Which restaurant chains play the best music, according to customers?

Asian fast casual Pei Wei didn’t just freshen its decor when it launched a new prototype in Texas this summer.

It revamped its in-store music offerings to up the energy in the unit, shifting from Top 40 tunes to indie rock and pop combined with some electronic dance tracks. The current music mix also features artists from the Pacific Rim singing in their native languages.

“This music provides the crucial warmth and vitality of a bustling residential kitchen without being too club-oriented or too overbearing,” said Brandon Solano, Pei Wei’s chief marketing officer.

It’s too soon to tell whether Pei Wei’s updated playlist will resonate with consumers. But there’s no doubt music can impact the guest experience in both negative and positive ways.

Here’s a look at five chains whose playlists are winning over consumers, followed by five others consumers say could improve their tunes selection or music volume. Plus, we reveal the surprising factor that almost universally increases customer satisfaction with music. (Hint: A cocktail or two just might make the playlist more palatable.)

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

Just more than 47% of consumers gave high marks to the music at The Capital Grille, down 3.7 percentage points from the previous year. Half of all diners who ordered an alcoholic beverage applauded the music selection at the fine-dining chain.

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

The music at this fine-dining brand earned positive comments from 47.2% of diners. Among those who ordered alcohol with their meal, 49% rated the playlist as very good.

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

Nearly half, or 48.3%, of consumers rated the music at this casual-dining Tex-Mex concept highly, up 7.6 percentage points from last year. Some units feature on-brand music, including Mariachi bands. What’s more, among diners who ordered alcoholic beverages, 51% rated the musical offerings at Pappasito’s highly, according to Technomic data.   

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

Almost half of consumers (48.5% ) praised the music selection at this Italian casual-dining concept. And 49.6% of diners rated its music highly after a glass of Chianti or another adult beverage. “It was a wonderful atmosphere with excellent music, and the food was exquisite,” one survey respondent told Technomic.

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

This casual-dining spot earned the highest guest satisfaction scores for its music, earning high marks from 50% of consumers (and 51.9% of those who ordered a cocktail or other alcoholic drink).

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

When consumers complain about the music in restaurants, it’s often because the tunes are simply too loud. “Music was playing so loud, we had to eat in the car,” one survey respondent said of an experience at Raising Cane’s (which received high ratings for music from 39.6% of diners). Here are the chains that got the lowest customer ratings for music, according to Technomic.

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

Just 23.4% of diners praised the music at the quick-service chain. That’s a drop of 3.2 percentage points from the previous year.

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

About a quarter of consumers (22.8%) gave high marks to Burger King’s musical offerings, down 4.3 percentage points from last year’s ratings.

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

Just 21.4% of consumers rated the music at HomeTown Buffet to be “very good,” a drop of 8.9 percentage points from the previous year.

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

Only 20.1% of diners appreciated the musical stylings at Jack in the Box units, down 3.8 percentage points from the last year.

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

At the bottom of the charts for musical satisfaction is Little Caesars. Just 17.8% of consumers expressed satisfaction with the in-store music there, down 4 percentage points from the previous year.

Satisfaction scores were compiled from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic’s Consumer Brand Metrics database and reflect ratings from the past year.

Technomic's Consumer Brand Metrics provides ongoing trend data for chain restaurants, leading convenience stores and major retailers.

Ignite also tracks Canadian restaurants.