One of the UK’s most stylish independent restaurant operators, The Individual Restaurant Co. favors Electro-Voice loudspeakers for its distinctive venues. From the swish Restaurant Bar & Grill in Leeds to the Piccolino chain of upmarket modern Italian restaurants and bars, Oldham-based installation company Rio Systems has specified EV at the heart of the background music systems.

One of the new flagships in the IRC portfolio is the Restaurant Bar & Grill in the center of Leeds. Converted from an old post office, this elegant brasserie features a double-height restaurant which cleverly takes advantage of the original Victorian architectural features. Rio Systems chose the newest high-output small-format loudspeakers from Electro-Voice for the main restaurant: 12x EV ZX1is are wall-mounted about 15 feet above floor level, on either side of the room.

Rio Systems specified ZX1i to address the very high ceilings in the venue, as they offer the best combination of small size and big sound, with a rotate-able horn for controlled coverage and an 8″ long-throw woofer. This means less ZX1i boxes are necessary than with other small-format speaker installations, increasing performance while saving on the budget. To complete the aesthetic angle, all the speakers in the main restaurant are custom finished to match the décor.

Alongside its open kitchen, the Restaurant Bar & Grill has another eating area, which, like the mezzanine floor above it, has been equipped with Electro-Voice with 18 EVID ceiling speakers. The whole system is configured in four zones; the main restaurant, two levels of the mezzanine, and the private dining room.

Rio Systems worked closely with Dave Howe of Shuttlesound, EV’s UK distributor, on formulating an equipment template that Rio has used for other IRC venues. “We use a lot of suppliers, and Shuttlesound is one of the best, offering excellent service and the best technical support,” says Rio‘s Pete Gooseman. “We include three years of free maintenance in our contracts, so it is important that we choose the right equipment. We’ve never lost an EVID or a ZX1 loudspeaker.”