Music for food

The sound of music can promote consumption in restaurants. However, choosing inappropriate music can have the opposite effect, driving guests away. The kind of music played and its loudness are factors which need to be considered carefully. Tunes have an effect of our psyche and since psychology is just as important in catering as gastronomy, we should be careful with this effect. Experiments have proven that music has can also have a direct physiological effects on our bodies. Music can not only help is in relaxing but can also liberate positive energies in us. What more can we wish for, apart from good food and drinks? It is always important to choose music which guests like, but there are different opinions about the styles best suited to the character of different restaurants or bars.Interesting findings have resulted from a series of tests conducted recently in London. Hormone levels and other biochemical reactions have been tested in 200 subjects after they had listened to different kinds of music. For example, German hip-hop helped to create a romantic mood in males and females as well by increasing their testosterone level, while Latin music drove stress hormone levels up in 89 percent of the subjects and “old school” Belgian soul reduced stress in both males and females. However, people also tend to be unaware of the effect music has on them. The owners of Sonia Rose restaurant in New York have successfully begun to organise dinners where dishes are coupled with classical pieces of music. –As a result of research, a lot more has been learned about the physiological effects of music than ever before – says David Moxon psychologist. For example, classical music has been used successfully to disperse a crowd of drunken youths in Worthing recently. According to research conducted in France, playing classical music rather than pop music in restaurants, can boost spending on desserts and coffee can by 5-10 percent. The loudness of music is another important consideration, apart from style. Loud music can be a real nuisance in places where we go to have a chat with someone. On the other hand, when music stops, conversations also tend to get muffled or stop altogether, which can result in a negative atmosphere, which will in turn lead to a drop in consumption. According to research published in the magazine „Alcoholism”, in places where the music is loud, like bars and discos, drinks are consumed faster, in bigger gulps. In any case, we should think carefully about the kind of music we intend to play in our bar or restaurant, if we have one.