Nashville’s Loud Restaurants Have Us Begging For Change

Nashville has many great restaurants, and some are supposed to be loud — it is Music City, after all. Maybe you are there to be completely immersed in the music. But many of Nashville’s restaurants bill themselves as places for great food where you can gather with friends and have great conversations. They fall short because of one thing: They overlook the acoustics to support those great conversations!

We have some thoughts on how to change this. Keep reading.

Whether you live in Nashville or somewhere else, this problem is ubiquitous. That cool, modern restaurant with concrete floors, high industrial ceilings, and — if you are lucky — wooden chairs (though they’re likely metal) is beautiful … but not always practical. There is no carpeting, no fabric, and nothing to absorb sound. Main selections start at $30 to $40, and before you can say “appetizer” or “cocktail,” the bill, with tip, comes out to be about $85 per person.

But your standout memory is that it was a terrible place to try and reconnect with family or friends.

Furthermore, as white tablecloths became too “fussy” and fell out of fashion, restaurants began eliminating them as a time- and cost-saving effort, and we lost the extra sound-absorbing benefit they provided.

You may be a Millennial, Gen X, or a Boomer and find yourself frequently complaining about this. Gen Z? I bet even you are complaining.

This brings me to a breakthrough statement a friend said when four of us were having dinner at Joe Muer Seafood. There was live music and lots of people, and we could all hear each other without effort. This means the restaurant intentionally sought this result. Joe Muer Seafood was committed to this outcome when it built out the space.

It came up in conversation how pleasant it was to be able to hear each other, and my friend, McLean Barbieri of Annali Interiors, said, “We’re in Nashville. We likely have some of the world’s best talent in acoustics. Why is the city not leaning into this talent when it comes to our restaurants?”

Mic drop.

I’ve mulled over Mclean’s insightful statement for months as I agree that Nashville is uniquely situated to do better.

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Drusie Darr, as another example, does an excellent job of creating space that supports connecting over conversation, along with an excellent food and beverage program. Yes, the historic building’s architecture supports beautiful sound, but the interior design, with fabric, padded walls, and upholstered furniture, further shows an earnestness to support connection through conversation.

Josephine (may we have a moment of silence to mourn once again?) was a beloved Nashville restaurant. When it first opened, it was LOUD. Too loud. Then, sound-absorbing foam was added beneath all of the tables. I’m sure other things were done, but it made a dramatic difference. My point is that even if you don’t get it right to start with, you can retrofit for noise control, as Josephine proved.

But back to having some of the world’s best acoustic talent here in Nashville. Imagine if Nashville was known for more than its great food and entertainment. What if, over the next decade, people started realizing they could HEAR each other at our amazing restaurants — whether they were at a business dinner, birthday meal, or friend gathering? Imagine if there were a way to be certified as a “conversation-supporting restaurant,” deemed so because of acute attention to noise control? Imagine all of the publicity and recognition our city would receive!

Nashville could be THE trailblazing city regarding acoustical experience, specifically as it pertains to supporting conversations while dining. That’s something so on-brand for Music City that I’m pleading with someone to do this!

I spoke to Johnny Rosen, who is a local retired audio engineer who now occasionally consults on large projects involving acoustics. His background provides valuable insights into solving acoustic issues in various spaces, ensuring both sound quality and aesthetic considerations are met. I learned from him that Nashville restaurants can significantly improve their acoustic environments using modern noise-cancellation techniques and materials. This is definitely feasible. Modern advancements allow for aesthetically pleasing retrofits that blend seamlessly with the decor of the venue. He agrees that Nashville has a wealth of local expertise in both studio and venue acoustics, which means that Nashville is well-equipped to address these challenges effectively.

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We asked Aaron Amitrano, an acoustics expert with Niles Acoustics and Design, to weigh in as well. “Restaurant noise levels often occur due to uncontrolled reverb times,” he says. “Relatively large, open spaces with hard surface boundaries (concrete floors and metal ceilings) provide an environment that reflects sound throughout the room. Obviously, as that happens, customers then have to talk louder to hear each other, and the effect is compounded.”

He adds, “Without being too detailed, there are some quick and fairly effective ways to quell these issues. Furniture and decorations can serve an additional function as absorption or diffusion to combat surface reflections. Things such as couches or bookshelves provide decent and rather inconspicuous acoustic treatment.

“Floors and ceilings are probably the biggest problem areas. For those, something as simple as carpets or rugs on the floor can do a fair amount of work. Ceilings can be more difficult, as they usually involve some sort of mounting system. Drop ceilings with acoustic ceiling tiles perform far better than the usual untreated metal ceilings, [which are] seen often. Wood surfaces are also more effective than concrete or metal surfaces, although they will contribute somewhat to reflections. Ultimately, the best solution is some sort of ceiling absorption panels designed specifically to reduce reflections. However, these can potentially be expensive.”

This is an issue the creative forces who live in Nashville can start solving to benefit residents and tourists alike. We need a leader. Is someone willing to pick up the torch?

An article was recently published in the Washington Post, “Why restaurants are so loud and what science says we can do about it.” It is worth a read to realize how widespread this issue is.

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Explore more about Nashville’s food scene HERE! And, for an older list of quiet restaurants, but many still exist today, see this article from our archives: Nashville’s Quietest Restaurants.