Why do restaurants play loud, driving music? OK, not all restaurants but those that specialize in “fast food” seem to be the ones that do it the most.

I was in Jimmy John’s – the home of “Freaky Fast Delivery” – the other day and noticed that every song that came on was fast. And loud. I was glad to be eating alone because I would not have been able to hear anyone sitting across from me.

That night, I did some research on how restaurants choose music to play for their customers. One website said, “Music in a restaurant does not represent the personality of the owner, employee, or a customer. It represents the personality of the restaurant itself.” Another website said that the music is designed to “stay true to their core guest.” But then I read this: “Energetic, up-tempo songs encourage quick dining and faster table turns at peak periods.” The music drives the pace of having lunch?

So I did an experiment. I went back to Jimmy John’s, got my food, and went upstairs to sit. I paid attention to the pace I was eating my food. When David Bowie came on, I deliberately ate more slowly than the beat of the music. I found that it was really, really tough to do. My jaws literally wanted to move to Bowie’s beat. Talk about mindfulness practice!

Then I started watching the other diners. They were eating fast. One guy was eating really fast. One potato chip, then one bite of sandwich, then another potato chip, a slurp of tea, on and on and on. Keeping the beat. It was amazing to watch. He was done in just a few minutes, grabbed his book bag and was gone. Bowie had moved him out the door in no time flat.

So the next time you are in a fast food restaurant eating and there is music on, take a minute to pay attention to your eating speed. Try eating at a slower pace than the music – then let me know what happens. It may change your habits!