The secret sauce: 16 tricks restaurants use to make you spend more

Wersquove all had that moment at a restaurantmdashyoursquore only planning on a main but somehow you end up with a starter a drink maybe even dessert And it all feels easy like a treat not a splurge Thatrsquos the magic of a wellcrafted dining experienceFor restaurants increasing the Average Per Cover APC isnrsquot about hard sales or pushing productsmdashitrsquos comes from thoughtful cues smartdesign and creating an atmosphere where guests want to indulge From how the menu reads to how the server suggests that perfect addon itrsquos all about subtlety that feels natural The goal More joy for the diner and more value for the businessMake it a comboOne of the oldest tricks in the bookmdashused more by QSRs than restaurantsmdashis the classic combo meal A customer sees a meal dealmdasha burger with fries and a drinkmdashand thinks theyrsquore getting better value But in reality the margins on those addons are skyhigh The brand might shave a bit off their profit per item but theyrsquove convinced you to buy two things you wouldnrsquot have ordered otherwise So the combo isnrsquot about savingsmdashitrsquos about smart upsellingAll that fizzRestaurants never list aerated drinks by brand names Coke or Pepsimdashpartly for legal reasons but also to give them the flexibility to switch between brands without needing to update anything Most people donrsquot think twice about what they order or how much it costs Besides they make more on a R200 fresh lime soda than on a Rs 275 mocktail which takes more ingredients time and effortThe aroma advantageA restaurant recently invested in an expensive coffee machine but the competition nearby from leading coffee shopsmdashincluding Barista Cafeacute Coffee Day Costa Coffee and Starbucks at armrsquos distancemdashmeant their coffee prices and ambience had to stand out They introduced subtle aromas of coffee and butterscotch during non peak hours and it boosted their pastry and coffee sales Now a lot of patrons go there mostly for their coffeeConsistency over luxuryOften itrsquos not the most expensive item on the menu that wins but the ones that consistently sell A restaurateur shares how she doesnrsquot mind if her staff doesnrsquot sell a R600 dish as long as they can move 1015 portions of a simple French fries with cheese paprika in a day Thatrsquos where the real success liesmdashthe volume and consistency winning the battleBlackboard psychologyBlackboards in cafeacutes and restaurants are the perfect tool for highlighting specials or musttry items that are either new or not part of the regular menu Herersquos the clever part when a dish isnrsquot moving in the kitchen or isnrsquot getting the attention it deserves they add it to the blackboard as a musttry That simple phrase creates curiosity Customers who might skip over the item on the printed menu are far more likely to order it when framed as a special on the board Itrsquos subtle psychologymdashand it worksThe lsquowaste not want notrsquo hackIn many bakeries unsold bread is returned to the kitchen sliced dried and repurposed into breadcrumbsmdashthen resold Since chocolate has a long shelf life during festive seasons themed shaped chocolatemdashbunnies for Easter Santas for Christmas and hearts for Valentinersquos Daymdashis melted and reusedTakeaway offersWhile most restaurants donrsquot extend deals to takeaways for some itrsquos a big driver for sales A keen staffer who informs the customer on ongoing offersmdasheven for takeaway ordersmdashis all the restaurant needs That small gesture often nudges customers to buy three items instead of two to unlock that fourth item for free Itrsquos a simple upsell strategy and it worksThe portion potionAnother common tactic is deliberate portion imbalance Take hummus with pita or a fondue for instancemdashyoursquoll often get more hummus or fondue and noticeably less bread The idea is to nudge you into ordering extra bread which carries a high profit margin since accompaniments like that cost very little to make The same goes for biryani and raita serve a tiny portion of raita and chances are yoursquoll order more which then gets billed separately Itrsquos subtle but effective upsellingThe exotic effectAnother common kitchen trick is adding truffle oil to a dish and marking up the price A one litre bottle of goodquality truffle oil costs around R1500mdashabout the same as premium olive oilmdashso itrsquos not prohibitively expensive However the word ldquotrufflerdquo carries a perception of luxury allowing restaurants to justify a higher price Some places even charge extra for adding a drizzle of truffle oil on the side or incorporating more into the dish Similarly restaurateurs highlight socalled ldquoexclusiverdquo ingredientsmdashlike saying a dessert uses Ghana or Colombian chocolate It sounds premium but most cocoa beans already come from regions like Ghana or Colombia Even basic commercial chocolate often contains beans from these areas So really itrsquos more about marketing than rarity By naming the origin they create a sense of exclusivity even when the ingredient itself is relatively standardMenu design The silent salespersonMenus are mind games The priciest dish in the menursquos right corner is actually a decoy It makes the one belowmdashusually a profitable onemdashfeel like a bargainThen therersquos the naan trick Nobody blinks at R135 garlic naan next to R100 plain Garlic doesnrsquot cost R35mdashbut the idea of flavour does Placement is power lsquoCheeseburgerrsquo beats lsquoquinoa burgerrsquo every time Lead with fries or cheese balls not grilled veggies The eye buys what it sees first Clever sellsPerception over substanceDry fruits are a classic in the premium playbook Label something ldquoalmond cookiesrdquo and often itrsquos just a sliver on topmdashno real almond inside That lone bit of nut is doing all the branding Some dessert chefs also have a slick trick call it ldquoMalibu tiramisurdquo and diners think luxe But what goes in A local Goan coconut liqueur that tastes the same but costs far less Restaurateurs also rely on clever menu language Add a placemdashldquoHimalayan saltrdquo instead of plain saltmdashand the dish feels instantly upscale Words like ldquoexoticrdquo imply rarity and justify the markup Itrsquos all about shaping perception to steer customers into spending more60More coffee orders were received by a restaurant during nonpeak hours since they started using coffee essence to lure customers9937Wonrsquot say no on a first date when the host asks Shall I get a cocktail for the lady Strategic liquor pricingRestaurants price some of the more premium brands slightly lower and it might seem like they are trying to push imported labels but they are really creating a sense of value across the board which helps reduce dead stock Their highest margins come from IMFL Indian Made Foreign Liquor brands and even from entrylevel imported ones So for instance they might price a Black Label at R600 and a Jamesonmdashwhich gives them a much higher profit marginmdashat R500 The savvy customer thinks ldquoJameson for Rs 500 Thatrsquos a great dealrdquo and chooses that The power of aestheticsThe most Instagrammable dishes are often priced highermdashnot necessarily because the ingredients or preparation justify the cost but because of their visual appeal Yoursquove got a dateDating couples particularly those in the early stages or on a first date tend to spend more to impress The host subtly suggests ldquoShall I get a cocktail for the ladyrdquo the guy almost never says nomdashabout 99 per cent say yes The upsell works best when the romance is still fresh Whatrsquos in the mixWhile many restaurants donrsquot mix drinks at eventsmdashand stick to specific brands they have tied up with to pass an offer directly to the customermdashmany of them cut corners by mixing alcohol to manage costs Itrsquos one of those open secrets but customers go with it to get a ldquodealrdquo Give an experienceMany try to close party deals by dropping prices but smart ones focus on creating value If someonersquos budget is Rs 1000 per head they enhance the experience by adding a live sushi counter so it feels like a Rs 3000 experience Today people want value not just a bargain That approach works better because perception matters more than just costatOptionskeyd0ddb8ef8f1a62a8cdd22fac27fc5ea7formatiframeheight90width728params