Last night I watched Food Detective on the Food Network. Good show. They set up a restaurant 2 times. One they had no table cloths, used plastic cups. The menu items were stated simply. . . . IE fish, green beans, etc. The wine was from "New Jersey" . Well the people rated the food and experience as a 2-3 out of 10. They said that they would pay around $12 for the meal. AND the fish sucked! ! !
Well they then put table cloths out. Changed the menu, made it elegant. Added fancy names - The "chocolate Cake" became "Double Chocolate Belgian Black Forest Cake. (Even though the black forest is in Germany) The same wine now comes from Napa Valley. Every item was exactly the same. ALL ingredients were bought at the local discount club grocery store ready to heat up or serve.
Well the second go around the experience was rated as at an average score of 8 and people thought the meal was worth $38. AND the fish was excellent! ! !
There you go.
I think that there is a lot you can take away from this. People always say that you need to spend more for fresh ingredients...etc. Maybe you don't. Simply serve something decent, in a good atmosphere, and give it a good name.
There you go - - - Good Menu - - - higher profit........
- Kraft Dinner - NO
- Homemade Pasta with aged cheddar cheese - A Big YES
