As restaurants in major U.S. cities have begun to feel more like social scenes and experiences rather than just places to sit and enjoy a meal, one spot in Washington, D.C., is looking to combat the new norm by offering patrons a more relaxed option.
Ceibo, a South American hotspot in the city’s Adams Morgan neighborhood, is introducing quiet hours on Sundays during lunch and early dinner to offer an alternative to the city’s bustling party brunch and Sunday Funday scene.
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“We started to get some feedback, especially from some folks in the neighborhood. They started asking if we can open lunch or if there’s a better time that they could come where it’s quiet,” co-owner Manuel Olivera told the Washingtonian about the service. “It’s been positive for us … we can probably expand it a little more as we grow naturally.”
The restaurant plays a “specially curated” playlist with lo-fi tunes throughout the dining area from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sundays for lunch and then again for 5 p.m. dinner reservations.
Servers will also seat tables as far apart as possible during these time frames to “encourage a more serene experience” and tweak certain steps in their service routine to minimize noise when possible.
Ceibo has also intentionally called the service Sunday “lunch” instead of “brunch,” which is traditionally associated with the lively D.C. party scene.
“Brunch in D.C. is usually geared to be more like a party ambiance,” Olivera told FOX Business. “A lot of our guests love to be in a lively place, but some of our guests prefer a more serene vibe.”
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Ceibo currently has a five-star rating on Yelp and a 4.9-star rating on Google reviews.
Ceibo’s owners are not the first restaurateurs to want to create a calmer environment for guests at designated times.
Bliss restaurant in Florissant, Missouri, went viral last month after implementing a minimum age requirement of 30 years old for diners after 7 p.m. local time on Wednesdays through Sundays to exclude “young folks,” who the owners say bring in “drama.”
