How can you use menu psychology to make customers happy?

1 The power of primacy and recency

The first and last items on your menu are the most likely to be remembered and ordered by your customers, according to the psychological principles of primacy and recency. Therefore, you should place your most profitable and popular dishes at the beginning and end of each section, and avoid burying them in the middle. You can also use visual cues, such as boxes, borders, or icons, to highlight these items and draw attention to them.

2 The influence of descriptive language

The way you describe your dishes can have a significant impact on your customers' perception, preference, and willingness to pay. Using descriptive language, such as adjectives, sensory words, or geographic origins, can make your dishes sound more appealing, unique, and high-quality. For example, instead of "chocolate cake", you can write "decadent Belgian chocolate cake with whipped cream and fresh berries". Descriptive language can also evoke emotions, memories, or associations that enhance your customers' enjoyment and satisfaction.

3 The role of pricing and anchoring

How you display and position your prices can also affect your customers' decision-making and spending. One common technique is to avoid using dollar signs, commas, or decimals, as they can remind your customers of the cost and make them more price-sensitive. Another technique is to use anchoring, which is the tendency to rely on the first piece of information as a reference point for comparison. By placing a high-priced item near a lower-priced item, you can make the latter seem more reasonable and attractive.

4 The importance of layout and design

The layout and design of your menu can also influence your customers' eye movement, scanning pattern, and attention span. You should aim to create a menu that is easy to read, navigate, and understand, without overwhelming or confusing your customers. You can use white space, colors, fonts, and images to create contrast, hierarchy, and harmony among your menu items. You can also use the golden triangle or the sweet spot theory, which suggest that customers tend to look at the center, top right, and top left of the menu first.

5 The effect of category and size

The number and type of categories and items on your menu can also affect your customers' choices and satisfaction. You should avoid having too many or too few categories and items, as they can cause decision fatigue or dissatisfaction. A general rule of thumb is to have between six and ten categories, and between five and seven items per category. You should also use clear and relevant labels for your categories, and group similar or complementary items together.

6 The value of feedback and testing

The final step in applying menu psychology to your F&B operations is to collect feedback and test your menu. You should monitor your sales, costs, and profits, and analyze how your menu items perform in terms of popularity, profitability, and contribution margin. You should also ask your customers, staff, and experts for their opinions, suggestions, and preferences. You should use this data and feedback to evaluate and improve your menu, and make changes based on your goals and objectives.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?