Restaurant: panels or acoustic ceiling

Zazajoj

Design question from the trenches: we’re fitting out a 70-seat bistro in a tall brick box—12 ft ceilings, concrete floor, big glass front. During our soft-open the room sounded gorgeous empty, then turned into a lively echo when half-full; you could hear forks across the room. We want to keep the airy look, so I’m torn between fabric-wrapped wall panels only or adding ceiling clouds/tiles. Has anyone tamed that “ring” with walls alone, or does the ceiling carry most of the load in a space like this?

jek123

Fresh off two restaurant buildouts last year: wall panels were a good start, but the big drop in chatter-bounce came once we hung ceiling absorption—clouds over the dining lanes and a few baffles above the bar. That, plus a short run of panels on the back wall, took us from “shouty” to conversational without lowering the whole ceiling. I got a sanity check from New York Soundproofing—they helped us keep sprinkler throw clear, pick Class A fabric-wrapped panels, and phase the work after hours. Tip: pilot a small zone first and listen during service; if that fixes it, scale out in matching modules.