How the acoustics of a restaurant terrace went from unbearable to comfortable
A restaurant with a covered terrace of more than 200 square meters had long been facing a problem of acoustic comfort in restaurants, difficult to explain but easy to suffer.
It wasn’t about loud music or particularly noisy guests. The source was different. According to the restaurant team, who shared their concern with us, there were moments when the “run-run” (that rising murmur of overlapping conversations) became simply unbearable.
The cause lay in the architecture of the space itself, which generated excessive reverberation. An invisible problem, but one with a direct impact on the customer experience.
The terrace, mainly built with wood and with a height ranging from 3 to 4 meters, created a perfect environment for reverberation. In other words, sound didn’t dissipate after being emitted—it continuously bounced off ceilings, beams, and hard surfaces, accumulating and feeding back into itself.
The result: every conversation was amplified. And the more people there were, the worse the experience became.
This phenomenon is common in large spaces without proper acoustic treatment. However, it is often mistaken for a problem of volume or customer behavior, when in reality it is a physical property of the space.
Measure before acting
To address the situation, the restaurant turned to LEAP Consultoria, specialists in acoustic comfort solutions. The first step was not to install anything, but to measure.
Measurements were carried out using sound level meters to determine the actual reverberation time of the space. The results confirmed what was already suspected: values were far above what is recommended for restaurant environments.
From there, a 3D model of the terrace was developed, and its acoustic behavior was simulated using specialized software. This step made it possible to anticipate which solutions would be effective before implementing any intervention.
The key: absorb sound and reduce reverberation
The solution did not involve acting at the source or reducing noise by silencing guests or staff, but rather controlling how sound behaves within the space.
An absorbent solution was applied, based on spraying acoustic cellulose from the manufacturer ASONA onto the ceiling surface. This material absorbs a large portion of sound energy and significantly reduces reverberation.
Additionally, it offers a key advantage: it integrates visually with the existing structure without altering the aesthetics of the space.
The installation was carried out by MG Integral, a company specialized in room acoustics, under the technical supervision of LEAP’s engineering team, ensuring that the results matched the simulations.
A change you hardly see, but clearly feel
After the intervention, the improvement was immediate.
Perceived noise levels decreased, but more importantly, speech clarity improved. The environment shifted from chaotic to intelligible. Where there was once acoustic saturation, there is now comfort.
These types of improvements are not always visible, but they have a direct impact on the customer experience. In the restaurant industry, this translates into more pleasant stays, higher satisfaction, and, in many cases, better business performance.
Beyond this case
What happened in this restaurant is not an exception. Many large spaces, especially those with hard materials and high ceilings, have acoustic problems without their owners being fully aware of the cause.
Acoustics, unlike other aspects of design, often goes unnoticed… until it fails.
And when it does, it’s worth being clear:
acoustic comfort is not achieved by lowering the music or silencing customers, but by understanding how sound behaves within the space.