There are many subtle ways restaurants can aim to get customers to spend more. From clever wording on their menus to specific lighting, music choices and ambiance, chef Fred Decker details 30 particular ways in a piece for GoBankingRates. After reading more and conducting further research on the topic, we wanted to point out one notable method many restaurants can utilize to amp up their appetizer costs. If you’ve ever come home from a night out and wondered why you might have spent more than you wanted to while dining out, this might be why.
Watch Out For "Bar Bites" and the Sizes of Appetizers
When it comes to appetizers, size matters. Many of us think that smaller choices are more fulfilling to hold us over until our entrées arrive, but we aren't realizing that they are priced specifically for this reason. Restaurants sell larger sizes by making them seem like a great value. They sell small sizes when they’re coaxing you into an indulgence, Decker explains. "Tiny, jewel-like sweets and treats can be an easier sell than a full-sized dessert, because it’s easier to rationalize even when you know perfectly well you don’t need to take a single additional bite."
He refers to "bar bites" as the bite-sized options you can grab while sipping on drinks at the bar. "People who don’t want to spend the money for a full appetizer instead might order bar bites, and then an additional drink," he says (which ultimately defeats the purpose if your goal was to spend less!)
Decker uses Starbucks sizing as an example of how restaurants use this method as well. The much-mocked “Tall, Grande, Venti” beverage sizes at Starbucks exist for a reason: what you call something matters. He notes, "Venti carries less existential guilt than 'Extra Large,' let alone more candid descriptors such as 'make me slosh' or 'sugar junkie.'" (Again, all about clever wording!)
"Oversized beverages exist because the costs of the cup and its contents vary little by size, making larger sizes significantly more profitable," he continues. "Restaurants also stack the deck by tweaking the sizes and their descriptions, so that last year’s 'large' becomes this year’s 'regular' and so on. Overall, Decker says, whether your goal is to spend less on appetizers or drinks, the easy fix for this is to "know the sizes and order a moderate option."
