Can Background Music Increase Restaurant Footfalls?
The importance of background music in a restaurant is quite underrated. Patrons visit restaurants not only for food but for ambience and an enjoyable experience. Background music is an important part of this ambience. The music your customers hear will make or mar their dining experience. Playing the right kind of music has the potential to increase footfalls in your establishment and grow your business exponentially.
Research has proven that playing background music that fits your brand persona increases restaurant sales substantially. The importance of background music lies in the fact that it can strongly influence and affect consumer behavior. Let’s look into several ways through which background music can influence your customers. You can use these to create a well-thought strategy to increase your restaurant footfalls.
1. Background Music Creates the Right Atmosphere
Music is a key factor for setting the right mood. Benefits of background music include the fact that playing the right music complements and integrates with your brand. Volume matters too. High-decibel music nudges the patrons to drink more as they are unable to chat and asa result is often played this way in pubs and clubs. Relaxing and soothing music is played in fine dining restaurants so the patrons can talk while having their meals. The absence of music or music at a very low volume has its downsides too. Music creates an invisible cocoon of safe space in a public place, allowing your customers to relax without feeling the intrusive presence of restaurant staff or other diners.
2. Beat and Tempo of Music Affects Time Spent by Customers
Research has found that diners who listened to slow-tempo music spent more time eating their food compared to the diners who were exposed to fast-tempo background music. This is because slow tempo music creates a relaxing atmosphere which leads to slower consumption of food. This fact can be utilized during peak and lean hours. Play soft tempo music during lean hours so the patrons remain seated and give the appearance of a fully packed restaurant. Play fast tempo music during peak hours so that customers leave sooner and new customers get their tables quickly.
3. Frequency and Volume of Background Music Affect the Taste of Food
The importance of background music includes affecting the taste of food. Music can make the food more flavorful. Savory dishes taste better when low-pitch background music is played and playing high pitch background music elevates the sweet flavors. Playing background music at a high volume impairs the diners taste buds. They do not find it appetizing if exposed to an extended period of high-volume background music. Use this fact to enhance your brand value and get returning customers. Cafes and bakeries could play high pitch background music while restaurants and other dining establishments could favor low and deep background music. The volume of the background music should be kept at medium-low in any case, except in the case of pubs and clubs.
4. Background Music Makes Waiting Tolerable and Even Pleasant
Playing soothing and calm background music makes for patient customers. Customers experience reduced anxiety and stress levels that lead to a calm waiting experience. The right background music distracts the customers and their perception of waiting time appears to go faster.
5. Tempo of Background Music Influences Eating Pace
Background music has a major effect on diners eating and drinking pace. The fast-paced tempo nudges the people to finish their food portions faster and leave. Play the right kind of music to enjoy the benefits of background music. Quick service eating establishments, pizza, burger chains, and breakfast places should play up-tempo and fast background music to keep a high turnover of customers. Upscale and fine dining restaurants should play soft and slow background music. The diners will eat slowly and linger for a long time but spend more on wines, desserts and refreshments like coffee and tea.
6. Identify with Your Brand
People slot the music into categories and identify it to interpret and define a place. Studies show that establishments playing jazz or western classical music are perceived as high class. Use it to your advantage. If you run an upscale restaurant, play classical and jazz music, and the right clientele will throng your place. If you manage a quick-service restaurant or a fast-food chain, then play pop, hip hop, and soft rock music to attract the right sort of crowd. To attract younger customers, play loud, contemporary, and upbeat background music. Now, you have got a fair idea to choose the right kind of background music that automatically attracts the clientele you want.
7. Background Music Influences Drink Orders
Slow-paced music makes people drink more. That is why bars (with the exception of sports, hard rock and heavy metal bars) use dim lights and play soft music.
Conclusion
These are some of the benefits and importance of background music in increasing the footfalls at your establishment. Playing the right background music will build your brand, increase sales and grow your restaurant business.
