"Acoustic control and distributed multi-zone audio designed to elevate the customer experience."
Overview
Splendora Gelato wanted more than background noise, they wanted an atmosphere. When they opened their doors on Bond Street, they partnered with TES to create a sound environment that matched the warmth, energy, and elegance of their artisan gelato experience.
The project centered on acoustic control and distributed multi-zone audio, ensuring every corner of the cafe, from the counter to the outdoor patio, delivers a consistent, immersive listening experience.
The Challenge
Splendora's Bond Street location presented a classic hospitality acoustic problem. The space featured high ceilings, hard flooring, and an open floor plan, which together created a reverberant environment where sound bounced unpredictably off every surface. Standard off-the-shelf ceiling speakers installed without acoustic consideration would have produced harsh reflections, uneven volume distribution, and a listening experience that competed with conversation rather than supporting it. The owners had a clear vision for the atmosphere they wanted to create: warm, inviting, and alive with sound that felt like it belonged in the space. Achieving that in a room with these acoustic characteristics required more than speaker placement. It required treating the room itself before determining what equipment would perform best inside it. The outdoor patio added another layer of complexity. Any complete solution needed to extend the same consistent sound experience outside without the abrupt transition in volume or character that often happens when indoor and outdoor audio systems are designed independently.
Our Solution
We began with an acoustic assessment of the interior space, identifying the primary reflection points and bass buildup areas that were causing the reverberant character. Targeted acoustic treatment was integrated into the design without visually altering the cafe's aesthetic, addressing the room's behavior before a single speaker was positioned. For the speaker system, we installed a combination of flush-mount in-ceiling speakers and discrete wall-mount units, each positioned to deliver even, immersive coverage across the interior seating areas and the counter zone. Speaker selection prioritized clarity and warmth at conversational volume levels rather than output capacity, which is the right approach for a hospitality environment where the goal is atmosphere, not volume. The outdoor patio was treated as its own zone within the same system. Weather-rated speakers designed for the exposure conditions extend the listening experience outside with matched character and independently adjustable volume. A compact streaming amplifier ties everything together, giving the owners app-based control over playlists, volume, and zone selection from their phones. Indoor seating, the counter area, and the outdoor patio can all be adjusted independently or grouped together with a single tap.
Services Provided
Room analysis and targeted acoustic treatment to address the high-ceiling, hard-surface environment and eliminate reflections before speaker placement was determined.
Three-zone audio system covering indoor seating, the counter area, and the outdoor patio with independent volume control for each zone.
Flush-mount in-ceiling and discrete wall-mount speakers selected and positioned for even, warm coverage at conversational volume levels throughout the interior.
Weather-rated speaker installation extending the indoor listening experience to the outdoor patio with matched character and independent zone control.
Compact streaming amplifier with app-based control giving owners full management of playlists, volume, and zone selection from their phones.
The Result
Splendora now has an audio system that feels as intentional as their menu and as considered as their interior design. The acoustic treatment eliminated the harsh reflections that would have undermined the experience, and the distributed speaker system delivers consistent, warm sound in every part of the cafe, from the front counter to the back corner table to the outdoor patio on a summer afternoon. Customers notice the difference even if they cannot articulate why. The space feels inviting and alive in a way that generic background music through poorly placed speakers never achieves. The owners manage everything from their phones with no technical expertise required, and the system has performed reliably since day one without service calls or adjustments. For a hospitality business where atmosphere is part of the product, that outcome is the point.
