Unoccupied Measurements
During an unoccupied (or nearly unoccupied) period, usually either just before opening or near closing, we will perform the following measurements:
Reverberation Time (via Impulse Response)
We will measure the reverberation time of your restaurant by generating a brief loud sound (i.e., balloon pop, sine sweep, or pink noise) and measuring the resulting acoustic reflections with a sound level meter. This metric quantifies the reverberance (i.e. echo or liveliness) of your restaurant's acoustics. Since these measurements require the generation of a disruptive sound during a period of low background noise, it is preferred that these measurements occur outside of open hours.
Background Noise Level
We will use a sound level meter to measure the unoccupied background noise level in your restaurant. This helps to establish a baseline noise level to be compared to occupied levels.
Occupied Measurements
Prior to opening, we will place equipment at specific locations throughout the restaurant to measure the following:
Noise Level
We will place 1 to 3 sound level meters around the establishment to monitor the decibel level throughout the day. The sound level meters can be mounted to an empty tables, shelves/countertops, or wooden posts near the perimeter of the dining area. Note that no audio is recorded, only decibel levels are measured.
Occupancy
We will place 1 to 6 thermal camera units around the establishment to count the number of occupants in the dining area. Occupants are counted using thermal cameras so as to keep their identities protected. From the thermal camera images, we cannot identify individual patrons; we can only see approximately how many people are in the restaurant. The camera boxes can be placed on empty tables, shelves/countertops, or wooden posts near the perimeter of the dining area. Ideally, we also would like to place one camera box near the entryway to count inbound & outbound customers.
Subjective Rating
For the duration of the occupied measurements, we will leave flyers at tables encouraging patrons to download a free smartphone application called SoundPrint. Patrons can choose to take their own noise measurement using their phones, and rate how comfortable it is to have a conversation. Upon request, table cards can be posted somewhere elsewhere in the restaurant.