Music in restaurants is there for a reason... ever notice how the music at lunch is upbeat and zippy, whereas later in the evening it becomes slower and softer?

People will unconsciously chew in time to the music - fast music will make you eat quickly and leave the restaurant, thus freeing up a table for another customer. Slower music and you get slower feeding. Slower feeding means more time to digest and thus likely to eat more courses and spend more money.

I've retreated from some stores a darn sight quicker than I went in when the music has been outrageously loud, I like to be able to hear what the assistant is saying to me.

LTS