Foodie Biz
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Consulting
  • Contact

Foodie Biz Blog

Easy to Please, Hard to Impress

When to Post Your Menu Prices Online

10/26/2016

26 Comments

 
Picture
Many of us have been in this position before: You’re browsing through restaurants online, looking for a fun place to dine that night. Nothing fancy needed; just a relaxed spot to enjoy good food and atmosphere. You find what seems to be the perfect place. You check out the menu and it looks good…but where are the prices? How much will this meal cost? The last thing you want is to make the drive only to find out this place is twice as much as it’s supposed to be. You move on, continuing your search for a match you can be sure about.
 
Not all restaurants are created equal, and different online strategies are necessary for each establishment to maximize conversion—in this case, getting a customer who finds you online to actually walk into your restaurant and pay for a meal. And while we discussed enhancing your online presence through SEO in a previous issue, the decision to post menu prices online can make or break the customer’s decision to actually visit your restaurant.
 
So when do you post your menu prices online? There is no golden rule, but generally speaking you should only forego posting prices if you cater to the kind of guests where money is never an issue. This said, I’ve outlined several points to address the issue further.

1. Know your customer
This idea has been mentioned several times across previous issues, and will inevitably be mentioned again in the future. Every successful business knows its core customers, and restaurants should be among the strongest performers in this regard.
 
This doesn’t mean you need to sit down with every 2-top to memorize their name and favorite order. Rather, simply observe the types of people who dine with you. How old are they? What is their average spend per visit? What items are being ordered more often, and at what price point? What items are not selling, and are those coming at a different price point?
 
When to post prices online: When your target customer is more price-sensitive. Typically, this customer is younger or in a lower income bracket. They order fewer items and tend to choose from the cheaper options on the menu. This type of customer needs to be sure about what they’re going to spend before they walk in, or else they won’t walk in at all.

2. Know yourself
This one may seem obvious, but I have personally glanced over many great-looking restaurants simply because they didn't align their pricing strategy with their identity. Simply put, know whether your restaurant is considered casual or high-end. There’s certainly a lot of gray in between and everyone has their own opinion, but the answer can probably come back to your customers. Their demographics and purchasing decisions should say it all.
 
Brand misalignment leads to much bigger issues than online pricing. Very few roadhouse BBQ spots can pull off high-end appeal. Conversely, few customers will appreciate a cheap and cheap-looking steakhouse. Extreme examples aside, think about the kind of food you serve and your average check.
 
When to post prices online: When your restaurant is on the casual side. If your restaurant has an entire section dedicated to pizza or burgers, you are almost certainly a casual place, no matter how posh your décor. Even if you consider yourself high-end, I would recommend posting prices online if your average check is less than $100/guest.
 
3. Know your motive
Hiding menu prices online will work if you’re emphasizing the food and the experience. Again, this can only work in very high-end or reputable establishments where the customer cannot afford to care about the price. If you’re another new, posh-looking restaurant that serves a hip crowd and stays on top of the trends with a menu full of creatively-named dishes, then you’re likely catering to millennials. Millennials tend to be price-sensitive, and you cannot afford to lose them to a place that tells them exactly how much they're going to spend beforehand.
 
If you think that hiding your prices online will help lure customers in, think again. Many will discover your prices one way or another, and many more will simply give up on you altogether.
 
When to post prices online: If you’re trying to attract more customers into your restaurant. Unless you’re booked solid for days at a time, you likely fall into this category.
 
Extremely important in any case is keeping your menu current, especially the prices. When customers mentally plan on ordering a $20 item and find that it’s $22 when they walk in, that will likely be the last time you see them. Always err on the side of caution when it comes to pricing: if you’re still in doubt of whether or not to post prices, post them.

26 Comments
WPML Free Download link
9/5/2022 08:55:57 am

Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://freecodezilla.net/free-download-wpml-nulled-c/

Reply
website kurma link
9/11/2022 02:30:13 pm

Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://kurma.website/

Reply
mobil ödeme bozdurma link
9/12/2022 02:04:24 am

Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://odemebozdurma.com/

Reply
website kurma link
9/14/2022 03:09:23 pm

Really informative article, I had the opportunity to learn a lot, thank you. https://bit.ly/site-kurma

Reply
dulkadiroglu escort link
10/4/2022 10:22:12 pm

I think this post is useful for people. It has been very useful for me. Looking forward to the next one, thank you. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/kahramanmaras-escort/dulkadiroglu-escort/

Reply
tomarza escort link
10/5/2022 04:07:46 am

It was a post that I found very successful. Good luck to you. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/kayseri-escort/tomarza-escort/

Reply
tekkekoy escort link
10/5/2022 07:15:19 pm

I follow your posts closely. I can find it thanks to your reliable share. Thank you. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/samsun-escort/tekkekoy-escort/

Reply
bayburt escort link
10/6/2022 06:51:23 am

I support your continuation of your posts. I will be happy as new posts come. Thank you. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/bayburt-escort/

Reply
cinarcik escort link
10/7/2022 06:16:31 am

I think the content is at a successful level. It adds enough information. Thank you. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/yalova-escort/cinarcik-escort/

Reply
akdeniz escort link
10/7/2022 04:46:51 pm

Thank you for your sharing. I must say that I am successful in your content. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/mersin-escort/akdeniz-escort/

Reply
elbistan escort link
10/8/2022 04:43:36 am

Thoughtful and real content is shared. Thank you for these shares. https://escortnova.com/escort-ilanlari/kahramanmaras-escort/elbistan-escort/

Reply
korsan taksi link
11/13/2022 01:00:13 am

Hemen Göz At: https://taksikenti.com/

Reply
ledger live link
11/20/2022 09:11:43 am

Ledger Live : Most trusted & secure crypto wallet

Reply
evden iş imkanı link
11/22/2022 09:05:23 pm

Tıkla evde calismaya basla: https://sites.google.com/view/evden-ek-is/

Reply
betinfo link
11/22/2022 10:34:45 pm

It was a successful post.These types of posts are very helpful.

Reply
mrbahis link
12/6/2022 01:42:33 pm

Congratulations for the successful article. I can't wait for the sequel.

Reply
mrbahis link
12/8/2022 09:12:12 am

This is nice work. Seeing good works on good days gives one peace of mind.

Reply
vbet link
12/9/2022 08:33:52 am

Congratulations, it's a nice post. I'm always waiting for such nice posts in the future.

Reply
sportsbet link
12/10/2022 06:30:55 am

I follow your work closely. Congratulations for this beautiful content.

Reply
takipçi satın al link
12/10/2022 06:19:29 pm

Uygun fiyatlardan takipçi satın al: https://takipcialdim.com/

Reply
tiktok takipçi satın al link
12/10/2022 08:40:52 pm

Tiktok takipçi satışı burada: https://takipcialdim.com/tiktok-takipci-satin-al/

Reply
instagram beğeni satın al link
12/10/2022 08:41:22 pm

İnstagram beğeni takipçi satın al: https://takipcialdim.com/instagram-begeni-satin-al/

Reply
Mia Evans link
12/12/2022 10:03:36 pm

I love that you talked about how successful businesses will understand who their customers are which is why they become strong performers in this industry. I hope to find restaurants like those now that we will be looking for a place to meet up with my friends. Since we only see each other once a year, we would definitely want the experience to be a good one with great-tasting food as well.

Reply
sms onay link
12/16/2022 01:47:34 pm

Hemen Göz At: https://www.smsonay.com/

Reply
takipçi satın al link
12/16/2022 01:49:55 pm

takipci satın almak için tıkla: https://takipcim.com.tr/

Reply
casino siteleri link
12/28/2022 08:44:56 pm

online casino oyna: http://haikuboy.com

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Benjamin Brown is a seasoned restaurant writer and hospitality consultant, serving up SoCal's hottest food news and reviews.

    Categories

    All
    American
    Anaheim
    Beer
    Beverly Hills
    Biz
    Biz Tips
    Brunch
    Celebrity Chef
    Cocktails
    Comfort Food
    Consulting
    Downtown
    Economical
    Food Festival
    Glendale
    Hollywood
    Huntington Beach
    Irvine
    Italian
    Japanese
    Koreatown
    Las Vegas
    Long Beach
    Marina Del Rey
    Mexican
    Middle Eastern
    Newport Beach
    Pasadena
    Peruvian
    Pizza
    Rancho Santa Margarita
    San Diego
    Santa Clarita
    Santa Monica
    Seafood
    Small Plates
    South Bay
    Steakhouse
    Studio City
    Thai
    Venice
    Ventura
    Westlake Village
    Westood
    Wine
    Woodland Hills
    Yorba Linda

    Archives

    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    September 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016

    Instagram

    @Foodie_Biz

    Picture
Home
About
Blog
Consulting Tips
Contact
Legal
Foodie Biz provides restaurant news and reviews for the food community, as well as consulting advice for restaurant owners and other hospitality professionals.
Contact Foodie Biz for media opportunities and freelance consulting projects.

Contact Foodie Biz

Picture
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Consulting
  • Contact