"Would You Like Tap Water or Sparkling Water?"... The Server's Question Is a Clever Strategy

Manipulating Consumer Psychology with Menu Layout and Pricing
Swaying Customers with Food Names and Descriptions

Everyone has probably thought at least once, "Eating out was just a waste of money." In fact, that feeling may not be just a simple impression. Restaurants often hide clever psychological strategies to get customers to open their wallets.

When the employee asks, "Would you like tap water or sparkling water?" it is a leading question intended to encourage ordering the relatively more expensive sparkling water. Getty Images

Yahoo Life, operated by the American portal Yahoo.com, reported that many restaurants use cunning strategies to deceive customers. Fred Harrington, CEO of Proxy Coupons, stated, "Most people decide what to order within 90 seconds," adding, "Restaurants are aware of this and design their menus for immediate decision-making." In reality, many upscale restaurants either hide prices so they are not easily noticed or do not display them at all. This is a strategy to keep consumers focused on the food and minimize their awareness of the price. Dr. Jason Bulle of the University of Southern California (USC) also explained, "Menus show the food names first and place the prices after, so that customers pay more attention to the food than the price."

Additionally, the 'anchoring' strategy is widely used, where extremely expensive menu items are deliberately placed at the top or in noticeable positions to make other dishes appear relatively affordable. Harrington added, "This strategy is very effective psychologically."

Restaurants hide clever psychological strategies to open customers' wallets. Stock photo unrelated to the article. Pixabay

The names and descriptions of menu items are also important factors that influence consumers' decisions. Harrington said, "The more specific a menu name is, the more value people assign to it," emphasizing that "it's not about what's on the plate, but how it sounds." In particular, nostalgic phrases like "Grandma's Apple Pie" serve as a powerful temptation. Aaron Allen & Associates, a global restaurant consulting firm, explained, "Carefully crafted menu descriptions give every dish an emotional resonance," but also cautioned that "the 'Grandma's Apple Pie' you are about to order could just be something that has been sitting in the freezer for a long time."

Basia, a content creator known on TikTok, pointed out that when a server asks, "Would you like tap water or sparkling water?" it is a leading question intended to make you order the relatively expensive sparkling water. She also noted that even the music played in restaurants can influence customer spending, explaining, "When the restaurant is quiet, they play slow music, and when it's busy, they play fast music. Slow music makes people stay longer, while fast music encourages them to finish their meal quickly."

Restaurants hide clever psychological strategies to open customers' wallets. Unrelated stock photo. Pixabay

In this way, restaurants use a variety of strategies?from menu design and suggestive questions to music selection?to encourage unconscious spending by customers. As dining out becomes more common, it is wise for consumers to be a little skeptical of these 'subtle sales tactics' at least once.