Quick answer: A café sounds too loud when hard floors, glass, a bare ceiling and espresso machines bounce sound around. Fix it by treating the ceiling with clouds or baffles, adding panels on a long wall and soft finishes where possible. A small 30-seat café usually needs 10–18 panels, which is S$1,650–S$2,970 installed at S$165 per panel.

Key takeaways

  • Ceiling first, then one long wall.
  • Soft finishes help at the edges.
  • A small café needs about 10–18 panels.

Why are cafés so loud?

Hard tables, tiled floors and glass shopfronts reflect sound. Espresso machines, grinders and cutlery add sharp noise on top. As the room fills, people talk louder to be heard, which is called the Lombard effect.

Step by step

  1. Ceiling clouds or baffles over seating. 2. Panels on a long wall. 3. Soft seat pads or curtains. 4. Move the loudest equipment away from seating.

Not sure what your room needs? Send us a photo on WhatsApp or request a free quote. We'll tell you how many panels, where they go and the price. See our restaurant acoustic panels and recent projects.

Quieter café in 4 steps infographic

How much will it cost?

Panels cost from S$120 each, plus S$45 each to install. A small 30-seat café needs about 10–18 panels, so 10 × S$165 = S$1,650 up to 18 × S$165 = S$2,970. You can start with the ceiling and add walls later. See restaurant acoustic panel cost.

Does it need a closure?

Most cafés do not need to close. Typical installs take a few hours to 1–2 days. Ask us if you need the work done outside opening hours; after-hours work is quoted separately.

Café quick wins you can do this week

Move the grinder or blender away from the main seating if you can. Add cushions to hard benches. Ask staff to lower the music one notch during peak. These make a small difference while you plan panels.

Where the money goes

For a café of 40 seats, most of the budget goes overhead: clouds or baffles over seating. The remaining walls are topped up as budget allows. We quote ceiling and walls as separate lines so you can choose.

What we see on real jobs

Cafés are the most cost-sensitive rooms we treat, which is why we phase them: ceiling over the busiest area first.

Get a straight answer for your room

WhatsApp us (+65 8930 1905) a photo of your dining room, ideally taken during service, and tell us when it gets loudest. We'll come back with a ceiling-and-wall plan and a price. Ask us about installing outside opening hours.

WhatsApp us a photo · Request a free quote · See prices

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