Restaurant Confidential
Restaurants are filled with booby–traps the cause us to overeat. These original findings show how glasses, plates, and menu descriptions can unknowingly cause us to eat too much.
The Flat–Rate Pricing Paradox: Conflicting Effects of 'All–You–Can–Eat' Buffet Pricing
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Are consumers driven to "get their money's worth" at an all–you–can–eat buffet? We found that consumers who paid more for an all–you–can–eat lunch buffet ate significantly more than those who received a discount.
Eating Behavior and Obesity at Chinese Buffets
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Will you eat more food at an all–you–can–eat buffet if you have a higher body mass or are facing the buffet? We observed body mass and seating, serving, and eating behaviors to investigate what environmental factors affect the eating behaviors of people at all–you–can–eat buffets.
The Biasing Health Halos of Fast–Food Restaurant Claims: Lower Calorie Estimates and Higher Side–Dish Consumption Intentions
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Why is America a land of low–calorie food claims but high–calorie food intake? We found that people are more likely to underestimate the caloric content of main dishes and to choose higher–calorie dishes, drinks, or desserts when fast food restaurants claim to be "healthy" compared to those that do not.
Fine as North Dakota Wine: Sensory Expectations and the Intake of Companion Foods
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Will you think your food tastes better just because you think you are drinking a higher quality wine? We found that taste expectation of a wine based on its geographical origin influences taste expectation and consumption for accompanying foods.
Wine Promotions in Restaurants: Do Beverage Sales Contribute or Cannibalize?
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There are many health benefits associated with drinking a glass of wine, yet restaurant wine sales significantly lag those of other alcoholic beverages. We performed a 10–week field study at two casual neighborhood restaurants to see what kinds of wine promotions were most effective at increasing wine consumption.
How Descriptive Food Names Bias Sensory Perceptions in Restaurants
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Can menu names suggestively influence the perceived taste of restaurant food? We examined the differences in perceived taste, calories, and approval in foods both labeled and not–labeled with descriptive, appealing and evocative names to see if names really make a difference.
Shape of Glass and Amount of Alcohol Poured: Comparative Study of Effect of Practice and Concentration
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Variations in pouring and drinking behavior mean that the amount of alcohol poured into a mixed drink can vary widely. Although correction efforts have been suggested, an important unaccounted source of bias in self–reported consumption of spirits may have to do with the shape of the glass into which a drink is poured.
Bottoms Up! The Influence of Elongation & Pouring on Consumption Volume
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Studies at "Weight–loss Camps" (and with veteran bartenders) show that visual illusions unknowingly cause people to pour 32–43% more in to short wide glasses than tall narrow ones.
Interactions Between Forms of Fat Consumption and Restaurant Bread Consumption
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Hidden cameras at Italian restaurants show that people who put olive oil on a piece of bread will eat more fat and calories than if they instead used butter. The good news . . . they eat fewer pieces of bread.
Descriptive Menu Labels' Effect on Sales
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Putting descriptive names (Black Forest Double–Chocolate Cake vs. Chocolate Cake) on menus made people rate the foods as tasting better and as being more caloric.
