Being aware of this can help you have a better time at a restaurant. Sure, the framed items might have a good margin, but it's probably also something the head chef is willing to stamp the restaurant's name on. If you're not sure what to get and the boxed item isn't outside your budget, just go with that.
Psychology of food menu design
11–20 of 59 posts
Re: Psychology of food menu design
#12Lol, this article is complete crap. No restaurant wants you to not order something. What they want is you, coming in the door, having a good time and ordering a bit of everything. Now if some restaurants have items they feel differentiates them from other, they want you to have some of that. But there was never an instance where, when I designed a menu (worked as a cook/chef in some pretty high end places, including…
The really important line: Now, this isn’t some kind of a scam where the restaurant rips you off. The restaurant can’t make you order you something you don’t want. No kidding. That being said, maybe this all makes more sense in the context of "stuff that doesn't work, but consultants can still sell" rather than ever mattering to the diner.
Yeah pretty much. Menu consultants always try to apply some sort of arcane knowledge they think restaurant people don't have, that's the only way they justify their fee.
Re: Psychology of food menu design
#13I prefer places that have only a few items on the menu. I especially like restaurants which only have one menu item, and focus on making that one dish the best it can be. Too many menu options just causes anxiety and analysis paralysis.
If you go to a fancy restaurant like the French Laundry, they only have a prix fixe menu with several courses (usually at least 5). You get what you get (although they usually have substitutions for vegetarians).
Re: Psychology of food menu design
#14I prefer places that have only a few items on the menu. I especially like restaurants which only have one menu item, and focus on making that one dish the best it can be. Too many menu options just causes anxiety and analysis paralysis. If you go to a fancy restaurant like the French Laundry, they only have a prix fixe menu with several courses (usually at least 5). You get what you get (although they usually have su…
> although they usually have substitutions for vegetarians
Here in Montreal I only ever got "we'll make you vegetable stir pasta". I mean it's good, just gets a bit repetitive.
Re: Psychology of food menu design
#15Lol, this article is complete crap. No restaurant wants you to not order something. What they want is you, coming in the door, having a good time and ordering a bit of everything. Now if some restaurants have items they feel differentiates them from other, they want you to have some of that. But there was never an instance where, when I designed a menu (worked as a cook/chef in some pretty high end places, including…
The really important line: Now, this isn’t some kind of a scam where the restaurant rips you off. The restaurant can’t make you order you something you don’t want. No kidding. That being said, maybe this all makes more sense in the context of "stuff that doesn't work, but consultants can still sell" rather than ever mattering to the diner.
You know, there are marketing studies contradicting that. It is possible to take people who don't want things, but present things to them as having other characteristics which they do want. The end effect is people buying things they really don't want. This was done way back in the 50's - and it is the essence of propaganda.
Sometimes, being naive on a subject is dangerous. And trying to convince others about "common sense" without informed knowledge is even worse.
Re: Psychology of food menu design
#16Chick-fil-A employee can confirm this all.
Re: Psychology of food menu design
#17I prefer places that have only a few items on the menu. I especially like restaurants which only have one menu item, and focus on making that one dish the best it can be. Too many menu options just causes anxiety and analysis paralysis. If you go to a fancy restaurant like the French Laundry, they only have a prix fixe menu with several courses (usually at least 5). You get what you get (although they usually have su…
My (and everyone's) local Chinese food restaurant has over fifty items in their menu. I'm very boring when it comes to food so I always get the same thing but I've always been curious about how many of the more esoteric (for a Chinese restaurant) items are sold and can be made on the spot - I've seen steaks and even Italian food in some menus.
Re: Psychology of food menu design
#18I prefer places that have only a few items on the menu. I especially like restaurants which only have one menu item, and focus on making that one dish the best it can be. Too many menu options just causes anxiety and analysis paralysis. If you go to a fancy restaurant like the French Laundry, they only have a prix fixe menu with several courses (usually at least 5). You get what you get (although they usually have su…
My (and everyone's) local Chinese food restaurant has over fifty items in their menu. I'm very boring when it comes to food so I always get the same thing but I've always been curious about how many of the more esoteric (for a Chinese restaurant) items are sold and can be made on the spot - I've seen steaks and even Italian food in some menus.
Generally speaking, this is a sign of a bad Chinese restaurant practicing what I call "matrix menus": you've got one array of sauces (soy, oyster sauce, teriyaki, sweet and sour, satay, etc) and one of proteins (chicken, beef, shrimp, salmon, tofu, etc). The menu is product of multiplying these, even when the result is completely absurd from the POV of the original culinary tradition (say, satay shrimp or teriyaki tofu) and everything is produced by grilling the chosen items on the same hot plate.
Chinese restaurants intended for Chinese people tend to specialize in a single style of dish: dumplings, hotpot, braised beef noodles, etc.
Re: Psychology of food menu design
#19Low-quality article about an incredibly interesting subject.
Re: Psychology of food menu design
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
My (and everyone's) local Chinese food restaurant has over fifty items in their menu. I'm very boring when it comes to food so I always get the same thing but I've always been curious about how many of the more esoteric (for a Chinese restaurant) items are sold and can be made on the spot - I've seen steaks and even Italian food in some menus.
Generally speaking, this is a sign of a bad Chinese restaurant practicing what I call "matrix menus": you've got one array of sauces (soy, oyster sauce, teriyaki, sweet and sour, satay, etc) and one of proteins (chicken, beef, shrimp, salmon, tofu, etc). The menu is product of multiplying these, even when the result is completely absurd from the POV of the original culinary tradition (say, satay shrimp or teriyaki to…
Who cares about whether it conforms to the tradition as long as it tastes OK? Should you also only be allowed to order a specific drink with each meal on the menu?