The bustling backdrop of New York City's restaurant scene has now become a source of din and discord for many diners and employees alike. In a conversation with PIX11 News, retired malpractice lawyer Howard Davis, who started a petition on Change.org, said that there is an increasing demand for establishments to measure and publicly display the decibel levels, to inform patrons before they make reservations. "Good food and bad conversation make for a lousy meal," Davis stated.
Medical experts like Dr. Fred Orkin, who expressed his annoyance to PIX11 News, highlight that frequent exposure to sounds above 70 dB can be damaging to the hearing over time, yet many restaurants are persistently clocking in at decibel levels into the high 80s and 90s. Some, like Barbara Haynes, a real estate broker, have professionally measured the noise, finding levels as high as 92 dB during lunchtime, which she compared to, "standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier when a jet is taking off."
In response to complaints, some restaurant owners have implemented makeshift solutions. Sammy Musovic, the owner of Sojourn Social, told PIX11 News, "If we get a few complaints, we put people in the wine cellar." However, the New York City Hospitality Alliance's head, Andrew Rigie, opposes the mandate for decibel monitoring, arguing that New York City's diversity in dining options already caters to those seeking both lively and tranquil dining experiences, without the need for "another overly complicated, anti-small business mandate."
Supporting these claims of rampant noise, a report by the New York Post underscores the concerning trend and the social, as well have health implications that follow. Restaurateur Dino Arpaia decided to counter this trend by reinstituting soft, sound-muffling tablecloths at his Midtown restaurant, Cellini, recognizing his clientele's preference for quieter dining after briefly removing them. This action seems critical when considered alongside warnings from Dr. Darius Kohan, M.D., director of otology and neurotology at Lenox Hill Hospital/Manhattan Eye, Ear & Throat Hospital, who observed that the relentless noise could lead to customers leaving earlier, thereby creating swifter table turnarounds—a business model that benefits from, rather than mitigates, the clamor.
