The Yahentamitsi, a staple of the University of Maryland’s dining experience, has its own staple of diverse, surprising and fresh music picks. While it is no question that there will constantly be music, it is still a mystery to many of who actually picks the tunes.
The answer? The Y’s managerial staff.
Operating with a satellite radio service, the managers and their staff have the freedom to pick whatever Sirius XM radio station they wish as long as it is appropriate and non-offensive.
“We want to avoid anything that might be offensive, particularly language and things like that, and we just try to have a little bit of a mix,” said Todd Causey, a manager at the Yahentamitsi.
Charles Rozario, another manager at the Y, prefers SiriusXMU 35. This channel is described by the radio service as “Groundbreaking music and emerging artists … [playing] new music from up-and-coming bands and producers, together with the indie classics that inspired them.”
Causey particularly enjoys the SiriusXM channels Road Trip Radio and The Spectrum, but he says the “key” to the music selections is to switch up the channel frequently.
“It keeps it from getting stale for the students,” said Causey.
With over 300 music channels, there is no shortage of stations for the managers to pick from.
These music selections are not just for the fun of it. The curated environment around someone can greatly impact their eating experience or the employees’ workflow.
“I would say that the music is integral to my shift just because … it helps me focus and whenever you go out to eat somewhere, it plays a role in your experience, so it’s nice that it’s contributing to a better experience for the guests,” Rozario said.
In a study published in Food Frontiers titled “Tune Your Appetite: How Music Impacts Food Choice, Intake, and Emotions During a Meal,” the authors concluded that music has “significant influence … upon appetite, food liking, and emotional responses.”
Causey is no stranger to the influence music has on the dining experience. As someone with 30-plus years of professional food service experience, he naturally adjusts the music himself, changing it with the weather and even keeping track of the audience.
“When we know that we have a lot of parents that are going to be dining, we try to skew it to something they would know as well,” he admitted.
One particular mode of feedback has been particularly rewarding. “We have a system where we allow feedback from guests where they can scan [the table QR codes] and just type any type of comment, so there are people who randomly say, ‘Whoever chose the station or the music this day did a great job.’ It’s nice to see the students excited,” Rozario said.