Diners are not always consciously notice the overhead background music in a restaurant. It has a subconscious impact is substantial. The choice of music holds the power to shape perceptions, influencing the items sold, the size of bills, and the duration customers spend at the establishment. Restaurant owners and managers can significantly enhance sales and improve the customer experience by carefully selecting appropriate background music, aligning it with the brand's persona to potentially elevate sales by over 9%.
When exploring the realm of background music for restaurants, a common question among owners is whether it significantly impacts sales. Numerous studies have demonstrated a connection between customer behaviour and the type of background music played. For example, a wine store experienced increased sales when shifting from Top 40 to classical tunes, revealing how classical music influenced the customers behaviour, leading them to choose more expensive options. Additionally, customers exposed to holiday music in a store bought more seasonal items, highlighting the emotional response music can evoke and its impact on purchasing decisions.
The tempo of overhead music also plays a crucial role in shaping how customers dine and drink. The National Restaurant Association shared insightful statistics, indicating that up-tempo music prompts customers to eat 30% faster, reducing dining times and increasing table turnover. Men tend to buy more drinks and consume them rapidly in the presence of up-tempo music. On the contrary, slower music contributes to a 23% increase in the average bill size, as customers are likely to purchase more drinks and high-profit-margin add-ons like dessert and coffee.
Playing inappropriate music can have detrimental effects, potentially reducing overall sales by 4%, according to FastCasual.com. However, choosing suitable music can increase sales by 5%, creating a potential 9% difference in sales compared to competitors. Aligning music choices with the demographics, age groups, income levels, and preferences of the target audience is crucial. Ideally, the selected music should resonate with the restaurant brand and the preferences of the target audience, ensuring a pleasant and sales-optimized dining experience.
Source: How background music can impact your restaurant sales? – Original on hold.