Forum

I’m building out a restaurant right now, and ownership has concerns about the acoustics of the space. It’s very large and very open. Our dining area is approx. 80’w x 45’l, with 12′ tall windows on the west face. We’ll have a dropped ceiling at 10′ covering the majority of the seating, and there is a 12′ wide perimeter on the north and west sides that angles up (12′ at the exterior, 20′ inside, with a vertical face where it drops to 10′).

Aside from the western window wall, we don’t have much flat wall space to treat, but I’m curious what the recommended treatment of the dropped ceiling would be. Approx. 1800sqft, we’re looking at linear systems like 9Wood (https://www.9wood.com/products/linears/) for aesthetics, and have space above to fill with some insulation (alongside HVAC, wiring, etc).

How would a dropped baffle system like that compare to large hung acoustic panels? Would it help significantly to use a microperforated plank? Would it help significantly to use a narrower, deeper lattice?
I’m assuming the majority of the frequencies we’ll be dealing with are in the human vocal range, and we don’t need it dead silent – just want to avoid people needing to shout across the table.

Other details:
Hardwood flooring, seating will be upholstered millwork booths, which I hope will act as a significant diffuser . North wall is also windows, but has wide/deep wood panel columns to break up the surface.