Every project starts with understanding your concept, your guests, and how the space will operate. We help define the right system for your goals and prepare a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM), so you have a realistic budget range before design begins.
What’s included
Review of project goals and guest experience
Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) budget
Recommended system approach
On-Site Visits
Our team walks your space with your on-site contact, tests reported issues, and documents existing equipment, signal paths, and control systems. Whether the venue is open for business, being remodeled, or under construction, you get a clear picture of what’s working and a preliminary plan for what’s next.
What’s included
Walkthrough with your on-site team
Testing of reported issues
Documentation of equipment, signal paths, and controls
Preliminary plan based on findings
AV Design
We translate your vision into fully engineered audio, video, control, and network systems. Designs move from schematic concept through design development and are coordinated with architects and other trades, so the system fits the space and the budget.
What’s included
Audio, video, control, and network system design
Schematic design and design development
Coordination with architects and trades
CAD & Previsualization
See your system before it’s built. Our CAD team produces detailed drawing sets showing device locations, elevations, wiring, power, and mounting details, giving contractors everything they need to install it right the first time.
What’s included
Device locations and elevations
Wiring, power, and infrastructure requirements
Mounting and installation details
Shop drawings for installation
Acoustic Testing
How a room sounds matters as much as the speakers in it. We measure room acoustics, including reverberation (RT60), and work alongside your interior designers to recommend treatment that improves clarity without compromising the look of the space.
What’s included
Room acoustic measurement, including RT60
Acoustic treatment recommendations
Collaboration with interior designers and ownership
System Integration
Our project managers and field teams handle installation, programming, and commissioning, testing every system to confirm it performs as designed. At handoff you receive user guides, as-built drawings, system files, and staff training.
What’s included
Installation and field oversight
System programming
Commissioning and performance testing
Handoff documentation and training
Direct Sales
Need equipment without a full project? We supply professional audio and AV equipment directly, backed by our vendor relationships and the expertise to recommend the right gear for your space.
What’s included
Professional audio and AV equipment
Product recommendations for your space
Access to our vendor relationships
AV Care Plan
Keep your system performing long after opening. The AV Care Plan includes an annual on-site visit, firmware updates, remote monitoring, and quarterly reports, all proactive rather than reactive.
A great restaurant changes through the night. Lunch is relaxed, dinner builds, and the bar picks up after ten. We design sound systems that follow that energy, keeping the room alive while guests can still hear each other across the table.
From neighborhood taverns to multi-location restaurant groups, we work with owners, chefs, and designers to create audio that fits the concept, disappears into the architecture, and is easy for staff to manage during a busy service.
What We Design
Dining Rooms
Even, clear sound at every table, so music sets the mood without overpowering conversation.
Bars & Lounges
More energy where it belongs, with zones that can run louder than the dining room.
Private Dining
Separate control for private rooms and events, without affecting the rest of the restaurant.
Patios & Courtyards
Outdoor audio that carries the atmosphere outside and respects the neighbors.
Acoustics
Measurement and treatment recommendations for rooms full of glass, brick, and hard surfaces.
Zones & Lighting Scenes
Simple controls that let staff adjust music and ambiance as service changes through the night.
How a Restaurant Project Works
Restaurants open on a deadline, so our process keeps design, installation, and tuning on schedule for opening night.
1
Understand the Concept
We learn your menu, music, service style, and how the room should feel at each hour.
2
Measure & Design
Room acoustics, speaker placement, and zones are designed together with your architect and designer.
3
Build to Opening
Installation coordinated with your contractor’s schedule and the rest of the build-out.
4
Tune & Train
Every zone is tuned before doors open, and your team learns the controls in minutes.
Nestled in a cobblestone courtyard in Chicago’s West Loop, Trivoli Tavern blends American tavern charm with rich continental flair. For this moody, upscale space, we delivered a fully integrated AV experience that complements its vintage-industrial ambiance, from discreet speaker placement and ambient lighting control to background music and dynamic zone management, without disrupting the tavern’s timeless aesthetic.
A French-inspired steakhouse with velvet-and-brass elegance, Bavette’s needed AV that matched its moody glamour. We delivered discreet, high-fidelity sound and ambient lighting scenes that adapt to the flow of service, enhancing the vibe without disrupting the aesthetic.
Housed in the historic LaSalle Powerhouse, Hawksmoor Chicago merges British steakhouse tradition with bold Midwestern character. Across 16,500 square feet of restored space, we designed a sound and control system that adapts across dining areas, bars, and private rooms, delivering clarity and a consistent mood through discreet ceiling speakers and user-friendly control panels without disturbing the architecture.
Yes. That balance is the core of restaurant sound. More speakers at lower volume, careful placement, and attention to room acoustics keep the atmosphere full while conversation stays easy.
Often, yes. Hard surfaces like glass, brick, and concrete make rooms echo. We measure the room’s acoustics and work with your designer on treatment that improves clarity without changing the look you want.
Yes. We design in zones, so the bar, dining room, private rooms, and patio can each have their own volume and music, adjusted by staff with simple controls.
Yes. We work with restaurant groups opening multiple locations, keeping the sound and the staff experience consistent from one location to the next while adapting to each space.
As early as possible, ideally during design. Speaker locations, wiring, and acoustics are much easier to get right before ceilings close and finishes go in.
Opening or Renovating a Restaurant?
Tell us about your concept and your timeline, and we’ll help you plan the sound from day one.
Doughbird is a restaurant located in Nashville, TN. Pineapple Audio provided AV design and installation services, part of Fox Restaurant Concepts. The project was completed in 2023.
