[PCBMan]

“Appetizer sales are down...”

You betcha. I’m not paying $8.00 for an appetizer.

[RockinRight]

"Americans have been kind of spoiled. We have supersized everything," Arthur says. "That's not necessarily the way it is in the rest of the world."

Yes, our portions are too large. But if I'm getting a smaller portion, I expect to PAY LESS for it.

[knittnmom]

liver and onions as old school comfort food?? Writer lost credibility right there!

[Vigilanteman]

One of the best tricks which isn't even listed works great for those all you can eat buffet places:

Have the wait staff constantly circulating to keep drink glasses full. Water, lemon water and ice tea are cheap, filling and great to push as healthy eating. Soda is even better because, even though it is more expensive, the carbon dioxide help customers feel full and leave sooner.

Even if the friendly drink pushers encourage people to stay longer, it will be to consume inexpensive liquids rather than expensive plates.

Best of all: There's no customer backlash because they love the added service.

[beaversmom]

They did this to me at Village Inn the other day. Dinner salad had 3 crutons, 4 pieces of grated cheese (literally) and no wedge of egg or tomato like they normally do.

[weegee]

A salad bar can be the serving site of last resort for cheese or vegetables that are about to turn. See lots of chili? It may be a disguise for leftover hamburger.

Board of Health would have something to say about using past date foods.

[weegee]

Often the signature dish may not be all that profitable. But a pasta dish can offer a low cost for the eater and a drastically lower food cost for the restaurant. Arthur recommends restaurants look to add low cost, high margin dishes. In other words, it's better for them to make $2 off a $12 entrée than to make $2 off a $25 dish -- even though making the $25 dish may be more fun.

It used to be called spaghetti for 75 cents, now it is called PASTA for $10 a plate ~ Michael Savage

[mysterio]

I stopped eating out very often after gas and energy prices became obscene.

[PurpleMan]

Sneaky tricks? Like these are something new?

Anybody who has been in the business knows that you do these things to run a profitable business. That’s WHY you’re IN business. Sheesh.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I was at a “causual dining” restaurant once with my daughter when she was about ten. She ordered an apple juice and what they brought her was at least half water. If they had mixed in a couple of tablespoons of sugar with it, she probably wouldn’t have noticed.

[bill1952]

BTT

[debboo]

We should all try eating the old fashioned way, at home after we have finished cooking it ourselves. It would be a lot safer and healthier as well.

[bethelgrad]

We go to Lonestar one or Tuesdays a month because they have free kids meals on those days. It never fails—EVERY time we eat there they forget to take the meals off the bill.

[stainlessbanner]

"And the most expensive items on the menu aren't sold as much."

Genius! I can figure that out and I'm not a food industry consultant.

[Dr. Sivana]

The article missed some of the most famous tricks. Friendly’s restaurants would just come out with a new menu with completely different items on it, so there is no way to compare portion sizes or prices.

In 1980-81, I worked in a Pizza Hut and read the managers’ guides during slow periods (Tuesday evenings). There were explicit rules for cutting down on salad bar consumption. Plates instead of bowls, or, if bowls are employed, make the bowl itself small with a large lip to force repeat trips to the salad bar and make customer feel like a pig. The sneeze shield is purposely placed low, with the cheapest food easiest to reach. Food containers are also to be shallow (who wants to take the last olives?).

This was in 1980-81 (still feeling the effects of Carter), so restaurants playing games is nothing new.

[Tamar1973]

Cut back on portions:

Probably a good thing anyway. Americans in general are a lot fatter than the rest of the world.

[MarkL]

I am SO SICK of this sort of line:

"That's not necessarily the way it is in the rest of the world."

You know what? If I wanted it the way they do things "in the rest of the world" I'm MOVE THERE!!!!! I want things the way WE DO THEM HERE!!! And for those who want to change us to match the "more enlightened" continental types, please move the hell away!

Mark

[lainie]

Restaurant drinks are a big trick area. A friend told me this one — if ordering a mixed type cocktail, when possible, order the drink with your liquor as a separate shot, and add it yourself. That way you know that they’re not short-changing you in the drink. This won’t work with frozen/blender ones really, but you get the idea. I guess this is more common than one would think. (?)

Also, keep in mind that if you’re part of a group lunch situation, your soft drink orders could be 20% or more of the total bill. They offer ‘free refills’ knowing that you’re paying 2 bucks for two or three glasses of icea tea (that costs them, what? 50 cents?)

[cherry]

caveat emptor......I don't think the wise use of ingredients or making soup out of leftovers is anything to be ashamed of.....good cooks do that all the time....

its up to us to notice the smaller sizes, etc.....

I get exasperated at the grocery store because all things have been downsized a bit without a price reduction....but the laugh is on them....I compare unit prices....

BTW....I have noticed in the last few weeks more things on sale...I bought a doz large eggs for 99cents today and diet Pepsi 4- 12 packs for 9bucks...

then again....I paid nearly 5 bucks for a pound of walnuts....