Have you ever heard of restaurant tricks?
Going to a gorgeous restaurant every once in a while feels like a treat to many of us. It’s a complete sensory experience that we eagerly anticipate. We dress fancy, wear our best clothes, and look forward to stepping away from our own kitchens. We indulge in exquisite meals we might not cook ourselves, soak in the ambient atmosphere, and have a lovely time with the people we love. However, besides this fabulous experience, you will probably go home with an emptier wallet than you intended. It’s not just by chance; it’s by design. That extra cocktail you hadn’t planned on, the decadent dessert that suddenly seemed irresistible, or the pricier main course you opted for at the last minute are often the results of carefully orchestrated psychological cues.
From the way the menu is laid out to how the foods are arranged on the plate, the style of service, the way the staff treats you, the specific location of your table, the background music, and everything in between, a whole host of subtle but powerful restaurant tricks are used on you. These aren’t just happy accidents; they are calculated strategies developed by hospitality consultants and menu engineers. I’ve talked to different experts about all of them, from seasoned restaurateurs to behavioral psychologists who specialize in consumer habits, and while some are intuitive, others will genuinely blow your mind. They’ve mastered the art of making you feel like you’re making all the choices, when in reality, your path has been gently guided. Check out these restaurant tricks, and I guarantee you’ll become a more conscious diner and won’t spend that much money again!
1. It’s all about location
It’s believed that the location is key to a restaurant’s success, and that’s absolutely true. You can’t fit a fancy restaurant in a bad neighborhood, right? The physical placement of the establishment sets the initial expectation for price and quality. You want to place it in a crowded, high-end spot, maybe downtown or somewhere further from the traffic and city’s agitation, like next to the woods or on the lakeside. A stunning view or a prestigious address immediately justifies a higher price point in the customer’s mind, as they understand that high rent and prime real estate costs are baked into the price of their meal. You’re paying for the location as much as the food.
But one thing many customers forget about is the fact that the menu’s design is a whole field of study in itself, often called “menu engineering.” The location of items on the page is just as critical as the restaurant’s physical address. Whether you dine in a casual or fine place, they all use the same principle. For instance, the middle of the page and its top corners, particularly the top-right, are the zones that draw your eye the most. This is known as the “Golden Triangle” in menu design. That’s the place where higher-profit foods are typically placed. It’s all about strategy. They know you’ll see those items first, anchoring your perception of the menu’s offerings. And even if you look at more affordable options afterward, you saw the expensive ones first, and you’re probably craving them now, making other items seem more reasonable by comparison.
2. Highlighting the priciest item
Another smart restaurant trick, known as “anchoring,” involves placing the priciest item at the top of a menu section, such as the pasta or the seafood section. Seeing a $75 lobster special right at the top instantly makes the $40 salmon or $35 steak that follows seem like a fantastic bargain. It will draw your attention there; you might crave it and order it, but even if that doesn’t work, you’ll probably think that the other items look more affordable in comparison. That ridiculously expensive item isn’t always there to be sold; it’s there to make everything else look more palatable to your wallet. Whatever the case may be, it’s a win-win for the restaurant’s bottom line.
Experts then say that the second and last positions in each section are other areas that draw the eye, so you can expect to see expensive or high-margin items carefully placed there, too. This leverages well-known psychological principles called the primacy and recency effects. We tend to remember the first and last things we read in a list. By placing profitable dishes in these key spots, restaurants significantly increase the odds of you choosing them, even if you just skim the list.
3. Words, words, words
Imagine that when you select a menu item, it reads something like this: “Crunchy sage leaves from our chef’s own rooftop herb beds served with crisp, nutty slices of authentic farmhouse Derby cheese on hand-cut fresh brioche, grilled to golden perfection in our sandwich press.” Now take a look at this comparable item from a different menu: “Gourmet grilled cheese sandwich.” Which one sounds like it’s worth $18?
Even if the initial dish is nearly identical in its core components, it’s far more likely to sell for a higher price, and customers are often happier to pay it. You might wonder why that’s the case. It’s because the language used to promote this excellent dish is carefully selected to make the meal appear more upscale, more special, and more labor-intensive. The description tells a story, painting a picture of quality and care. Given that menu descriptions can alter a customer’s perception of a dish and even how it tastes, many consider it a refined art form.
Generally speaking, a restaurant will try to get you to order whatever it has more words dedicated to on the menu. These lengthy, beautiful descriptions aren’t just filler. You’ll notice this trick, especially when they use terms that evoke feelings, senses, or nostalgia, such as “traditional,” “comforting,” “Grandma’s recipe,” “line-caught,” “farm-fresh,” “crisp,” “sizzle,” and “fragrant.” These words trigger our imagination and create an emotional connection to the food before it even reaches our table.
Another layer to this trick is using specific, branded names. Mentioning “San Marzano tomatoes” or “Wagyu beef” instantly adds a layer of prestige and justifies a higher cost. Don’t forget this restaurant trick, because the staff counts on you paying more attention to the enticing words rather than to the actual cost or the simple reality of the meal itself. You’re buying the story as much as the food.
4. Borders and boxes
Boxes and borders are simple yet highly effective visual cues. They are islands of white space or shaded areas that immediately draw the eye, so a popular restaurant trick is to put special meals there, such as a pasta al forno section, the chef’s specials, or something exclusive. These graphic elements break up the text-heavy layout of the menu and act as a visual spotlight, telling your brain, “Look here! This is important!” Long story short, the foods surrounded by a blank area or a box are typically those the restaurateur most wants you to order, often because they have the highest profit margins.
These highlighted items aren’t always the most expensive, but they frequently offer the best return for the restaurant. For example, a pasta dish might have a very high profit margin compared to a steak, even if the steak has a higher menu price. Don’t fall for this restaurant trick, because you could find way better deals or dishes more suited to your taste by consciously looking at other parts of the menu. And yes, they will be just as delicious.
5. Pay attention to the sound
Even though you might not pay enough attention to the music playing in your favorite dining place, a smart restaurateur certainly does. The auditory environment is a powerful, yet often unnoticed, tool for influencing customer behavior. People working in the hospitality industry have known for years that up-tempo music, like pop or energetic rock, makes people eat faster and go on with their days. This is ideal for high-volume, fast-casual establishments that rely on quick table turnover.
Conversely, one restaurant trick that dictates how your entire experience will be depends on the music they select for a more leisurely setting. If it’s a crowded place that needs to turn tables quickly to have a healthy cash flow, you could expect up-tempo songs. On the other hand, if you go out to dinner at night in a fancy restaurant where the music is mellow—think classical, jazz, or soft ambient tunes—you’re more likely to stay in your seat longer. This relaxed state lowers your guard and creates a soothing vibe that keeps you at the table longer. This will significantly increase the chance of you ordering that extra round of drinks, a shared dessert, and probably a glass of wine or an after-dinner coffee as well.
6. Lighting is key
Did you know that dimmer or brighter lighting could also dramatically influence the pace at which you eat and how much you spend? This works in tandem with the music. When restaurants use up-tempo music, they’ll also have brighter lights to get you in and out faster. This bright, high-energy environment is common in fast-food chains and diners. On the other hand, if you enter a local where the music is mellow and the lights are dimmed, the staff hopes you spend more time there and therefore more money too. Soft, warm lighting is more relaxing and intimate; it encourages conversation and makes you feel less rushed, creating the perfect conditions for upselling.
7. Other dishes do the trick
Restaurants can manipulate you in the most basic way possible: by showing you a dish as it passes your table. This is a deliberate “food parade.” A lot of dining places design their signature dishes to draw your eye as a waiter carries them through the dining area. Those exquisite meals could be prepared table-side with lots of drama and a sudden flame—like a Bananas Foster—or might look and smell appetizing enough to make you want to order one for yourself. Seeing a towering, beautiful dessert or a dramatic-looking cocktail being delivered to a nearby table is often all the convincing you need.
The same goes for steaks or fajitas served on sizzling platters in casual restaurants. This is multi-sensory marketing at its finest. The enticing aroma of seared meats and the loud, attention-grabbing sound of the sizzling cast iron strongly encourage you to order. It triggers a chain reaction; once one table orders the fajitas, several others nearby are likely to follow suit. That’s right: they sell the sizzle, and it works almost every time.
8. Bundling up
Bundling menu items, often seen in the form of a “combo meal” or a “prix fixe” dinner, is one of the most common and effective restaurant tricks. Experts say it’s a psychological winner thanks to the fact that it offers what seems to be significantly better value for a relatively minor increase in spending. You feel like you’re getting a deal by ordering an appetizer, main, and dessert together for a set price. This is a great technique that works at all dining levels, from fast food to fine dining.
This is the low end of what happens when you order a combo at your neighborhood burger place or Chinese takeout. But it’s surprisingly effective for upscale eating as well. A three-course tasting menu might seem like a curated, special experience, but it also locks you into a higher price point than if you had ordered just a main course. Including a list of several wines with your dinner or serving a pre-selected bottle instead of a single glass increases your table’s overall check while making you feel like a connoisseur.
While you can certainly try the delicious pairings your favorite restaurant promotes, and you can get flavorful dishes matched with tasty craft beers, spirits, or wines, it’s good to be aware of the strategy. This method works by helping you justify doing something you’d already like to do—indulge. By bundling, the restaurant removes the friction of multiple small decisions and presents one easy, appealing, but more expensive choice. Knowing what you want to order ahead of time and sticking with it is a smart way to make the most of this offer without overspending. It’s up to you if you fall for this classic restaurant trick or not.
Do you know any other restaurant tricks that empty your pockets? Have you ever noticed the music change or caught yourself ordering the “special” in the box on the menu? Let us know your stories in the comments below! Being a savvy diner is a skill, and if you’d like to learn how to cook meals that are as delicious as those at restaurants, and save a fortune in the process, I recommend you check out this incredible cookbook! It’s a great way to bring that fine-dining experience home.
If you find this article helpful and you’d like to check out something else from The Price Makers, here’s a good post for you. After all, being smart with your money at a restaurant is just one way to build wealth; learning about other avenues is just as important: 8 Smart Ways To Make Passive Income in 2024
