According to a “National Acoustics Laboratory” report
The vibe and atmosphere of a venue is related to many things and one of them is the acoustic environment that includes the ambient noise, reverberation, the music, kitchen noise, etc. All of these features are the prerogative of the owner and rightly so. The aim of this site is to help you to make informed decisions about noise levels and what to do about them if you needed.
An Australian Standard provides the following advice on acceptable noise levels and levels of reverberation in restaurants and cafeterias:
Table 1: Noise levels for rooms without people
| Location | Noise level Range dBA | Reverberation |
| Cafeteria and food courts | 45 – 55 | as low as possible |
| Coffee bars | 45 – 50 | < 1 second |
| Restaurant | 45 – 50 | < 1 second |
The above noise levels are for spaces that are unoccupied and include noise from air-conditioning, road traffic, and other fixed noise sources like extraction fans in the kitchen. Ref: AS/NZS 2107:2000 “Acoustics – Recommended design sound levels and reverberation in building interiors”
The above noise levels are helpful to decide on an acceptable level of ambient noise; that is the noise that is around most of the time due to things like the air-conditioning and other sources of mechanically generated noise. If you want to have an acoustic environment that allows people to enjoy talking to each other, you need to ensure the ambient levels are low enough so that patrons are not struggling to hear each other.
However, the level of noise and reverberation that is acceptable in your business is really governed by the nature of the venue and in the end it is your decision. Note that if you measured the noise level in your venue while it is occupied by patrons and staff the noise levels are likely to be higher than the noise levels in the above table.
Once the issue of ambient noise is addressed then other sorts of noise may become important to consider, such as:
- Conversation noise – from other patrons or a high density of patrons
- Scraping and bumping of chairs and tables
- Background music or video
- Noisy coffee machines
The level of acceptable noise in your venue depends entirely on you as long as it is not endangering health or likely to cause a hearing loss. Noise levels above 85 dBA are considered to require action to protect people from noise induced hearing loss.
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