The Hospitality Problem Almost No One Has Heard Of Yet
The cheerful clinking of glasses, the cutlery rattling during washing-up, the hum of all the people in a restaurant and background music: to most people, it sounds like music to their ears. But there is also a group that goes completely crazy from all that noise and would like to go out in a quieter environment. That is what Hedie Niemeijer is committed to with her initiative SilenceCafe. ‘Normally, I’m exhausted after five minutes in a café and then I have to go home.’
Hedie estimates that nearly two million people in the Netherlands would enjoy going out to a quiet restaurant or café. ‘People with acquired brain injury, like me, often have difficulty dealing with lots of stimuli, such as loud noise. In the Netherlands, that amounts to 1 million people.
Add to that the group of people who are highly sensitive, people with burnout and people who, for other reasons, prefer a little less distraction in the café, such as people who are hard of hearing, and you’ll understand that there is a great demand for silence and peace in the hospitality industry. In any case, more people no longer want to order a drink by shouting.’
Candlelight
What bothers her in ‘ordinary’ restaurants? ‘Think of it this way: you filter out everything you see and hear, taking in only what is relevant to you. You shut yourself off from sounds and other impressions. For me, the music is often too loud, which means I have to concentrate extra hard on the conversation. And then there are the other stimuli, such as the lighting… For example, I find a flickering candle very distracting. In a normal café or restaurant, I’m outside within five minutes to get some peace and quiet, and I quickly go home. I also know people who need to recover for the entire day after an outing like that; it is far too exhausting.’
Noise from the milk frother
That is why Hedie started her initiative. She spoke to a coffee shop in her neighbourhood, and they immediately liked the idea of making things extra quiet for a while. ‘It doesn’t mean it has to be completely silent, but the music is turned off, the lighting is dimmed and the staff take it into account, so they don’t start dragging tables around or making noise with the milk frother at exactly that moment. That is already very nice. And it doesn’t have to be all the time either. One café, for example, has indicated that they will make one evening a week low-stimulus, so we Silence lovers can go there then.’
On her website, Hedie collects the addresses and times of cafés and restaurants that keep things quiet, so people looking for a calmer atmosphere can check there.
Do not disturb
Hedie also plans to add other quiet places to the site, for people who want to take a moment to relax while out shopping. She has also made a card that can be placed on the table, so everyone can see that this person should be left alone for a while. ‘Even De Efteling has a quiet area, if you can believe it. I want to map all those places. And I also want to encourage events to offer a low-stimulus version. For example, a major beer brewer is open to giving a tour without all the bells and whistles.’
Read also:
- If you can’t stand the sound of people eating very loudly
- 8 bizarre and disgusting types of behaviour by hospitality guests
- How loud the music is determines how much you drink
