Pizza Today -March 2023 - 34

OPERATIONS
Craft Your
Ambience
with Audio
By Annelise Kelly
W
hen you operate a pizzeria,
your product is much more
than a delicious slice of pie.
You're selling an experience, a specific
ambience. You can't always rely on food
alone to bring customers back, so cultivate
the right atmosphere to captivate your
preferred clientele. One critical way to
establish your brand is with music.
We spoke with some experts in the
commercial audio industry to find out
what pizzeria operators need to know
when they're buying or upgrading their
audio systems. Here's how you can
get the best bang for your buck while
enlisting the power of music to appeal
to your ideal customers.
Why Music Matters
The music is one of the first things a
customer will notice when they set foot
in your place, so it is a powerful tool for
setting the tone.
Music establishes the mood, says Nathan
Turner, assistant sales manager and
senior engineer at Pro Acoustics, a Texasbased
online audio equipment retailer
for commercial spaces. " Are we entering
a traditional Italian-influenced pizzeria?
A high-end elegant, artisan pizzeria?
A family-friendly, fun environment? A
sports-bar-influenced party restaurant? "
He suggests that the right music will
" reinforce your pizzeria's identity and
communicate the desired message, which
can help encourage your customers to
stay longer and spend more. "
" When the music fits the target audience,
it creates a connection between
the consumer and the venue, " says
Yaprak Unsalan, managing director of
Jukeboxy Music for Business, " so we
always recommend playing music that
matches your clientele rather than your
favorite tunes. " She says music even
" significantly impacts how we perceive
flavors. For example, high-pitched
sounds are associated with sweetness,
whereas low-pitched sounds bring out a
bitter taste. "
34 / PIZZATODAY.COM / MARCH 2023
What to Consider When Selecting
an Audio System
Since music plays such an essential
role in a pizzeria's success, experts
recommend investing in a quality
sound system. They also advise you to
consult with an audiovisual designer.
You may be tempted to get the same
sound system you love at home, but it
won't necessarily shine in a commercial
setting.
Turner advises " use commercialgrade
audio equipment. It may run
ten to 16-plus hours per day, depending
on your schedule, so it's important
to have audio components built with
longevity in mind. Some commercial
audio equipment may have one-year,
two-year, five-year or ten-year warranties
on certain components so that you
can upgrade your system once and not
have to worry about replacing hardware
again and again. "
As Unsalan points out, " a pizzeria has
a faster table turnover than a traditional
restaurant with many in-and-out
people. The sound system should cover
the mixture of sounds, such as the
clatter of plates, ringing phones, voices
- without deafening people. This is
best achieved with commercial sound
systems. "
Most operators are aware that licensing
agreements prevent restaurants
from simply playing CDs or the radio,
under commercial use restrictions.
" It´s considered a public performance, "
says Mark Lehman, vice president and
general manager at CloudCover Media,
a Pandora Media Co. " You've gotta have
a legal source for the music. "
Clarify Your Goals
Think about what you want the music
to achieve, in addition to contributing
to your ambience. You can use music to
keep people staying or leaving depending
on your priorities. " A fast tempo and
slightly louder music make people move
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