Junk Food or Haute Cuisine to the Ear? – Investigating the Relationship Between Room Acoustics, Soundscape, Non-Acoustical Factors, and the Perceived Quality of Restaurants
Sound and music are well-studied aspects of the quality of experience in restaurants; the role of the room acoustical conditions, their influence on the visitors’ soundscape evaluation and their impact on the overall customer satisfaction in restaurants, however, has received less scientific attenti...
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doaj-80d40feb49314f4f819572fb9d1600f72021-05-13T13:38:13ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Built Environment2297-33622021-05-01710.3389/fbuil.2021.676009676009Junk Food or Haute Cuisine to the Ear? – Investigating the Relationship Between Room Acoustics, Soundscape, Non-Acoustical Factors, and the Perceived Quality of RestaurantsJochen Steffens0Jochen Steffens1Tobias Wilczek2Stefan Weinzierl3Düsseldorf University of Applied of Sciences, Institute of Sound and Vibration Engineering (ISAVE), Düsseldorf, GermanyTechnische Universität Berlin, Audio Communication Group, Berlin, GermanyTechnische Universität Berlin, Audio Communication Group, Berlin, GermanyTechnische Universität Berlin, Audio Communication Group, Berlin, GermanySound and music are well-studied aspects of the quality of experience in restaurants; the role of the room acoustical conditions, their influence on the visitors’ soundscape evaluation and their impact on the overall customer satisfaction in restaurants, however, has received less scientific attention. The present field study therefore investigated whether sound pressure level, reverberation time, and soundscape pleasantness can predict factors associated with overall restaurant quality. In total, 142 persons visiting 12 restaurants in Berlin rated relevant acoustical and non-acoustical factors associated with restaurant quality. Simultaneously, the A-weighted sound pressure level (LA,eq,15) was measured, and the reverberation time in the occupied state (T20,occ) was obtained by measurements performed in the unoccupied room and a subsequent calculation of the occupied condition according to DIN 18041. Results from linear mixed-effects models revealed that both the LA,eq,15 and T20,occ had a significant influence on soundscape pleasantness and eventfulness, whereby the effect of T20,occ was meditated by the LA,eq,15. Also, the LA,eq,15 as well as soundscape pleasantness were significant predictors of overall restaurant quality. A comprehensive structural equation model including both acoustical and non-acoustical factors, however, indicates that the effect of soundscape pleasantness on overall restaurant quality is mediated by the restaurant’s atmosphere. Our results support and extend previous findings which suggest that the acoustical design of restaurants involves a trade-off between comfort and liveliness, depending on the desired character of the place.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2021.676009/fullcomfortgastronomy acousticssoundscaperoom acousticsreverberation timerestaurant quality |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Jochen Steffens Jochen Steffens Tobias Wilczek Stefan Weinzierl |
spellingShingle |
Jochen Steffens Jochen Steffens Tobias Wilczek Stefan Weinzierl Junk Food or Haute Cuisine to the Ear? – Investigating the Relationship Between Room Acoustics, Soundscape, Non-Acoustical Factors, and the Perceived Quality of Restaurants Frontiers in Built Environment comfort gastronomy acoustics soundscape room acoustics reverberation time restaurant quality |
author_facet |
Jochen Steffens Jochen Steffens Tobias Wilczek Stefan Weinzierl |
author_sort |
Jochen Steffens |
title |
Junk Food or Haute Cuisine to the Ear? – Investigating the Relationship Between Room Acoustics, Soundscape, Non-Acoustical Factors, and the Perceived Quality of Restaurants |
title_short |
Junk Food or Haute Cuisine to the Ear? – Investigating the Relationship Between Room Acoustics, Soundscape, Non-Acoustical Factors, and the Perceived Quality of Restaurants |
title_full |
Junk Food or Haute Cuisine to the Ear? – Investigating the Relationship Between Room Acoustics, Soundscape, Non-Acoustical Factors, and the Perceived Quality of Restaurants |
title_fullStr |
Junk Food or Haute Cuisine to the Ear? – Investigating the Relationship Between Room Acoustics, Soundscape, Non-Acoustical Factors, and the Perceived Quality of Restaurants |
title_full_unstemmed |
Junk Food or Haute Cuisine to the Ear? – Investigating the Relationship Between Room Acoustics, Soundscape, Non-Acoustical Factors, and the Perceived Quality of Restaurants |
title_sort |
junk food or haute cuisine to the ear? – investigating the relationship between room acoustics, soundscape, non-acoustical factors, and the perceived quality of restaurants |
publisher |
Frontiers Media S.A. |
series |
Frontiers in Built Environment |
issn |
2297-3362 |
publishDate |
2021-05-01 |
description |
Sound and music are well-studied aspects of the quality of experience in restaurants; the role of the room acoustical conditions, their influence on the visitors’ soundscape evaluation and their impact on the overall customer satisfaction in restaurants, however, has received less scientific attention. The present field study therefore investigated whether sound pressure level, reverberation time, and soundscape pleasantness can predict factors associated with overall restaurant quality. In total, 142 persons visiting 12 restaurants in Berlin rated relevant acoustical and non-acoustical factors associated with restaurant quality. Simultaneously, the A-weighted sound pressure level (LA,eq,15) was measured, and the reverberation time in the occupied state (T20,occ) was obtained by measurements performed in the unoccupied room and a subsequent calculation of the occupied condition according to DIN 18041. Results from linear mixed-effects models revealed that both the LA,eq,15 and T20,occ had a significant influence on soundscape pleasantness and eventfulness, whereby the effect of T20,occ was meditated by the LA,eq,15. Also, the LA,eq,15 as well as soundscape pleasantness were significant predictors of overall restaurant quality. A comprehensive structural equation model including both acoustical and non-acoustical factors, however, indicates that the effect of soundscape pleasantness on overall restaurant quality is mediated by the restaurant’s atmosphere. Our results support and extend previous findings which suggest that the acoustical design of restaurants involves a trade-off between comfort and liveliness, depending on the desired character of the place. |
topic |
comfort gastronomy acoustics soundscape room acoustics reverberation time restaurant quality |
url |
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fbuil.2021.676009/full |
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