Today’s coffee shops have become the ever-increasing digital nomad’s choice workspace, turning most shops into bustling hubs of clicking keyboards, ringing phones, and buzzing conversation. The days of simply sipping lattes at the local Starbucks have disappeared as more and more workers opt for careers sans traditional offices.
As employees abandon the office to work from their laptops, commotion grows in coffee shops. But all that background noise makes it difficult, if not impossible, for patrons to focus. To boost sales and keep remote workers flocking to your shop, you’ve got to consider soundproofing.
Creating a Quiet Coffee Shop
The main issue most small, crowded places like coffee shops have with noise is echo and reverberation related. Combine a full staff filling orders behind the counter with tables of people typing and talking away and you’ve got millions of sound waves flying all over the place. As these waves crash into every available surface, echo and reverberation are created, resulting in a constant, audible buzz hanging in the air.
Sound waves love hard surfaces as they are easy to bounce off of while soft surfaces absorb waves and cancel them out. If your shop is all hard wood and cement, consider softening things up with a few squishy couches or arm chairs. If new furniture is out of the question, you can achieve similar results by covering hard chairs with throw pillows.
Once you’ve got your seating softened, lay some rugs on the floors. You can get maximum thickness on a budget by opting for cheaper throw rugs and then layering thick rugs pads underneath.
Coffee Shop Acoustic Treatment – Sound Absorption for Workspaces
Another option to consider is hanging sound absorbing panels. These panels can be customized to add some funky wall art to your shop, or opt for neutral colors to create an inconspicuous look. The panels are made from carefully engineered material designed to absorb sound waves and considerably reduce background noise. If your shop is extra busy, acoustical panels are probably your best bet.
For a more affordable option, acoustical wedge foam provides the same benefits as the panels, it’s just a little less aesthetically pleasing, and it’ll require more coverage than fabric wrapped fiberglass panels. Cut the foam and hang it behind canvas paintings or wall hangings to make it less noticeable.
Sound Issues in Co-Working Spaces
Similar to coffee shops, co-working spaces also have sound privacy concerns. However, simply adding acoustical panels may not be sufficient. Co-working spaces typically already have good acoustics, so the main complaint is the lack of speech privacy due to the large open areas, private offices, and the lack of background noise in some of the areas.
Without background noise or white noise, people working in open offices can hear every single distracting noise. In private office areas, people may not have the speech privacy they require, which is a big concern if they’re talking about sensitive information.
In either case, consider installing a commercial sound masking system. This white noise system is effective at masking conversations with a constant, background (ambient) noise, improving speech privacy and comfort.
Avoid Distractions in Group Workspaces & Coffee Shops
If installing acoustic wall panels or adding a white noise system to your space isn’t an option, consider making suggestions to your patrons for creating a quieter work environment.
- Offer free wifi (like most coffee shops and workspaces do) so your patrons can download their own white noise apps, or so they can stream music
- Section off different parts of the workspace, preferably on opposite sides – one area for groups to work and collaborate, and one for solo, quiet work
- Have “phone booths” for any patrons who may need to get on a video, but don’t want to disturb anyone around them
Make Your Coffee Shop a Quiet Workspace
Follow these tips and your coffee shop will be the busiest – and the quietest – in town. And remember:
- Sound absorbing panels are a must for coffee shops if there aren’t already other sound absorbing materials in place. Excess echo can make it hard for people to understand each other and do effective work, and it may keep customers from coming back for more.
- In co-working spaces, consider adding background music or a white noise system to help with speech privacy issues. No one wants to overhear other conversations while trying to get work done.
- Make quiet zones and collaboration zones within your space to keep group workers away from solo workers. This way, louder groups can work effectively together and people on their own can work in a quieter area.
