Menu Psychology

“If admen had souls, many would probably trade them for an opportunity every restaurateur already has: the ability to place an advertisement in every customer’s hand before they part with their money.”

This quote was from Allen H. Kelson, a restaurant consultant, who wrote this in 1994.

It seems like restaurants are fast understanding the power of the menu in relationship to selling their food. Meyer's quote on chefs creating the music and the menu being the lyrics is a good way to look at it at least from a discipline point of view.

There's a great article in the NY Times http://bit.ly/8aG7eP that talks about two key areas: Meaning and pricing.

Meaning, as in creating or telling stories behind the dishes created. Providing this meaning creates a sense of authenticity and originality.

On pricing, it focuses on the incredible subtleties of pricing psychology. How the $ sign can subconsciously drive spending down and how removing unnecessary points, as in 10 versus 10.00, can create a stronger stance for the brand.

I think both angles are relevant to all brands in all categories. It's easy to forget the power of subtle signals in a world of noise.