So many events happen in restaurants, from proposals, birthday events, team bonding events, dates, etc. Restaurants aren’t predominantly for eating alone; they’re places where people go to have a great time — but what’s a great time without some music?
Music sets the tone for a great hangout. It adds some definition to the ambience and drives home the message of your restaurant’s brand. The kind of music you play in your restaurant gives your customers an idea of where they are.
Below, I’m ranking restaurants based on the type of music they play and its impact on their guests.
R’ n’ B
This is the lover’s restaurant. There’s an air of exclusivity to it, but not entirely. It has hosted more proposal dinners than other places and served countless plates with “will you be my girlfriend” written in cursive from a pen filled with delicious Belgian chocolate. Although it’s a love hub, it’s also really chill for people who aren’t all about the hustle and bustle and want to hear their thoughts while they wine and dine. The food here is delicious but not too expensive.
Soft live music
The only reason this restaurant doesn’t have a “no broke people allowed” sign is because of the fear of getting dragged on the internet. If they could, they would have made it so exclusive that only the rich could come. The wine here is good, probably older than the youngest adult in the room.
Being in this restaurant transports you to a place or city you’ve been to abroad or a place you’ve seen in a movie and added to your bucket list. Oh, before I forget, you also can’t pronounce the names of their meals. All you have to do is let the food angels guide you as you place your order. This restaurant doesn’t see that many proposals or grand events. It’s a first-date-and-I’m-trying-to-impress spot.
Live music from a live band
The beer here is so good; everyone who goes there wonders what’s so different about the beer sold there and the beer sold everywhere else (spoiler alert: it’s the music). Restaurants with live bands playing live music always create ample space for people to move and dance with stuffed mouths full of food. The air is so lovely; the music is so good, even when the lyrics are sometimes all over the place. People go to this place and speak loudly at the tops of their voices but hardly request that the music be reduced. Although there’s good food here, many people go there for drinks. A drink in hand, head nodding, fingers tapping, and humming along to lyrics you won’t remember in the morning. Good energy all around.
Jazz music
The old-school vibe of this place is what makes it so cool. It doesn’t provide any form of nostalgia for the young crowd but still pulls them in. It’s the place that’s seen on IG stories to let people know you’re eccentric. The music is slow, just like the service, since no one there seems to be in a rush. It’s conversations, unfamiliar music and food. The people who frequent this place are its niche crowd or people wanting to try something new.
Afrobeat
Let me let you know that blasting Afrobeats in a restaurant means you don’t care about the mood your customer comes into the restaurant with; you want them to dance or, at the very least, sing along to a song they’ve heard a million times before. The afrobeat-playing restaurant has a DJ that’s so happy at their job that they don’t care that a birthday dinner is happening nearby. This restaurant has never postured to be expensive or exclusive. It’s reliable and does the job, much like the afrobeat genre.
Sometimes though, we want this restaurant to read the room and turn the music down. People who want to party and dance will go to a club, not a restaurant.
TikTok bops
We know what you are and what you’re doing. When Asake said, “Some of us are wise,
every other person over wise,” you’re the “overwise” person he was talking about. Your marketing gimmicks are on steroids, and we love that for you. The young tiktok-making customers love this place. Their videos always come out great anyway, and it’s not like anyone is stopping them from making it. You also love them for their money and free publicity. Keep being the wise place you are. Good job.
Music from the TV
To be very honest, this restaurant is not bothered about providing music. Also, you’re in an eatery, not a restaurant, if the music comes from a TV station. We’re sorry to break it to you. Even the most nonchalant restaurants have someone manning the aux cord, but an eatery doesn’t. There’s nothing wrong with that, though. Enjoy Iya Aduke’s stew that slaps.
