At Birmingham, Alabama’s recently opened High Dive HiFi Lounge, the chef and vinyl record aficionado Sean Brock created a menu to echo listening lounges’ Japanese roots; the concept became popular there during the 1920s. Miso-caramel lattes, pork katsu milk-bread sandwiches, and panko-crusted, deep-fried deviled eggs arrive alongside sips from a sake program and multiple Magic City–made beers.
The combo coffee shop, restaurant, bar, and listening room features a mix of tunes playing in various nooks—from jazz, Bakersfield country, and classic rock to the Grateful Dead and ABBA. A custom, state-of-the-art sound system’s crisp, immersive delivery of every chord and chorus, whether emanating from vinyl, a digital playlist, a cassette, the CD jukebox, or a live musician, resonates with guests, who note that songs come through crystal clear while they comfortably carry on conversations. “It’s really mellow and calming,” says owner Bart Stephens.
But it’s what guests don’t hear that gets Stephens most excited. “While food, decor, and service have evolved into art forms, sonic hospitality has been neglected,” he says. “We worked with acousticians to make the walls massive sound traps. Clanking cutlery, coffee machines whirring—it’s all absorbed.” And noisemakers such as refrigeration units sit outdoors. “Then we layer in desirable sound—music,” turning the place into a feast for all the senses.
Jennifer Stewart Kornegay is an award-winning freelance writer and editor based in Montgomery, Alabama. Her articles cover a variety of topics, including food and food culture, makers and travel, but the throughline is an emphasis on telling the stories of the interesting people behind them all.
