How One Connecticut Ramen Spot Learned That the Hard Way

In today’s competitive restaurant landscape, retaining customers is everything. Food and service are crucial, of course—but there’s another silent factor that could be costing you repeat business without you even realizing it: your TV content.

It sounds simple enough. You put a TV on the wall to enhance the dining experience, give solo diners something to watch, or create ambiance. But what happens when that TV turns customers off instead of drawing them in?

Let’s take the example of a Connecticut ramen noodle restaurant that recently made an unfortunate programming choice. In an attempt to offer a cultural flair, the owners had an Asian television channel playing in the background. The program? A food-travel show showcasing bizarre dishes from around the world. That day’s feature: eyeballs. Yes, literal eyeballs—being cooked, plated, and then bitten into, with grotesque detail and camera close-ups of the “eye guts” exploding in diners’ mouths.

It didn’t take long for customers to start shifting uncomfortably in their seats—and in some cases, making audible reactions in the restaurant.

Gross-Out Content Kills the Appetite

What that restaurant failed to realize is that visual content impacts the dining experience just as much as smell and ambiance. No matter how good your food is, no one wants to eat noodles while watching someone on your TV chomping down on an eyeball.

But it’s not just extreme content that can cause issues. Other common TV pitfalls in restaurants include:

• News segments showing violence, disasters, or polarizing politics
• Inappropriate humor or offensive language on certain streaming shows
• Commercials for competitors or irrelevant products
• Distracting sports commentary that doesn’t align with the atmosphere
• Children’s programming in adult-oriented restaurants (and vice versa)

Control the Message, Keep the Customer

If you wouldn’t post it on your menu board, why let it play on your TV?

Your screen isn’t just background noise—it’s a visual touchpoint that reinforces your brand and shapes your customers’ mood and memory. The right content can make people stay longer, order more, and come back again. The wrong content can make them lose their appetite or decide not to return.

So how do you ensure what’s on your TV helps your restaurant instead of hurting it? By using a custom TV solution like It’s Relevant TV.

It’s Relevant TV is a custom TV platform built specifically for businesses, including restaurants. It’s not cable, and it’s not generic streaming. It’s a curated experience that lets you control exactly what appears on your screens—down to the category and tone—with no gross-outs or off-brand content.

Here’s what sets It’s Relevant TV apart:

• Family-friendly, appetizing content: Only content that’s safe and suitable for dining environments.
• Custom branding tools: Show off your menu items, promotions, social media feeds, or reviews right on the screen.
• No competitor ads: You’ll never accidentally advertise for the restaurant down the block.
• Real-time control: Want to switch categories or hide a type of video? Do it instantly from your dashboard.
• Engagement-focused: Shorter-form content keeps diners interested without pulling focus from the food.

Instead of risking the customer experience on questionable TV choices, restaurants can turn their TVs into a customer retention tool—and even a built-in marketing engine—with It’s Relevant TV.

What’s playing on your restaurant’s TV could be the difference between a five-star review and a lost customer. Don’t let careless programming chase away your guests—especially not with something as fixable as what’s on the screen.

Let your content reflect the care you put into your food. Choose It’s Relevant TV—because good taste shouldn’t end at the plate.