The Acoustical Society of New Zealand Inc., of which Potter Interior Systems is a member, conducts regular surveys under the Café and Restaurant Acoustic Index. This index rates establishments under varying criteria for noise, indicating whether to 'take earplugs at the very least' or if it's 'a place for a nice quiet evening'.

Construction materials in many contemporary cafes are predominantly materials that cause sound to bounce around or reverberate such as glass, exposed concrete beams and polished concrete floors; great for the look and for cleaning, but these can significantly result in making a space 'noisy'.

Many cafes often run at 80 decibels or above meaning after eight hours under Health and Safety guidelines, a customer's hearing can be damaged and at the very least, the customer will be unable to hear a conversation across the table.

Potter Interior Systems' acoustic products range can provide the desired solution at a low cost, from simple polyester and mineral wool panels, through to high specification expanded glass panels and the very attractive custom-made acoustic fabric panels which Potter Interior Systems manufacture and install. In some cases full design and implementation may be required by an acoustic engineer to find the solution.

These locations are classic examples of areas Potter Interior Systems are often asked to offer simple fix solutions to significantly reduce reverberation, thus reducing unwanted noise. This is achieved by adding absorptive surfaces that slow the reverberation of sound, making the area less 'lively'.