If you’ve ever worked in arestaurant, you probably feel like you knowtoomuch about dining out.
Turns out, so much of it comes down to psychology.
In fact, servers begin sizing you up the moment you sit down.
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“The goal isn’t to get someone to buy something that they don’t want.
Below are all the shocking andsneaky restaurant tricksthat get you to both eatandspend more.
They want you to order the entree that they make the most money on.
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But how do they get you to do that?
By comparison, that makes the former option seem like a good deal and a responsible choice for diners.
Using barbell pricing
Another version of this technique is calledbarbell pricing.
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weigh one or the other mentally.
This means pulling back on some deals to steer willing customers away from the cheapest options.
But on top of that, drinking alcohol makes us more likely to indulge.
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Wondering what your server is really thinking?
In this candid report, servers reveal thecustomer behaviors they cannot stand.
is a classic upselling move at restaurants, according toCharles Gaudet, CEO of Predictable Profits.
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Of course, the answer is usually yes.
A server in Reddit’s “Tales From Your Server” forum had another approach to this tried-and-true trick.
“Like, ‘Oh, would you also like to try some of our mashed potatoes?
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They go so well with that entree you just ordered.'”
That’s why a server tends to ask if you’d like another bottle first.
Our food industry insider told us that this common move is the alcohol equivalent of decoy pricing.
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Using negative space is a win-win for restaurants.
But the wine is actually a better sale for the restaurant.
The customer may feel embarrassed to order tap water instead and cave for the pricier bottled water.
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This sends a confident signal that the restaurant’s dishes are worth the price.
“When something costs $1.95 or the like, your brain sees $1 first.
Then, they’ll walk by you with another table’s appetizers to get food on your brain.
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Besides, you wouldn’t want to drink on an empty stomach, would you?
Some restaurants, likeChili’s, have dishes that are required to audibly sizzle.
This attracts a customers attention and, perhaps, gets them to order the dish.
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“Identifying the ‘alpha’ person at the table is the first step,” our industry insider says.
“Considering the price should be secondary, not primary.”
And that’s exactly what “nesting” the prices next to the food items does.
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A previous version of this article was published in November 2020.
It has been updated with new information.
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Courtesy of Chili’s
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