Quite a bit of thought goes into your meal and the experience when you eat out.
A lot of thought also goes into getting you to open your wallet just a little bit more.
These are the top 5 ways restaurants try to get you to spend more money:
1. Not using dollar signs – Restaurants try to steer clear of the dollar signs because it immediately reminds patrons they are spending money.
2. Being tricky with numbers – Prices that end with $9.99 mean quantity but not always quality. Prices that end with .95 instead of .99 seem “friendlier” as well.
3. Using very descriptive language – Studies show descriptive menu labels raised sales by 27 percent compared to the items without.
4. Visually highlight items – Foods that are highlighted, shown with pictures or bolded appear fancier. However, high-end restaurants avoid this tactic because it can make them look “tacky.”
5. Offer foods in two portion sizes – Customers don’t know what size the smaller portion is so they automatically assume it is the better value.
MORE: See the full list of way restaurants try to get you to spend more money
