Crave a civilized dining experience?

Noise can be annoying, distracting, and dangerous. The ideal sound level for normal conversation is 55 to 65 decibels -- and when the ambient noise rises above 70 decibels (equal to the volume of a vacuum cleaner), you have to raise your voice to be heard. Above 85 decibels (as loud as a lawnmower), prolonged exposure can damage your hearing.

In a typical Canadian restaurant, you'll find as much as 110 decibels screaming at you. That is the equivalent of a jackhammer or a jet plane taking off.

Have you had it with the stupid Boom Boom Boom?

“The next great environmental issue should be noise pollution,” said Moses Znaimer, CEO of ZoomerMedia Limited when he recently launched a new initiative called the Anti-Noise Pollution League (ANPL).

The ANPL is directed at restaurants and lounge establishments who create a negative, annoying -- and yes, dangerous -- dining experience by playing music at unreasonably loud levels.

As part of this initiative, The New Classical 96.3 FM has partnered with the highly respected website Dine.TO (affiliated with the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association and the Canadian Restaurant Foodservices Association) to launch a new category of recommended restaurants called “Classical Dining”.

Calling all restaurateurs

Are you a restaurant or lounge that plays The New Classical 96.3FM? Or are you playing a noisier brand of so-called music from which you're willing to switch? If so, you may be eligible to join the ultimate list of restaurants for patrons who crave a civilized eating and drinking experience by registering here.