Music in a restaurant can impact your order

Whether you order a hot dog stuffed crust pizza or a salad with the dressing on the side, new research suggests ambient music is much more than just a backdrop to your night out.

According to research published in the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Sciences, restaurant choices are often influenced by at least one factor beyond your control: music volume.

While muted, slow tempo music can lead diners to make more mindful, healthful decisions, a booming, uptempo playlist can have the opposite effect, researchers found.

According to Iflscience, “Years of research have proven that ambient music has a powerful effect on customer behaviour, but in regards to food, past investigations have focused solely on differences between certain types of music.”

In the new study, a team of Swedish and American marketing researchers show that the volume of music

A FAST-FOOD RESTAURANT MIGHT WANT TO TURN UP THE VOLUME.

impacts decision-making.

An accelerated beat is rousing and has a direct effect on heart rate, they say. Patrons are more likely to be enticed by sugar- and fatladen foods when stimulated than relaxed.

“Restaurants and supermarkets can use ambient music strategically to influence consumer buying behaviour,” said study author Dipayan Biswas, marketing professor at the University of South Florida Muma College of Business.

Using a café in Stockholm, Sweden as their testing ground, the researchers categorized menu items as healthy, non-healthy and neutral.

Different genres of music were played at either 55 or 70 decibels (for comparison, a typical conversation at home is 50 db; a coffee grinder is 70 db), and orders tracked.

When exposed to the higher decibel levels, 20 per cent of people ordered an unhealthy item compared to those who ate during quieter times. The researchers concluded that the influence of music volume on consumer choices is relevant to a variety of settings.

“For instance, a store that sells mostly healthy foods or wants to promote the sale of high-margin healthy items might keep the volume low, while a fast-food restaurant might want to turn up the volume,” they wrote.

So take heed, diners. Just like the old adage, ‘Don’t go grocery shopping when hungry!’ it might be wise to avoid roaring restaurants unless you’re prepared to be swayed by that glazed-doughnut breakfast sandwich or gravity-defying freakshake.