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Edited by: TJVNews.com
Dining at an upscale restaurant is often accompanied by an air of sophistication and a desire for a unique culinary experience. However, beneath the surface, these establishments employ a series of clever tricks to encourage diners to spend more money. From subtle manipulations in menu presentation to strategic pricing strategies and ambiance enhancements, fancy restaurants are masters at the art of upselling as well as employing various tricks to extract more money from unsuspecting patrons. According to an August 2023 report on the Mashed.com website that meticulously explored shady practices that some upscale establishments use, it appears that consumers are left both shocked and enlightened.
The art of the upsell is a well-known tactic in the restaurant industry, often perceived as a way for waiters to increase the check and potentially earn a larger tip. However, the stakes are often higher, with restaurants instructing servers to prioritize selling specific dishes or specials, the Mashed.com report said. This strategic move could stem from various reasons, such as the need to offload items nearing expiration or a high markup on certain menu items. Waitstaff is frequently incentivized with bonuses or rewards for achieving sales targets, creating an additional layer of motivation beyond gratuities, as was indicated in the Mashed.com report. Customers may find themselves unknowingly influenced by enthusiastic server recommendations, unaware of the underlying motive to tally up sales in the waiter’s favor.
In terms of customers tipping waitstaff, the confusion level has gone off the charts when patrons receive their bill at the end of their meal. An increasing number of restaurants have embraced the concept of automatic gratuity charges on final bills, a practice that can be perplexing for customers.
Auto gratuity is a legal service charge added to a party’s bill, with the proceeds directly benefiting the waitstaff serving that particular table. Typically set at 18% of the total check, this charge is usually applied to parties of six or more.
Unlike optional tips freely given by customers, auto gratuity is a mandatory service charge, and customers cannot refuse to pay it. Essentially, auto gratuity is akin to any other mandatory fee on the receipt, and not paying it equates to not paying for the food itself. The purpose behind auto gratuity ranges from simplifying checks for large parties to guaranteeing servers adequate compensation for their efforts.
The problem lies with the restaurant, as they do not clearly communicate what the built in gratuity charge means when the patron receives the bill at the end of the meal. The bill contains the amount of the food ordered, tax and the gratuity fee, but the tricky part comes when a line appears on the bill for the customer to leave a tip. Most customers do leave a tip for the wait staff, not knowing that the gratuity fee represents the tip and they end up paying the establishment a double or even triple tip.
Understanding the laws and dynamics surrounding auto gratuity is essential for both restaurants and patrons to navigate this evolving aspect of the hospitality industry.
Misrepresentation of menu selection
Kobe beef, renowned for its unparalleled taste and tenderness, is a delicacy that captivates the palates of gastronomes worldwide. However, the sad reality is that unless you’re dining in Japan, the Kobe beef on your plate is likely an imposter, the Mashed.com report said. Authentic Kobe beef must hail from Japan, where the unique breed of cattle, Kuroge Washu, is raised under specific conditions. Business Insider reports a meager 3,000 to 4,000 cattle per year meeting the stringent criteria for Kobe beef. Yet, in the U.S., it has become commonplace for restaurants to mislabel other expensive cuts, such as Wagyu, as Kobe, according to the Mashed.com report. This misrepresentation not only deceives customers but also leaves them paying a premium for a lesser-quality substitute.
Seafood, an epitome of luxury dining, often takes center stage on fancy restaurant menus. However, an alarming trend of species substitution has infiltrated the seafood industry. As was reported on the Mashed.com web site, restaurants may advertise a high-value fish like red snapper but serve a cheaper alternative like tilapia, reaping the financial benefits of the switch. The deceptive nature of this practice is exacerbated by the fact that customers only discover the fraud after the fish has been cooked and concealed under layers of breading, seasoning, or sauces. Oceana’s report reveals a shocking 38% mislabeling rate of seafood in restaurants, emphasizing the need for heightened scrutiny in the industry.
This not only amounts to a financial scam on unsuspecting patrons but, more alarmingly, poses health risks. The study uncovers instances where fish on the FDA’s “Do Not Eat” list, due to high mercury content, found their way onto customers’ plates, particularly endangering sensitive groups like pregnant women and children, according to the Mashed.com report.
Escolar, an oily fish causing acute gastrointestinal symptoms, was found masquerading as white tuna in a shocking 84% of samples. The implications of such mislabeling extend far beyond a mere culinary disappointment, raising serious concerns about the safety of the food served at these establishments.
While seafood mislabeling is a widespread issue, sushi restaurants emerge as key players in this deceptive game, the Mashed.com report said. According to the Oceana study, an alarming 74% of the time, sushi restaurants mislabel the fish they serve. John Daley, chef and owner of Sushi Ko in New York, reveals the tricks of the trade employed by some sushi establishments to cut corners and maximize profits.
One such tactic involves promoting inside-out rolls, where rice is on the outside and fish on the inside. This not only allows for a greater use of cheaper rice but also deceives customers into believing they are getting more fish than they actually are, according to the Mashed.com report. Additionally, sushi places may resort to using spicy tuna, oils, and mayo to mask the flavor of subpar or even rotting fish. The utilization of sushi scraps as tartar and the substitution of fake wasabi further exemplify the lengths some sushi establishments go to in order to maintain their profit margins.
Fancy restaurants also employ psychological tactics to maximize profits. Menu engineering, a strategy used to influence customer choices, involves strategically placing high-profit items, using enticing descriptions, and employing pricing tricks, as was indicated in the Mashed.com report. Items labeled as “chef’s special” or accompanied by intricate descriptions tend to attract more attention, convincing diners to splurge on these seemingly exclusive dishes. Additionally, strategically omitting currency symbols and using numerical formatting can downplay the actual cost, encouraging customers to spend more freely.
Champagne, Wine, Beer & Even Water
Beyond the world of seafood, the sanctity of the term “Champagne” faces challenges in the United States. While real Champagne is a highly regulated product, protected by strict European laws, the U.S. operates under a different set of rules, the Mashed.com report said. The Treaty of Versailles, intended to restrict the use of the term to wines from the Champagne region of France, was never ratified by the U.S. Senate. This legal loophole allows some American producers to continue using the term “Champagne.”
The exorbitant markups on wine lists are a well-known phenomenon in upscale dining establishments. A bottle of wine may cost the restaurant three to four times more than its purchase price, and the markup on wine by the glass can be even more staggering. According to the Mashed.com report, the rationale behind such high markups lies in the fact that restaurants understand the allure of enjoying wine with a meal and capitalize on the captive audience. According to Newsweek, the simplicity of serving prepackaged wine allows restaurants to charge steep prices, exploiting the customer’s desire for a well-paired beverage.
The deception extends to beverage servings, notably the infamous “pint” of beer. It’s a common practice for restaurants to serve what appears to be a pint but falls short by two ounces, holding only 14 ounces instead of the standard 16, as was noted in the Mashed.com report. The glass might look identical, but subtle design alterations such as thicker walls or bottoms mask the shortfall. While some segments of the population may take offense at this practice, the majority of patrons remain unaware of being shortchanged in their beer servings.
As to water, having a member of a restaurant waitstaff place a glass of water on your table without being asked to before you order your meal has gone in the way of obsolescence, and you might even call it an anachronism of sorts. Be on your toes if your waiter offers to bring you a bottle of water as it may set you back $20 or $30, especially if the water is labeled bubby spring water.
And while we’re at it, we may as well mention that fact that chewing on some garlic bread that is brought to your table by the waiter may also incur extra fees that you are totally unaware of.
Truffle Oil
In the world of gastronomy, certain buzzwords can turn a simple dish into a luxurious experience, and truffle oil is no exception. Touted as a flavor enhancer capable of transforming even the most basic foods, truffle oil has become a staple in fancy restaurants, often demanding a premium price, the Mashed.com report said. However, a closer examination reveals a disappointing truth – truffle oil, despite its glamorous reputation, is often a synthetic concoction devoid of actual truffles.
The most common ingredient found in truffle oil is 2,4-dithiapentane, a compound linked to formaldehyde, hardly the earthy, aromatic essence one would associate with real truffles. Renowned Michelin-starred chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten dismisses truffle oil as “like gasoline” and deems it “the most overrated ingredient,” as was reported by Mashed.com. The report also said that even Gordon Ramsay, a culinary icon, has labeled truffle oil as “one of the most pungent, ridiculous ingredients ever known to chefs.” To truly savor the authentic flavor of truffles, consumers are advised to steer clear of truffle oil-laden dishes and opt for those featuring real truffle pieces.
The Art of Menu Descriptions
Another facet of culinary deception lies in the art of menu descriptions. Fancy restaurants often employ overly descriptive language to entice diners, raising sales by an impressive 27%, as per one study, as was indicated in the Mashed.com report. However, the problem with this technique is that the adjectives used can be misleading, if not entirely inaccurate. The misuse of terms like “Angus” beef, implying a specific and highly prized breed, is a classic example. While originally derived from Scottish Aberdeen Angus, the USDA defines Angus beef as originating from any cattle that is 50.01% or more black. Mashed.com also reported that this misrepresentation extends to claims of food origins, with research revealing faulty descriptions in provenance claims – from Florida blue crab sourced from the Indian Ocean to wild Alaskan Pollock farmed in China.
Restaurants seeking to lower food costs without compromising perceived value employ a clever optical illusion – slightly smaller plates. According to The Guardian, using plates that are just an inch smaller can make customers feel like they are getting more food, even if the portion remains the same. The Mashed.com report indicated that this tactic allows restaurants to adapt seamlessly to rising food prices by scaling down from a 12-inch plate to an 11-inch plate, all without the diners noticing. The result is an increased sense of value for the customer, enabling restaurants to charge more for the same amount of food under the guise of generosity.
Other Nasty Tricks
One seemingly innocuous yet effective trick is the removal of dollar signs from menus, as revealed by a study from Cornell University School of Hotel Management, as per the Mashed.com reported. Diners were found to spend significantly more money when faced with a menu that presented numerical prices without the visual cue of the dollar sign. Even spelling out the word “dollar” led to reduced spending, suggesting that any reference to currency triggers a psychological aversion known as the “pain of paying.” Additionally, Mashed.com reported that upscale restaurants employ bracketing, offering the same dish in different sizes. Customers, unaware of the quantity difference, often opt for the smaller, seemingly more affordable option, unknowingly falling into the restaurant’s pricing strategy.
Another cunning method used by fancy restaurants is framing expensive dishes as bargains. By strategically placing exorbitantly priced items alongside other costly but not astronomical options, the latter appears more reasonable and affordable, as was noted in the Mashed.com report, This tactic preys on the assumption that diners, swayed by the relative pricing, will consider the slightly less expensive items as bargains, even if they are, in reality, overpriced.
Researchers at the University of Leicester have uncovered the impact of classical music on spending behavior in fancy restaurants. Mashed.com reported that Dr. Adrian North, a senior lecturer in psychology, explains that classical music triggers associations with sophistication, affluence, and wealth, encouraging diners to feel a sense of opulence. This mood-setting tactic prompts customers to spend more on luxury items such as starters, desserts, and coffees, enhancing the overall revenue for the restaurant, the report added.
Dining out is not just a culinary affair but a complex interplay of strategies designed to enhance the restaurant’s bottom line. From the visual trickery of shrinking plates to the subtle deception of shortchanged pints and the strategic upselling maneuvers of waitstaff, customers are unwittingly drawn into a world where perception often trumps reality. As consumers, being aware of these tactics empowers us to navigate the dining experience with a discerning eye, ensuring that our culinary indulgences are not overshadowed by the subtle deceptions of the restaurant industry.
