Do the opening notes of “Pink Pony Club” enhance diners’ perception of your specialty menu item? Will the dinner rush end sooner if a restaurant is playing Metallica? According to a recent article in Atlas Obscura, there’s some surprising science behind music and flavor. The article cites a 2010 study at Oxford University, in which:
subjects consistently connected the “five basic tastes” with different musical instruments, pitches and melodies. Sweet and sour were matched with high pitches, bitter and umami with low pitches. Brass instruments sounded bitter, while piano sounded sweet. In a follow-up study, subjects who sampled toffee while listening to custom tracks designed to enhance specific tastes reported an increase in the targeted flavors.
FSR magazine recently published some similar insights:
Curating background music … can enhance the atmosphere. Further, studies indicate that soundscapes affect dining speed and choices, with tailored audio potentially increasing customer satisfaction.2
If appealing to the sense of sound can enhance taste perception, what could that mean for restaurants and food brands? And consider this: It goes well beyond music. Touch, smell, sight and taste all contribute to the overall dining experience. This is the insight behind our current campaign for Smithfield Culinary, called Savor the Experience, which explores how senses can heighten the flavor and overall perception of the meal. The core of the campaign is this fact: 75% of diners are willing to pay more for a one-of-a-kind dining experience.3
Savor the Experience encourages operators to go beyond the plate by appealing to all the senses, and offers up tangible examples, such as employing an open kitchen or the use of aromatic ingredients to entice patrons upon entry, setting positive expectations. Or using high-quality utensils and varied food textures to make the experience more engaging. All the while, captivating diners with lighting and décor, vibrant colors, and thoughtful plating.
Our chef partners for the campaign contributed insights of their own. Saint Mary’s College Executive Chef Charu Pant noted, “How to pop your plate or give it that sensory feeling? If I’m getting a chilled dessert, even the fork should be cold.” Debbie Gold, Corporate Chef at AMDP, added, “Sizzle is a sensory technique … that you don’t see a lot. A little sizzle or flair or some sort of theatrics will always elevate a dining experience.”
When all five senses come together, food transcends flavor into memory and emotion. For restaurants and brands, that’s where the real magic lies. At FoodMix, we help partners like Smithfield Culinary tap into those sensory moments to create experiences guests can taste, feel and ultimately remember. That’s when each bite translates to deeper Brand Love.
Contact FoodMix Marketing Communications to learn how we can help support your company’s branding efforts through music and more to connect with today’s consumers.
1 https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/can-music-make-food-taste-better?utm_source=Klaviyo&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Wed%2010%2F1&_kx=z7bCL3E_JR2_oYqoLKbVfJqzxRT-jHWOAThr4N6O1Fs.UUnqkC
2 Why the Best Restaurants Cater to All Five Senses, FSR, 2023
