens "these days" but probably a continuous trait since the first customer grunted into Tonga's Brontosaurs Burgers.

Maybe I'm thinking in terms of an owner running a successful business instead as an employee needing a cool song to shake off my hangover. Perhaps this way of thinking is why someone is or is not flipping burgers instead of managing those who flip burgers?

Music can be too soft too. I was in 40 tempura last week and felt like I was in a mortuary.

In the end, its management's responsibility to find a balance that works for the concept etc.

This town is unique in that the majority of the diners are under 25 or over 45. That makes for a conflict of music volume interest.

[This message has been edited by australopithecus robustus (edited 8/15/2011 7:36p).]

I bet SEC college towns don't have this problem ...

Well said techno!

and I bet tu-ville Austin doesn't either

Personally, I vote with my wallet. Not every establishment is going to please everyone. But that is what makes them interesting. If someone wants somethihng that is going to come close to satisfying everyone's wants, then go to a place like Golden Corral. Parents can eat steak and shrimp, kids can eat gummy-bear tacos. East as much or as little as you want.

Lets face it - if every restaurant were the same, they would all be boring and it would eliminate 60 % of the posts on this board.