Why Music is Key for Every Concept

Whether it's a live jazz band, deejay spinning trap or Broadway show tunes, the soundtrack of a restaurant could likely determine its clientele.

I got into a spirited debate with a colleague regarding my post about TRUE Kitchen & Kocktails, and its drama with patrons twerking to the hardcore trap music being played by a deejay in the dining room. In short, the owner cursed out the entire dining room after his pleas were ignored for the dancing guests to stop.

And while they should have stopped after he asked them the first time, is he at fault as well? The music the deejay played that night was typical fare at TRUE as well as many places like it. Plus, additional videos circulating social media demonstrate that this wasn’t the first time guests got a little out of control over a beat.

Over the years, I’ve written stories about how important the music is for a dining establishment and how it sets the mood. At the beginning of my career covering this beat, it was all about aesthetics, as I was fascinated with how the smooth beats of deep house and acid jazz worked well with a late-night dining crowd. We called them club-staurants back then as their goal was to keep guests spending more on cocktails after the dinner plates were whisked away.

Most restaurateurs know that setting the mood with music takes real skill. And you know it when you’re there. The music doesn’t feel invasive by being too loud nor does it offend guests with explicit lyrics. That comes in the form of a band playing the blues, jazz, punk or rock or deejays spinning dance music or hip-hop.

Some owners go out of their way to appeal to all audiences by renting out their venues on various nights: Tuesdays may be reserved for all-you-can-eat barbecue and country music; Wednesdays attract lovers of Broadway show tunes and a special on chicken pot pie; and Sundays could be a night for hardcore rap music, burgers, and bottle service.

And let’s be real. People frequent places that play the music they like. That includes restaurants, of course. While I’m not trying to lecture anyone on the type of music they choose for their venues, there really is a time and place for every song—and genre.

[Photo of moi at Dorian’s in Chicago by Matthew Lowell]