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Comment by stock_toaster | Hacker News Reader

> Eating at a restaurant seems like a subpar experience now compared to my own table.

Also most midrange restaurants I have been to lately are just so _loud_. Not sure if it is all the hard surfaces that are so popular, or if people just have less social awareness anymore and yap away at such high volumes.

Seems wild. I’d rather just make something at home, hit up a good food truck, or go somewhere fancy.

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Look how many people wear headphones nowadays. Many of them at high volumes. Try to watch a movie and to listen to conversations in that movie. I am constantly using the remote to turn down loud explosions and amp up the very silent speakers. Its a problem of the studios and movie makers, not everybody has or wants a 7.1 sound system. The younger generation also is more short-sighted than ever. Smartphone and screen time is increasing. Also, loud music increases thirst, which is good for the owner. Another aspect is waking the fight mode in humans so the waiters are more vigilant after their night out the day before... Most of them are young uni students, earning some cash for partying.

hit up a good food truck, or go somewhere fancy.

I agree it seems the whole middle part of the of restaurant market is terrible. I can think of several places where I'm happy to pay $15-20 for a meal and several places where I'm happy to pay $100+, but hardly anywhere in the $30-40 range where I feel I'm getting value for money.

It's also loud because everyone is playing sound out of their device speakers, especially young parents who set up mini tablet theaters as soon as they sit down at the table. I don't understand why restaurants allow it. Why would I pay more for that ambiance?

All of the above. Most importantly, restaurant owners associate quiet with old and dead restaurants so they deliberately make things loud. They play music at loud levels which requires people to raise their voice. They prefer the look of hard surfaces and its certainly cheaper to leave wood, brick, and concrete exposed than to cover them up with material. Tablecloths impose ongoing costs and may not be in line with the ambiance the owners are going for.

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