Sounds delicious: A crossmodal perspective on restaurant atmospherics and acoustical design

Recent advances in crossmodal science have demonstrated that our perception of the world around us is an amalgam of sensory experiences. Nowhere is this more evident than in the emerging discipline of Gastrophysics: the new science of eating, which blends gastronomy (the “art of the table”) with psychophysics (the relationship between physical stimuli and mental phenomena). Examining restaurant atmospherics and acoustical design through the lens of crossmodalism and gastrophysics, it soon becomes clear that, when it comes to the pleasures of the table (i.e., of eating and drinking), what we put into our ears (i.e., what we hear) can be just as important as what we put into our mouths. This presentation highlights the latest research into the ways that sound and its application in restaurants can create expectations, shape perceptions, and influence the behavior of patrons. From sonic seasonings and sensplorations, to sound systems and acoustical treatments, we will explore how sonic environments will cont...