'I have to keep shouting!': Are restaurants too noisy?

UPPER EAST SIDE, Manhattan (PIX11) -- It’s getting louder and louder in New York City restaurants, which is making some customers angrier and angrier. Some customers are so fed up with the noise they are calling for action.

“Good food and bad conversation make for a lousy meal,” Howard Davis, a petition organizer, told PIX11 News.

Davis, a retired malpractice lawyer, started a Change.org petition called Restaurant Noise asking that restaurants be required to measure the decibel level by an expert and publicly post it so diners know in advance before they make their reservation. 

“I measured the decibel level at 92 at lunchtime recently, which is, I’m told, the equivalent of standing on the deck of an aircraft carrier when a jet is taking off,” Barbara Haynes, a Douglas Elliman real estate broker, told PIX11 News. 

Medical experts say sounds above 70 dB can damage hearing over time.

“Most restaurants have a sound level of 80, 85, or even 99 or higher,” Dr. Fred Orkin, who is also fed up with noisy restaurants, told PIX11 News. 

Upper East Sider Jane Nadler agreed. “It’s uncomfortable when you have to keep repeating yourself and shouting,” Nadler said. 

At the popular bar and restaurant Sojourn, social owner Sammy Musovic is aware that the vibrant atmosphere is sometimes a bit much for some customers. 

“If we get a few complaints, we put people in the wine cellar,” Sammy Musovic, Sojourn Social owner, told PIX11 News. “and I have them dine on their own so they’ll be away from noise,”

The head of the New York City  Hospitality Alliance isn’t on board for decibel monitoring. 

Andrew Rigie told PIX11 News: “One of the great things about New York City is that there are more than 25,000 restaurants, so whether you seek a lively experience or prefer a quiet atmosphere, there are many great places that easily accommodate a customer’s desire, without adding yet another overly complicated, anti-small business mandate.”

The petition organizer is hoping the New York City Council will consider a proposal to post decibel levels in restaurants publicly.