A musician, Shaw said he's more picky about noise than most people.

“I’m always listening. When you’re going out to eat, you’re going for the experience, not just the food. You often pay a lot of money for that. It’s not very enjoyable if you can’t hear the conversation or the waiter or the background music.”

DTX installed sound-absorbing acoustic panels at Toast, which has cement floors, large windows and high ceilings. Co-owner Wendy Young said they have helped.

“I’ve gotten feedback from our guests -- and we have a lot of regulars at Toast -- and they say it’s much more comfortable now,” Young said.

But, she said, “you don’t want it too quiet” either. Venue’s Barclay agreed.

“We love our ambiance,” he said. “Guests love the ambiance. The trick is finding the right amount of noise that isn’t too distracting. You don’t want to dampen all the noise. That’s part of the experience and the environment.”

Katherine Endacott and her husband get that. Dining out is supposed be social, but it can be difficult to be social when you can’t hear the person across from you.

“We are staying and entertaining more at home now because it’s quieter and easier to talk,” she said. “The whole point is spending time with the people we care about. Dining at some places makes it difficult. Boy, I wish it was the other way.”

Reach the writer at 402-473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com. On Twitter @LJSjeffkorbelik.

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