Noise has long been a top complaint of diners (and designers). We asked restaurant development + design readers what steps they take to ensure restaurants they work on are lively but not too loud and 44% said that they select materials with acoustics in mind. That was by far the most popular but not the only response.
Another 20% of readers said they design and install A/V systems to minimize noise while 18% said they hire an acoustical consultant or related expert as necessary. Just 12% said they prefer to retrofit acoustical solutions after the restaurant opens.
And just 6% of respondents said they just don’t worry about it much at all.
rd+d regularly surveys subscribers on the state of restaurant development and design. This survey was fielded in April 2025. Subscribe to The Pulse to get rd+d’s surveys and results delivered to your inbox six times a year.
