The menu tricks that tap more than your appetite
Especially if you are hungry, you may well be swayed by the guile of a menu engineer bent on bending your mind and denting your wallet. So here is an audit of some top menu mind games exposed by psychologists and catering industry insiders.
1. Absent dollar signs The most powerful ploy in the menu engineer's playbook is subtle - the omission of dollar signs. Dollar signs spark an adverse physical response, much like a pinch, according to restaurant consultant Aaron Allen. According to Cornell University research, diners relax and spend more when the numbers go naked. So, like clocks, which supposedly make clients twitchy, dollar signs have been widely banished.
2. Missing cents Menu engineering is as much about exclusion as presentation. Another minimalist menu design technique is stripping cents from prices, as in $2 instead of $2.15. Again, the reason for shaving the pennies is that they underline the painful, fiscal side of dining and look downright crass in the case of ".99" riders. In contrast, round numbers look enticingly friendly and confident. A big fat 10 conveys faith in the worth of a dish.
3. Nested pricing Notice how the figures are discreetly embedded. Shunning right-justification that could fuel comparison shopping, the menu engineer puts each item's cost at the end of its description in the same font size. That way, a diner is more likely to judge dishes by description not price - god forbid that anyone make an economically grounded decision.
4. Dear decoy
A diner's ability to make a rational decision may be further eroded by a decoy: an extortionate item plonked at the menu's top. The decoy makes other dishes look more affordable and inviting, irrespective of whether they are nonetheless heavily marked up - as they may well be.
5. Vivid verbal contrast A variant on the spatial menu decoy trick is playing up a particular cash-cow dish by throwing it into relief through lavish description: that means drizzling the item with appetising adjectives and setting it beside a less profitable one advertised plainly. Again, the contrast makes the money-making dish look more alluring - even if it actually sucks.
6. Lyric licence Rich, descriptive language may also be used indiscriminately in a hard sell spirit, with the result that a whole menu is peppered with sensual adjectives such as "creamy" and "succulent" rather than "fried". Wholesome, hyphenated alternatives - "all-natural", "hand-gathered" and "farm-fresh" may also enter the picture. In their determination to romance the description, marketers embed brand names and link dishes to homely, relatable folk who evoke nostalgia, like "grandma". Friendly familiar names like "Big Pete" feature, too - the nominee may be a real local legend or even the proprietor. Or he might be fictional.
7. Not so special Speaking of fiction, those off-grid temptations cockily called "specials" may have nothing exclusive about them. The affordable special of the day could host an ingredient the restaurant owner over-ordered and must flog fast before it turns - if it is not off already. Likewise, the reasonably priced "house wine" is probably just musty, leftover plonk that needs drinking quick. Feeling queasy? The more you explore menu science, the more of a dark art it seems. The takeaway is simple: read between the lines and trust your gut. Oh, and if the waiter who hands you the menu touches your shoulder, remain sceptical because research shows that touch yields bigger tips.
Frequently Asked Questions about this Article…
Menu engineering is the strategic tweaking of menu design and wording to nudge customers into higher‑spend choices. According to psychologists and catering insiders, techniques like hiding prices, using lavish descriptions, and placing pricey 'decoy' items are meant to make dishes look more appealing and encourage you to order more or pricier items.
Menus often remove dollar signs because currency symbols can trigger a negative, money‑focused reaction. Research cited in the article suggests that diners relax and are likelier to spend when prices appear 'naked' (numbers without dollar signs), so restaurants drop the $ to reduce price sensitivity.
Shaving off cents and using round numbers (for example $10 instead of $9.99 or $9.95) makes prices look friendlier and less 'penny‑pinching.' The article explains that round figures appear confident and reduce the mental emphasis on cost, which can make diners feel better about paying more.
Nested pricing embeds the price after the dish description in the same font and avoids right‑justified columns of numbers. That layout makes diners evaluate dishes by the description rather than quickly comparing prices across the menu, increasing the chance of choosing a more expensive option.
A menu decoy is an intentionally very expensive item placed prominently (often at the top) so that other dishes look more reasonably priced by comparison. Even if those 'cheaper' items are still heavily marked up, the decoy makes them seem like better value and nudges you toward higher spending.
Menus use sensual adjectives (like 'creamy' or 'succulent'), brand references, or homely names ('grandma', 'Big Pete') to romance dishes and create emotional appeal. That vivid verbal contrast makes certain items seem more desirable — sometimes regardless of actual quality — and can steer you to higher‑margin menu choices.
Not always. The article warns that 'specials' can be ways to sell over‑ordered or soon‑to‑spoil ingredients, and 'house wine' may simply be leftover or less desirable stock. Read between the lines and ask staff about ingredients or provenance if value matters to you.
Be aware of common menu tactics: watch for missing $ signs or cents, prices tucked into descriptions, over‑descriptive language, and prominent expensive items. Trust your gut, compare price per portion if possible, ask the waiter about specials, and be sceptical of overly tactile service — research cited in the article shows a touch from staff can increase tips and influence choices.
Call 1300 880 160
Start a chat
Schedule a call
